Valentine’s Day is only five days away! The streets are bedecked with hearts and men everywhere are frantically searching for roses and chocolate. I, for one, am a teeny bit sick of the over-priced-ridiculously-expensive-and-downright-garish cards.
(Please note, chocolate is always welcome no matter the cliché!)
Onto the Valentine’s Fun Facts!
8. I remember when I was little, we would exchange cards in school. I always thought the teacher made out like a bandit on holidays. My teachers taught at a private ( *cough* expensive *cough, cough*) so they got additional perks like movie tickets, gift cards, baked goods, flowers, etc. It turns out that, in order of popularity, teachers receive the most Valentine’s Day cards. Children, wives, mothers, sweethearts and pets follow them.
9. If that last fact made you blink, think about this: 3% of Americans give valentines to their pets. I love my dog and yes, she did get a couple Christmas gifts. I have no idea what I would give her for Valentine’s Day. A heart-shaped bone? A love-bug squeak toy? This holiday is getting more expensive by the year.
10. When I was younger I was convinced the “x” in “XOXO” was the hug. The letter’s similarity to crossed arms made me certain I was correct. I wasn’t. In the Middle Ages many people were illiterate and could not even spell their own names. The popularity of signing a form with an “X” arose. Apparently the best (and quirkiest) way to show sincerity was to kiss the mark. Thus kisses became synonymous with the letter “X.”
11. I mentioned my love (rhymes with obsession) for chocolate. Apparently Casanova agreed with me! He would eat products of the cocoa plant before his….*ahem*….amorous adventures. His three favorite foods to maintain virility were raw oysters, chocolate, and eggs. (I bet his breath was enough to just knock women off their feet.)
12. I’ve gotten a couple strange gifts for Valentine’s Day, including a wooden postcard. (I was confused too.) But maybe my gift wasn’t so odd. In Whales they give wooden spoons! These “love spoons” are usually elaborate and have a space large enough to engrave the sweetheart’s name. I am intrigued; better a utensil than a postcard. I wonder what I did with that…
13. When I make out the list of people I have to send Valentine’s Day cards to, somehow fictional characters never make the list. Can you imagine? Grandmother, check. Boyfriend, check. Mom, check. Siblings, check. Shakespeare, what? Juliet from “Romeo and Juliet,” despite never having existed, receives about 1000 letters a year. Senders address them to Verona, Italy. Not only does she receive these letters, but around 23 “secretaries” send back responses!
14. My last fun fact is entirely modern in origin, and could serve as a warning to procrastinators everywhere. Those last-minute February 14th shoppers are likely to spend upwards of $103. Talk about a romantic nightmare!
For the past couple Valentine’s Days I have struggled nobly to come up with creative ways to express the same sentiments as the cards, but with the sincerity that comes with an investment in time. This has culminated in my “Valentine in a Bottle” idea. Each little note is an opportunity for my loved one to receive a compliment/sweet-nothing any day he chooses. You can’t ask for more, right?
Material List:
1 Glass Bottle/Jar
2 Valentine Printables
1 Valentine Title Page
Printer
Tape
Scissors
Ribbon
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