Valentine's Day

The Hallmark Holiday where we proclaim and express our love and care for one another is coming up! This coming Wednesday, February 14th is (Saint) Valentine’s Day. This holiday was named after two men, both Christian martyrs, named Valentine. In the middle ages, this day was created when courtly love was popular and ever since has been celebrated as Valentine’s Day.

Valentine’s Day is observed by the Western culture, while the Chinese celebrate The Night of Sevens. The Night of Sevens is also a celebration of love that falls on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month on the Chinese calendar. It is tradition for young girls to make wishes for a good husband and will demonstrate domestic arts such as melon carving.

White Day, another celebration of love, is somewhat of an opposite tradition celebrated in Japan, Korea, and gaining popularity in Hong Kong, one month after Valentine’s Day on March 14. On Valentine’s Day, women give gifts to men, and on White Day the men return the favor and get women a gift as well.

As for the origins of White Day, it is said that the holiday began in 1965, when a marshmallow maker thought men should give gifts back to women with marshmallows, a great marketing idea don’t think? The holiday was originally called Marshmallow Day, and was later changed to White Day. I would think the name “Marshmallow Day” would be a day where people eat marshmallows, and not a celebration of love. Hmmm…. a day where we eat marshmallows and not celebrating love, that might work too! :) Just kidding, well kind of…..haha.

For all you men reading this, here are a couple of ideas of what to get her on Valentine’s Day, as we do it over here!

Flowers at work: Now listen, this is HUGE! First, getting flowers at work is a huge plus! Even more so, all the other women wishing their significant other got them flowers are in total awe of you. SCORE!

Romantic dinner is also a good deal. Women just get all kinds of sappy inside when you take them out to a nice, romantic dinner. I know, I do. Anyone want to take me? i won’t be too sappy, promise. Unless you want me to :)

If you can’t afford the above, then at least get her a card and chocolate. This is the “I didn’t know what to get you and I am just getting it for you because I have to or you will chop off my nuts.”

If all else fails, teddy bears, the real cute, soft ones. I love them and I think she will too. I have mine on my bed every night. Too bad I didn’t get one for Valentine’s Day. I’ve had it since I was 4 and god knows what I did to that bear as a kid. RAWR!

So whether you celebrate Valentine’s Day, The Night of Sevens, White Day, or if you don’t celebrate at all, at least let the ones you love and care for know how much you really do love them.

I love you all and have a wonderful Valentine’s Day. Will you be my Valentine?