By Lorie Ham
Another Valentine’s Day is upon us. This one will of course be different due to the pandemic, but it can still be fun. There are plenty of ways that couples can celebrate at home, or if they are separated right now, they can celebrate via Zoom, or by watching a movie “together” via Netflix Party.
The holiday is not only popular in the United States, but many other countries as well, including Canada, Australia, England, France, Mexico, and South Korea. In the Philippines, it is the most common wedding anniversary—mass weddings of hundreds of couples are not uncommon on that day.
However, in Japan their big romantic holiday is Christmas Eve. Just like many do on Valentine’s Day here, on Christmas Eve couples exchange gifts and go for romantic dinners. Making a dinner reservation way ahead of time for Christmas Eve in Japan is viral as all of the restaurants fill up quickly thanks to the happy couples (during none pandemic times).
Valentine’s Day however doesn’t just have to be for couples, it can be a time to celebrate love of all kinds, including friendship. You can find a few ideas for celebrating as a family in our Valentine’s Day article from last year. Celebrating with family and friends can also be done using Netflix Party, playing games together on Zoom, or you can share a special meal together virtually.
Something else we can still do this Valentine’s Day is give Valentine’s Day cards. Many of us first gave those to our classmates in school when we were kids. If you hurry, you can still order ones online at places like Walmart or Amazon. Better yet, check out these fun ideas for making your own Valentine’s Day cards from scratch! If it’s too late to send cards via snail mail, there are many places online that allow you to send them via email, and most are free. One of my favorites is 123Greetings.
According to the Britannica website, valentine messages first appeared in the 1500s, and by the late 1700s printed cards were being used. The first ones printed in the United States appeared in the mid 1800s. Early valentine’s often depicted Cupid, the Roman god of love, together with hearts. Now you can find Valentine’s Day cards with all sorts of artwork! Especially popular are ones depicting cute puppies and kittens. For kids, and kids are heart, there are ones for every fandom possible—from Disney movies to Star Wars, to video games.
So, whatever your plans are for Valentine’s Day this year, why not send a Valentine’s Day card! We here wish you all a Happy Valentine’s Day no matter how you spend it, and would love to hear some Valentine’s Day suggestions from you on our Facebook page!
