I originally posted this in February 2012. But, in honor of Valentine's Day, I'm reposting it. Happy Valentine's Day!
The other
day, I overheard someone say, “I hate Valentine’s Day! It’s just another
Hallmark holiday.” I hope that person 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! In fact,
it's my favorite holiday. There’s something so special about it. You can almost
feel the romance in the air whether you’re romantically involved on that
day 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?
