Ever since the 1700’s, it has been a tradition to celebrate St. Valentine’s Day by giving small tokens of love and appreciation to your loved one. A handwritten note, a blooming wildflower, or a piece of some sweet confection are all tokens of love that tradition has built upon and loved ones believe in.
Celebrated in several countries, St. Valentine’s Day brings about some of the biggest holiday sales days for the greeting card, candy and flower markets. The custom of giving your loved one a token of your love has grown into a tradition of giving valentine cards to children’s classmates, neighbors, friends, family and your significant other. The giving of candy has been extended to include others as well.
The number of people who send flowers on Valentine’s Day to ones they love have grown substantially over the years. Not only does a spouse or girlfriend receive a flower arrangement these days, but many will send bouquet to their mother or other beloved family member or friend as well.
A typical Valentine’s Day flower arrangement has universally become roses with baby’s breathe. Girlfriends, lovers, and wives in approximately seven different countries and cultures will receive roses for St. Valentine’s Day. While if one does send flowers to a mother or relative, they tend to send other types of flower arrangements.
Current society traditions show that not only men send flowers Valentine’s Day, but in recent years women send bouquets to their loved ones as well. Sons and daughters are sending flowers to their mothers and grand-children send bouquets to their grandmothers.
Some grade school students have been known to take bouquets to their teachers, while secretaries in offices may receive a floral arrangement or bouquet from their boss. Not only is the tradition of giving tokens of endearment on Valentine’s Day for just loved ones, today sharing and sending valentine’s wishes has expanded to include anyone and everyone we appreciate and want to honor on this day devoted to loving.
St Valentine’s Day, known as such since 496 A.D., has evolved tremendously. When Pope Gelasius honoured St. Valentine by setting February 14th as a day to do so, he had no idea that date would become the biggest day of each year for sending valentine cards and sweets. Neither could he know how many would send flowers Valentine’s Day.
