GETTING TO THE HEART OF IT ROMANCE SWEETENS SOUTHLAND ON VALENTINE'S DAY.

Byline: Rachel Uranga Staff Writer

Love was in the air - and at the beach, the supermarket, the florist's shop and the candy store - on Saturday, as Southlanders celebrated Valentine's Day.

``He is the heart of my life, and I cry when I think just how happy I am,'' said Pat Einbund, 52, turning to her husband, Jamie Einbund, 45, as they walked along the Santa Monica Beach Pier.

For the Santa Clarita couple, the day was more than Cupid's celebration. It also marked their fourth wedding anniversary.

``We are super happy,'' agreed Jamie Einbund, smiling back at his wife.

Across the nation Saturday, lovers, friends and family exchanged words of appreciation, along with chocolates and flowers.

The day, according to some legends, began in honor of St. Valentine, a Roman clergyman who was executed on this day in 420 A.D., for marrying couples against the emperor's will. Other legends attribute the day to a Roman fertility festival. Either way, it became a mass consumption holiday in America around the 1840s when Massachusetts native Esther Howland began selling valentines.

From behind the counter of Wild Flower, a three-decade-old Northridge florist, owner Marty Lavitt tried to keep his cool. Valentine's Day is one of the store's busiest days of the year.

``It's a zoo in here,'' he said cheerfully.

With more than 1,000 orders sent out Friday and Saturday, delivery vans ran from 6 a.m. until 8 p.m. And Lavitt expected most of his stock to be sold by the end of the day, as did most florists throughout the San Fernando Valley.

``We are in the business of feelings,'' Lavitt said. ``People are not just sending flower, candies and teddy bears - they are conveying their emotions.

``When people send flowers or roses, it's symbolic of their feelings. We have seen people cry when we walked in with those roses.''

At Gladstone's, the landmark seaside restaurant in Malibu, couples smooched on the beach trying to pass the time during a three-hour wait for a table.

``It seems like half of Los Angeles is in here,'' said Evan Sucier, a 22- year-old waiter.

Patrons were patient because, for so many, the waves lapping over the sand, the horizon and the seemingly endless sea all form the ultimate in romance.

``Beaches have this soothing, calming effect, in contrast to the busy atmosphere of the city,'' Sucier said. ``And, on Valentine's, you want to make the most of who you are with. You want to focus on the individual you love.''

At See's Candy in Burbank, a line of people seeking sweets for the sweet snaked out the door.

`It's a tradition for many,'' said Sandra Solorio, a 16-year store manager. ``People get the same heart (-shaped box of candy) every year for their wives, their children. Some people bring their old heart back every year.''

``It's my favorite holiday,'' said 29-year-old Nina Mattson as she and her boyfriend of six years, Jermaine Thomas, posed for a Santa Monica sketch artist.

``We balance each other out,'' chimed in Thomas.

``And this,'' said Solorio, surveying the beach, ``is perfect.''

Rachel Uranga, [phone]

rachel.uranga(at)dailynews.com

CAPTION(S):

2 photos

Photo:

(1) Jamie and Pat Einbund of Santa Clarita celebrate more than just Valentine's Day Saturday at Santa Monica Beach. Feb. 14 was also their wedding anniversary.

(2) Newly engaged couple Nina Mattson and Jermaine Thomas of Philadelphia pose for caricatures along the Santa Monica Pier.

David Sprague/Staff Photographer