CLIPBOARD

The history of St. Valentine’s Day can be traced back to three main sources: Lupercalia, a pagan fertility festival, two martyred (and, subsequently, canonized) Christians named Valentine and an old English belief that birds choose their mates on Feb. 14.

Regardless of how Valentine’s Day came to be, there’s no denying that spring is a time for lovers. But how to best express all that adoration to your beloved? Will a card and box of chocolates do well enough? Dinner and a movie? A dozen roses?

Whatever the case, here is an amalgam of local odds and ends about the day’s observance:

Amount of See’s Candy Sold

See’s candy sold in county for each of the last five Valentine’s days. (in thousands)

1986: $692

1987: $694

1988: $647

1989: $965

1990: $1,029

Source: See’s Candy

Cupid on the Rise

Civil marriages are on the rise in the county. Since 1988, the trend has been steadily upward, increasing by 14% from 1989 to 1990

1986: 3,400

1987: 4,131

1988: 3,732

1989: 3,888

1990: 4,450

Source: Orange County Clerk.

THE FOODS, THE FADS AND THE SNUGGLY

Some suggestions for hot Valentine’s gifts:

* Chocolate-covered Champagne Bottle. Now you can have your champagne and eat it too. A variety of french labels to choose from or BYOB. $20 dipping fee. Tomfoolery Serious Chocolate, Chocolates and Bakery for Chocoholics, 705 E. Balboa Blvd., Balboa, (714) 675-7904. Open 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. * Victorian Settee. Sit with your loved one in an ultimate love seat. $1,200. Roseville, 601 S. Euclid St, Fullerton, (714) 879-1481. Open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. * Red Boa With Red Maribou Shoes. It’s all you’ll need to wear to really say “I love you”. $70. Fatal Attraction, at Pier 101, 34255 Coast Hwy, Suite 133, Dana Point, (714) 248-0732. Open 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. * Enchanted Evening. Sample Question: If you were to describe your mate to a friend, what would be the main trait you’d emphasize? First one around the game board gets a wish granted that night . $25 Gamesmanship, in South Coast Plaza, 3333 Bristol St., Costa Mesa, (714) 557-2447. Open 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. * A Bouquet of Cookies. Pick an assortment of long-stemmed double chocolate chip, sugar, peanut butter, or oatmeal cookies for your sweetie’s sweet tooth. $30. Nifty 50’s Cafe, Bakery and Fountain, 5773 E. Santa Ana Canyon Rd., Anaheim, (714) 998-8118. Open from 7:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Source: Individual stores

A Little Orange County Romance

When it comes to romance, Bob Badal encourages people to “turn over a few stones” while searching for a special gift. Badal builds his seminar, “A Romantic and Unusual Journey in Southern California,” around the philosophy that “romance is based on risk, discovery and mutual involvement.”

In his seminars, taught at local colleges, this county Cupid reads romantic poetry and focuses on local theaters, restaurants and parks.

“This isn’t a travelogue,” he said, “but I do spend a lot of time in Orange County. We have some terrific hideaways.”

According to Badal, any gift--whether it’s an outing or a present--should show both effort and thought, indicating that a busy person interrupted a tight schedule to make special arrangements. Here are Badal’s five favorite St. Valentine’s Day escapes:

Breakfast at George’s Camelot Restaurant (3420 Via Oporto, Newport Beach, (714) 673-3233). The tables at George’s Camelot in Lido Village are practically floating in Newport Bay. Start the morning with a leisurely breakfast of watching pelicans glide over the water and yachts motor out to the Pacific.

Journey to Paris Without Leaving the County. Late risers start the day with a luncheon buffet at Cafe Fleuris , the less pretentious sister restaurant of Antoine, in Le Meridien Hotel in Newport Beach. (The hotel is at 4500 MacArthur Blvd., (714) 476-2001, Ext. 2194.) Afterward, wander the halls of the Severin Wunderman Museum (3 Mason, Irvine, (714) 472-1138). Housing the largest collection of Jean Cocteau outside of Paris, the museum is a veritable biography of the man critics call “the father of 20th-Century art.”

Romancing the Orange. Orange Hill Restaurant (6410 Chapman Ave., Orange, (714) 997-2910). Does any other inland restaurant offer an ocean view of the sunset?

Sorry, no window tables available. But you are in luck if you’re into whips and chains. The interior of the Cellar, with its spectacular dark wrought iron, gives the feeling of dining in the depths of a medieval castle. The Cellar Restaurant-Cuisine Francaise (305 N. Harbor Blvd., Fullerton, (714) 525-5682).

Try a Room at the Inn. Countryside Inn (325 Bristol St., Costa Mesa, (1-800) 322-9992). Enjoy the full flavor of French-country elegance, including marble floors, a European-style courtyard and lavish gardens. Each studio suite has its own Jacuzzi and a four-poster bed. Mais oui!

A Heavy Price to Pay for Love

When it comes to saying “I Love You” with a dozen long-stemmed roses, words don’t come cheap. Compared to two years ago, prices have increased at many outlets--in some places as much as $27.50 a survey of county florists shows. Florists attribute the rise in prices to cold weather, increases in production costs and steeper shipping rates.

Here’s how the 1989 prices stack up to what you’ll pay this year at some Orange County florists:

Florist Phone 1989 1991 Adam’s Flowers (714) 921-2770 $52.50 $70 5557 E. Santa Ana Canyon Road, Anaheim Hills Cypress Plaza Florist (714) 894-5333 $44.95 $59.95 6952 Katella Ave., Cypress Bell Tower Florist (714) 768-6788 $47.95 $65 24601 Raymond Way 3, El Toro The Black Iris (714) 497-2282 $65 $75 2950 S. Coast Highway, Laguna Beach Flowers By Morri (714) 645-8144 $65 $65 448 E. 17th St., Costa Mesa Party Plea-z-ers (714) 546-2211 $52.50 $75 1166 Sunflower Ave., Costa Mesa Roger’s Flowers (714) 640-5800 $50 $70 2301 San Joaquin Hills, Corona del Mar

Percentage Florist Change Adam’s Flowers +33 5557 E. Santa Ana Canyon Road, Anaheim Hills Cypress Plaza Florist +33 6952 Katella Ave., Cypress Bell Tower Florist +36 24601 Raymond Way 3, El Toro The Black Iris +15 2950 S. Coast Highway, Laguna Beach Flowers By Morri No 448 E. 17th St., Costa Mesa change Party Plea-z-ers +43 1166 Sunflower Ave., Costa Mesa Roger’s Flowers +40 2301 San Joaquin Hills, Corona del Mar

Source: Individual florists