Valentine’s Day has always been more of a family and friend holiday for me, than a romantic time solely for couples. In my childhood and into my adult days, my mother would make a special family dinner. We brought out the ruby dishes and red cloth napkins. The table boasted a colorful rosy floral centerpiece and there were small gifts and notes by our plates with Mom’s special messages to us written in her cryptic combination of hand drawn pictures and letters. Sometimes we could figure out the message; other times we had to ask for help.
There are many different stories as to this day’s origins, most relating to St. Valentine and his efforts on behalf of lovers in Rome in the third century. By some historical accounts, the celebration of the holiday was to mark the anniversary of St. Valentine’s death or his burial. Other accounts cite the celebration as beginning in the Middle Ages, when couples, observing that birds began to mate in mid-February, saw this as a favorable time to share letters and gifts.
Written Valentine greetings date back to the 1400s. The holiday became popular in the 1700s and sending greetings to friends and lovers eventually became a very common practice, especially in England. British settlers brought Valentine’s Day to America. Mass produced valentines made their debut in the United States in the 1840s. Today, Valentine’s Day is truly a “Hallmark” holiday; according to the Greeting Card Association, about a billion cards are sold each year, second only to Christmas.
Not every country celebrates Valentine’s Day, and those that do have their unique cultural differences. One of the biggest Valentine’s Day celebrations is in South Africa, where there are extensive advance preparations, weeklong celebrations, and restaurants decorated with hearts and cupids, flowers, and love birds. Young girls pin the name of their “lover” on their sleeves. Romantic dinners are one of the top customs. In Canada, Valentine’s Day balls and parties are popular. Exchange of “Lovers Cards” is a common tradition in Denmark. A custom for young Scots is that the first young man or woman they meet on Valentine’s Day is their Valentine to celebrate with that day. According to local folklore in Slovenia, even the birds get engaged or married on Valentine’s Day!
Bethany Horning, a former Whitehall High School graduate currently teaching English in Japan, is experiencing that country’s traditions firsthand. “On Valentine’s Day, girls usually give a gift of chocolate to a special boy,” she says. “Sometimes single girls like to buy themselves fancy chocolates if they aren’t interested in courting. Then on “White Day,” March 14, the boy will return a gift to the girl. At school, popular boys will receive many gifts, and it is good manners to give each girl a gift in return. If there is a special girl, the boy will give her something that’s different from the gifts he gives to the others.” She also says that, “Christmas Eve is considered to be the most romantic holiday for (married) couples, while Valentine’s Day is a courtship holiday.”
Valentine’s Day is as good a time as any for couples to spend romantic time together and the holiday can encompass special family and friend traditions as well, here at home and in other countries. More love is definitely needed in our world. Every day.
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