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The reason why we do Valentine's Day | Valentine's Day from GettingPersonal.co.uk

12 January 2010

The Origins of Valentine's Day

There are many different theories as to the exact origins of Valentines Day. Ancient Rome is said to have celebrated February 14th to honour Juno, the Queen of Roman Gods and Goddesses. Other theorists point to the numerous Catholic martyrs, Valentine of Terni and Valentine of Rome.
The Middle Ages saw the holiday gain traction around the English-speaking world, with the sending of handwritten notes and letters of love quickly gaining popularity.
The 19th century was a definite turning point for the holiday, leading to a turn towards the posting of pre-made greeting cards. This transformation has perhaps been the most influential in shaping the holiday's current incarnation, with most people the world over now recognising the holiday as a 'Hallmark Holiday', i.e. a holiday that serves commercial, rather than genuinely sentimental purposes. Whether this is fact or just cynicism, Valentine's Day undoubtedly takes its place within the firmament of the world's most important and most widely celebrated holidays. Valentine's Day, regardless of its origins, is a golden opportunity to express love and affection. After all, who doesn't enjoy anonymous greeting cards, romantic candle-lit dinners and mountains of red roses, chocolate and champagne?

Valentine's Day around the world
The holiday is widely celebrated across the world, although traditions and conventions differ from country to country. In the English speaking world, typical Valentines Day gifts include greeting cards, chocolates and sweets, flowers and lingerie.
In other parts of Europe such as in many countries in Scandinavia, Valentine's Day celebrations are rather more understated, with a romantic dinner and a single red rose being common currency.
In Asian countries such as South Korea and Japan, Valentine's Day takes its place among other romantic holidays, such as White Day, Rose Day and Kiss Day. Valentine's Day in these countries marks an occasion whereupon women present men with chocolate, whilst White Day marks the occasion for men to respond to women with the giving of sweets.

Not altogether keen on Valentine's Day?
It doesn't matter whether you're from either camp – those who value the holiday and those who don't. The chances are, there is someone in your life that waits impatiently for you to recognise that Valentine's Day is important to them, even if only in secret.
It could be your wife or husband; girlfriend or boyfriend; a co-worker you've long fancied; an attractive neighbour; or even someone that you've admired from afar. Every year on the 14th of February, you're granted an automatic pass to make your romantic move. And let that opportunity pass you by at your own peril – a forgotten or neglected Valentine's Day can result in an instant black mark against your credibility as a lover or love interest.

What to do for Valentines Day
Valentines Day produces as many cynics as it does doughy-eyed lovers. Perhaps the reason why there's much cynicism about Valentine's Day is that the holiday has somewhat lost its lustre because it's dominated by generic gifts and cards that are devoid of imagination. After all, it's pretty contradictory to be telling a lover or love interest that you love them, but with a gift that says nothing particularly personal.
When you consider the occasion in this context, it's easy to understand the 'Hallmark' stigma attached to the holiday. The U.S. Greeting Card Association names Valentine's Day as the second largest card-sending day of the year, second only to Christmas. It is estimated that Valentines inspires over one billion cards across the globe and it's a safe bet that the vast majority of these gifts and cards are mass manufactured and fairly unremarkable.

Getting more out of your Valentines Day
Personalising a gift can make all the difference. It can mean the difference between a greeting card being tossed in the wastepaper basket a couple of weeks after the holiday, or a meaningful token of affection that is treasured for years to come.
There are plenty of things you can do to make sure your gift makes YOU stand out. The key is to really think about your recipient and what they would enjoy. It could be an engraved pen that inspires them to think of you. Personalised champagne can add a unique and special touch to a romantic dinner. Wondering what to get a Valentine's Day-averse husband or boyfriend? Going beyond conventional gifts to present, for example, personalised sporting items is sure to warm the hearts of even the most cynical of sceptics.
One thing is for sure, when it comes to romantic gifts, a personalised touch is the vital separator between cheesy, token gifts to mark the holiday; and genuine expressions of love that really shout, "I love you!"



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