For hundreds of years, Valentines Day has been celebrated by lovers everywhere. Where did this tradition start , and why do we exchange Valentines Day flowers and candies with each other? Well, we did some digging, (ok, actually I just asked around and gathered what my friends told me) and came across some interesting info surrounding the traditions of this well celebrated holiday! First of all, here's a disclaimer. *I have absolutely no idea if any of the below stories are true or simply made up, but they're pretty darn entertaining. So, I thought, "What the heck? I'll share them in my column" I'm not a big lover of the holiday and so couldn't bring myself to actually write about the theme with seriousness. So, apologies in advance, and hope you like what I came up with. Here is a short version of what may have really been the beginning of sending Valentines Day flowers on Valentines Day. Why was St. Valentine so important? About 8 hundred years before Valentines Day was established, A man named Claudius was in power in Rome . He felt that marriage was a bad thing because it made poor soldiers out of men. So, he banned marriage from his empire. St. Valentine did not agree with this rule, so he would secretly marry couples that came to him. St. Valentine was caught and soon after he was stoned and then beheaded. Valentine Traditions In Wales wooden love spoons were carved and given as gifts on February 14th. Hearts, keys and keyholes were favorite decorations on the spoons. The decoration meant, "You unlock my heart!" In the Middle Ages, young men and women drew names from a bowl to see who their valentines would be. They would wear these names on their sleeves for one week. To wear your heart on your sleeve now means that it is easy for other people to know how you are feeling. In some countries, a young woman may receive a gift of clothing from a young man. If she keeps the gift, it means she will marry him. Some people used to believe that if a woman saw a robin flying overhead on Valentine's Day, it meant she would marry a sailor. If she saw a sparrow, she would marry a poor man and be very happy. If she saw a goldfinch, she would marry a millionaire. A love seat is a wide chair. It was first made to seat one woman and her wide dress. Later, the love seat or courting seat had two sections, often in an S-shape. In this way, a couple could sit together -- but not too closely! Ok, now, back to facts. No matter what is true and what is myth, Valentines Day has become big business for the flower, card, and candy companies. Many exist only because of this one day a year. If your and man and have a wife or girlfriend, and you let Valentines Day go by without getting her flowers or candy, your going to be in big trouble. So take my advice, put some effort into your gift too. A carefully chosen V-Day card will take you a long way; take it from a woman who knows however, Valentines Day flowers are still your best bet. If you're lucky enough to have someone who loves you on V-Day, then you should show him or her how much they mean to you. Those who give Valentines Day flowers may be a big money making machine for these companies but, this day also allows those who sometimes are not always able to show their loved ones how much they care, that they care. Valentines Day flowers. Good things. Good things.
Painful, I know, but you got through the worlds, arguably, worst Valentines Day post. Congratulations.
*Pssst! Need help coming up with a few gift ideas? Well, just click here , click here, or click here for 3 awesome finds! Happy gifting!
Stay Breezy, Breezers!
--Morgan
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