Be mine Valentine
Considering how many people last year told me they were opting out of Christmas (or in one memorable case that they would only be giving gifts to people who still wet themselves, leaving just the newest members of his family and the oldest to enjoy the holidays) I shouldn’t have been surprised to get an even more negative response to Valentine’s day.
Valentine’s day has long been disparaged as most commercial of festivals - practically invented by the greeting cards industry. The day, which ostensibly celebrates the martyrdom of 2 obscure catholic saints who share the same name St Valentine and lend little more than that to proceedings, has virtually no religious significance.
Chaucer is credited with connecting the day with romantic love in the 14th century and starting a tradition of love notes passed, although the chances are the love letters he sent on May 2nd which is also a saints day for the elusive St Valentine. But whatever the day we may have him to blame for those frightful, endless mornings spent waiting to see if we have received a card from that teenage crush during adolescence.
Many will point out that it’s a terrible shame that we need to be reminded to be romantic with our loved ones, while singletons often find the whole thing a distasteful case of have their noses rubbed in their solitary state. But despite all this nay saying I still have lovely memories of making my first Valentine’s card (for Daddy of course) and it’s good 
to remember that you don’t have to be in love to say I love you to someone close. And for those of us who are in love, what harm is there in a little reminder to do something a little special.
Pictured are some lovely Valentine gifts - not from hallmark, but made by etsians with love.
2 years ago