Table Talk: What Valentine's Day Is All About

This week's Family Dinner Table Talk, from HuffPost and The Family Dinner book:

Topic: Valentine's Day History

Story to read: Valentines In The U.S. -- It All Started Here and The History Of Saint Valentine

What to say to your kids: On Feb. 14th, we give and get lots of candy and funny cards from our friends. But a long time ago, Valentine's Day wasn't that way.

All the way back in the 3rd century (a long time ago!) there was turmoil in Rome, Italy. The ruler wasn't letting young couples get married. But a brave priest -- now known as St. Valentine in Christianity -- married them anyway and was even killed for doing so. The "lovey" part of Valentine's Day happened later, in the 1800s, when a Massachusetts woman named Esther decided to make Valentine cards for her friends, and then started a company producing Valentines.

Tonight, let's talk about Valentine's Day.

Questions for discussion:

• Do you think it's important to have a day to remember love every year?
• Why do you think St. Valentine married couples against the ruler's wishes?
• Who have you showed love to this Valentine's Day?

In her cookbook, The Family Dinner, Laurie David talks about the importance of families making a ritual of sitting down to dinner together, and how family dinners offer a great opportunity for meaningful discussions about the day's news. "Dinner," she says, "is as much about digestible conversation as it is about delicious food."

We couldn't agree more. So HuffPost has joined with Laurie and every Friday afternoon, just in time for dinner, our editors highlight one of the most compelling news stories of the week -- stories that will spark a lively discussion among the whole family.