“Love is in the air” – It’s February 14th and we know it’s that time of year where we celebrate a day of love and affection. You might be familiar with the romantic side of this day, Saint Valentine started all this back in the third century A.D. and this day honours him. In this blog post, we will share some interesting facts about how this all started, along with lovely ideas of how you can celebrate this special day with your loved ones.
WHERE IT ALL BEGAN:
There are different stories about St. Valentine and how this day came about, but the roots of it go back to the third century A.D. when he was a priest in Rome under Emperor Claudius II. He defied the emperor’s decree that young, single men make better soldiers. He performed marriages for young couples in secret, which resulted in him unfortunately being executed later February 14th around 269 A.D.
Another legend says that he helped Christians to escape the harsh treatments of the Romans and was imprisoned for his actions. However, his actions weren’t in vain, as he was officially recognised as a saint by the Roman Catholic Church and his feast day is now celebrated on February 14th.
Celebrated widely as a day for expressing love and affection in many communities around the world, it still has its religious significance in some cultures.
HONOURING ST. VALENTINE:
It is believed that there are St. Valentine relics preserved in different locations around the world. In Rome, the Church of Saint Praxedes hosts a flower-crowned skull. It is believed that Whitefriar Street Carmelite Church in Dublin also has a part of his body as a relic. Many locals go there with their partners to honour him.
VALENTINE’S IS FOR EVERYONE – CELEBRATE A DAY OF LOVE AND AFFECTION!
If you are thinking Valentine Day is only for the couples who are in a relationship, engaged or getting married, you are wrong! We believe anyone can enjoy and celebrate Valentine’s Day and here we cover some e lovely ideas that anyone can do on this day. It’s a day of love and we can all celebrate it.
COMMON TRADITIONS FOR COUPLES:
Exchanging Valentine’s Day Cards: One of the most popular traditions is the exchange of Valentine’s Day cards. It’s easy to buy one, but if you want to make your loved one feel more special, you can make it yourself. It’s a really personal touch as you can include your own personal romantic message, heartfelt sentiment or even humorous or cute illustrations.
Giving Gifts: popular gift choices for women are flowers, particularly red roses, chocolates, jewellery. You could go a step further and prepare a personalised gifts such as coffee mugs, photo frames etc. We say decide a budget and stick to it, especially if you are saving for a wedding, there’s no need to go overboard. Small gestures are just as meaningful.
Romantic Dinners and Spending Quality Time together: Many couples celebrate Valentine’s Day with a romantic dinner at a restaurant, but you can bet, you will be there with lots and lots of other couples which for some people is a little strange. You can always opt for a meal at home.. You could cook for your partner at home or simply order in from your favourite takeaway. Both options are romantic and a great way to show your love, after all, time together is precious these days in this busy world.
Decorating with Hearts and Red Colors: St. Valentine’s is a day of love and it’s really fun to decorate with lovely heart shaped decorations. You could go all out with red heart shaped balloons and use a colour palette for your table and home matching with the red colour theme. Did you know, however, that love is not only symbolised by red, but also the colours pink, green, blue, orange and purple also symbolise love. If you are looking for something different – you can opt to bring these colours into your celebrations and decorations.
ROMANTIC IDEAS FOR COUPLES:
Picnic Under the Stars: This might be a stretch in Ireland or the UK but If you love the outdoors and the weather is nice, go for a romantic mini-picnic outdoors. To make it even more romantic go to a favourite location on a bright evening with minimal light pollution, bring a blanket and gaze at the stars together. You can use a stargazing app to identify constellations and enjoy the beauty of the night sky.
Outdoor Adventure and Scavenger Hunt: If you are very organised, and love adventure and want to sync it with romance, organise a scavenger hunt with clues leading to meaningful locations or memories. You can pick the final destination, a place which is very close to you and where you share a special moment. In fact, we think you could do a mini scavenger hunt at home – time to get creative!
Memory Lane: One of the most romantic things to do would be to take a trip down memory lane and revisit the place where you first met, had your first date or shared an important moment in your relationship.
Candlelit Movie Night: This one’s for the fans of romantic movies. Light candles, make some popcorn, and cuddle up together for a romantic movie marathon. Create a cosy movie night at home with a selection of your favourite romantic films.
NOT COUPLED UP ON VALENTINE’S DAY? THIS IS FOR THE REST OF US
We believe Valentine’s Day is not just for couples – it’s a day to celebrate love in all its forms. That includes you. Give yourself some self-care or start a tradition to do something special with the people you love including friends and family. Here are the few ideas to start with:
Pamper Yourself: Do things that you really wanted for yourself for a long time on Valentine’s Day to make it more memorable for you. It could be a luxurious spa day, a fancy dinner at your favourite restaurant (although, remember you’ll be there with all the other couples!) or buy yourself a new piece of clothing or gadget.
Galentine’s Day: The idea of the ladies getting together with their girls has become really popular in recent years. It would be lovely to collaborate with all your female friends and host a virtual or in-person Galentine’s Day party where you can enjoy each other’s company, exchange small gifts and have fun together.
Random Acts of Kindness: Spread love and positivity by performing random acts of kindness throughout the day. It could be as simple as helping a stranger, buying coffee for the person behind you in line or writing uplifting notes to your colleagues, family or leaving them in public places. You could go a step further and volunteer with a local charity or sports club.
And it goes without saying, all those things that we’ve mentioned above for couples, you can do for family, friends, or even just yourself. Treat yourself to a nice dinner and a movie even if it is in your PJs on the couch at home.
Valentine’s Day offers a beautiful opportunity to celebrate love in all its forms, whether romantic, platonic, or for yourself. Regardless of your relationship status, there are countless ways to mark this day with joy and appreciation. Embrace the day with an open heart, and remember that love is not confined to a single relationship status – it surrounds us in myriad ways every day. So, whether you’re flying solo or sharing the day with someone special, seize the moment to celebrate love.
