Valentine's Day Is Almost Upon Us
Well, well Valentine’s day is almost upon us and it’s surprising how from small beginnings a giant tradition has arisen. In Holland it’s Valentijnsdag, in Sweden it’s Alla Hjärtans Dag (All Hearts Day), in Germaany it’s Valentinstag and in France it’s rather grandly La fête des amoreux, Le Saint-Valentin. And in case you are suffering from amnesia the day is the 14th of February. And of course there is always a bogeyman. Iran has completely banned Saint Valentine’s Day, the old meanies!
This year I will be celebrating it on a boat off the coast of Norway, so I should include the Norwegian too, it’s plain old Valentinsdag. So you can expect pictures of fjords a go go on this blog sometime soon. It’s a romantic thing you see to take your loved one to the distant north to see the Northern Lights, but there are many less expensive ways to say I love you on this Saint Valentine’s Day, please see below for the sales pitch.
The Dutch favour red roses, pink hearts and chocolates. While those fun loving Germans celebrate Valentine's Day by exchanging the usual gifts of chocolates and flowers plus pigs. Yes pigs! The pigs represent love and lust, but they don’t give real pigs, too messy. The pigs are given to the object of your desire as a picture or a small chocolate ornament.
The French are very practical and traditionally the French celebrated Valentine's Day with une loterie d'amour, the original speed dating. This custom saw bachelors and spinsters howling in the streets calling out for those not in a relationship to pop out and see them and eye them up. It sometimes worked, but it was rather messy and many went home alone.
The Swedes are like the Scots and have a sweet tooth as a nation. They celebrate Alla Hjärtans Dag by giving each other sweet pastry, jellied sweets in fish shapes and candies of all sorts. But I didn’t see any Bassett’s All Sorts last time I was in Sweden!
Now if you want to show your loved one how much you love them then we have a whole raft of beautiful gift ideas and some of them on offer so you don’t have to break the bank. I love the idea of bringing nature indoors, especially when we are in the depths of the winter as we are now and the hands and knees hurt. So have a gander at the Bee & Honeysuckle Small Barrel Vase by Royal Scot Crystal in lovely gift box. Inspired by a love for bees this British hand cut giftware has a bee buzzing amongst fragrant honeysuckle in a romantic cottage garden. It’s great! And we all need the bees!
