February 8, 2012 THE VILLADOM TIMES III • Page 15 Hit by Cupid’s arrow: A look at the winged matchmaker Cupid is a symbol of Valentine’s Day, but many do not know how this winged matchmaker came to be associated with the holiday. Do you believe in love at first sight? How many friends or relatives have said they met their dream man or woman by a chance encounter of eyes meeting across the room? Perhaps Cupid played a role --shooting his arrow and finding a target. Cupid is represented in several ways, but the best-known image of Cupid is a winged boy shooting arrows to join potential lovers together. Cupid has two types of arrows he can set sail. Gold-tipped arrows are what links people in love. However, Cupid also has a devious side. He can fire lead-tipped arrows, which cause people to feel hatred. This side of Cupid is little-known. Cupid is the son of Venus in Roman mythology. Greek myths called him Eros, and he was the son of Aphrodite. Stories say that Venus, the goddess of love and beauty became jealous with a mortal woman named Psyche. She ordered her son to punish the mortal. However, Cupid became enamored with Psyche and married her instead. Being a mortal, Psyche was not able to look at her husband. She resisted until one day her sisters persuaded her to look at him, wondering why he would want to hide himself from her. Upon doing so, Cupid punished Psyche by leaving her and making all of their belongings vanish. Psyche wandered looking for her lost love. She eventually came upon the temple of Venus and wanted to plead her case and apologize. However, Venus was still jealous of Psyche. Venus ordered her to complete dangerous tasks to try to win back Cupid, in an effort to destroy the mortal. In one of her tasks -- a visit to Pluto in the underworld -Psyche failed and fell under a deadly slumber. Cupid was beside himself, found Psyche and rescued her. Both Cupid and Venus forgave Psyche. Eventually the rest of the gods, moved by Psyche’s devotion, made her a goddess. Today Cupid is the mascot of Valentine’s Day. His mischievous or devious nature is downplayed, and he is best known as an adorable matchmaker with heart-tipped arrows. You can evoke Cupid this Valentine’s Day by drawing arrow-pierced hearts on steamed-up mirrors in the bathroom for your mate to discover. Or send valentines with hearts and arrows as the theme. Valentine’s Day is often a time for adult couples to show their affection, but Valentine’s Day is a fun time for kids, too. Kids often enjoy handing out and receiving Valentine’s Day cards, and parents enjoy seeing their kids’ crushes. Another Valentine’s Day tradition kids enjoy is the annual Valentine’s Day party. Parents hosting the party this year can make the most of their holiday party with the following tips. Let kids make the invitations. Kids will get a kick out of making Valentine’s Day invitations for all their friends. Tools of the trade include construction paper, glitter, stickers, and any other accessories kids might feel are necessary. Parents who want to go the extra mile can take their kids around the neighborhood to hand deliver the invitations to their friends. Go big with balloons. No party is complete without balloons, and a Valentine’s Day party should include pink, red, and white balloons. If time permits, create an archway of balloons at the front door or tie balloons to the mailbox so other parents know where to drop off the kids. Plan a Valentine’s Day party with the kids Don’t forget the candy and cupcakes. Kids might have ulterior motives for enjoying Valentine’s Day that go beyond giving and receiving valentines. Candy and cupcakes are as much a part of Valentine’s Day for kids as they are for adults. Chocolate and cupcakes are favorites for kids and adults alike on Valentine’s Day, so be sure to have some on hand for the party. Host a few Valentine’s themed games. Spice things up with a few games with a Valentine’s Day theme. If the weather permits, host a Valentine’s scavenger hunt in the backyard. Include prizes like Valentine’s stickers and, of course, chocolate. If the weather is too cold for a scavenger hunt, plan other activities that can be done indoors. This can include some dancing to kids’ favorite music or even letting kids decorate the house themselves with Valentine’s themed decorations they made at the party. Accessorize. For the party, purchase heart-shaped plates and red, pink, or white utensils for the kids to use. For dessert, serve up a heart-shaped chocolate cake.