Be a Sweetheart this Valentine’s Day

Be a Sweetheart this Valentine’s Day


Valentine’s Day is fast approaching, and everybody is trying to think of just the right gift for their sweethearts. What if that right thing could have a positive effect on someone in your community that you don’t even know? It could happen!

The history of St. Valentine’s Day is mostly a mystery, but celebrations for sweethearts during the month of February date back to the ancient Romans. The Catholic Church recognizes three saints named Valentine. One defied the Emperor Claudius, who decreed that soldiers in the Roman army should not be married. By performing marriages for these young sweethearts, he signed his own death warrant.
    
Another legend relates that while Valentine was in prison, he fell in love with a young girl, possibly his jailor’s daughter.  She visited him during his confinement. Before his death, it is rumored that he sent a note to her signed….”From your Valentine.”   
    
The top gifts in celebration of relationships are jewelry, flowers, and chocolates. This year, at the Mast General Store, you can give two gifts with your candy purchase.
    
On February 11 and 12, the weekend prior to Valentine’s Day, the Mast Store hosts its annual Be a Sweetheart…Feed the Hungry event in each of its locations. Now in its ninth year, Be a Sweetheart helps to fill the pantries of local food banks by matching a $1 donation for every pound of candy purchased during that weekend. A little can do so much - $1 can provide three hot meals.
    
In a time when everyone wants to stretch their dollars, the simple gift of chocolates or any of the over 500 old-fashioned favorite candies at the Mast Store can send two messages – “I love you” to your sweetheart and “I care” to those who are hungry. To find out more about how you can Be a Sweetheart, check back here for more information in the coming days.