Yes, January and the New Year may have certainly flown by, but the happy days are not over. Next we now have the Chinese New Year which normally begins on the new moon that appears between 21 January and 20 February. And this year is celebrated on the 10th of February marking the start of the year of the Dragon. However, what is more important for us westerners is, of course, the notable event of St Valentine’s Day.
St Valentine is the Patron Saint of affianced couples, bee keepers, engaged couples, epilepsy, fainting, greetings, happy marriages, love, lovers, and so on but traditionally, the 14th February, is when couples celebrate their romantic relationship over a quiet, candlelit dinner.
Over the years, the practice of sending love messages developed into people sending special cards expressing their affection. These cards were beautiful creations handmade by the sender and individually designed to show how much they loved the recipient. Cards would usually contain sentimental verse, proclaiming the beauty of the receiver and how much they were loved. Saint Valentine’s Day cards were decorated with pictures of cupid, hearts and flowers and trimmed with lace and ribbon. These images are still used today to symbolise love and are recognised all over the world.
While Valentine’s Day is celebrated in most countries, different cultures have developed their own traditions for this festival. In some parts of the world Valentine’s Day is observed as a day for expressing love between family members and friends, rather than that of romantic couples. Some traditions include leaving lollies and gifts for children and others include acts of appreciation between friends.
Many couples choose to celebrate Valentine’s Day with dinner, a picnic or special home-cooked meal. Many restaurants offer Valentine’s Day dinner promotions and food which is often presented with symbols of love like hearts and flowers. Another popular Valentine’s Day activity is to indulge in a luxury hotel stay in a beautiful location, allowing a couple to get away from it all and enjoy some quality time together.
Divorce has a way of sapping self-confidence and leaving self-doubt in its place. Even if the divorce was the right decision for you, that doesn’t mean you won’t feel anxious or lonely afterward. And then comes Valentine’s Day trying to convince you that everyone else is loved.
The best thing about dating yourself for Valentine’s Day is that you get to choose every aspect of your night on the town. No compromising on the restaurant or movie!Instead, craft your perfect date. Whatever would make for a fantastic date is exactly what you are going to do. Before your date, you can always consult the Chinese horoscope and see what the Dragon Year has in store for you…
Marriage proposals are also popular on Valentine’s Day, and it is often chosen as the perfect day to express their love and commitment. Some marriage proposals are delivered very creatively, such as after climbing to the top of a mountain, or posting a message on a billboard. Whatever the method, marriage proposals made on Valentine’s Day are generally romantic and memorable.
Recently it would seem that researchers discovered there is a higher rate of divorce among spouses that married on a date that had a special significance, such as Valentine’s Day or other holidays. According to the data, eleven percent of Valentine’s marriages divorced by their fifth anniversary, compared to eight percent of other marriages.
