The other day, I overheard someone say, “I hate Valentine’s Day! It’s just another Hallmark holiday.” I hope he reads this post because, well, no, it’s not!
There are many legends surrounding the origin of Valentine’s Day and the identity of St. Valentine but the fact remains that valentine greetings were popular as far back as the Middle Ages and written valentines began to appear after 1400. The oldest known valentine still in existence today is a poem written in 1415 by Charles, Duke of Orleans, to his wife, while he was imprisoned in the Tower of London after his capture at the battle of Agincourt. I could be wrong but I don’t think Hallmark was in business back then!
I love Valentine’s Day! There’s something so special about it. You can almost feel the romance in the air whether you’re romantically involved at the time or not. I’ve had some wonderful, memorable Valentine’s Days. Through the years, there were candlelit dinners and gifts of candy, flowers and jewelry. But, as much as I enjoyed and appreciated those celebrations, they pale in comparison to the Valentine’s Day when I was six years old.
My first Valentine’s Day party! Our first grade classroom was decorated with hearts, which we’d cut out of red and pink construction paper and pasted on lacy, white backings. We ate pink and white frosted cupcakes and heart shaped cookies. Then, we passed out our Valentine’s Day cards with images of kittens, puppies and cupids. I can still remember how excited I was when I opened the cards, especially the one from Stevie Thompson. I had such a crush on him!
At the end of the day, as we walked down the front steps of our elementary school to head home, Stevie called out my name. I stopped and turned around. And then, he walked up to me, kissed me on the cheek and took off running down the steps. I think I floated all the way home. Happy Valentine’s Day, Stevie, wherever you are!
What was your most memorable Valentine’s Day?
