Valentine’s Day

14th of February, the day when restaurants are booked up, cards are signed ‘from your secret admirer’ and roses are sent all across the world, to that special someone. As a young, single girl it’s presumed I will be crying into my pillow as I watch the Instagram stories of all my friends in relationships, but I am happy to report this isn’t the case.

Even as a single girl, I love Valentine’s Day. Maybe I haven’t found the guy I want to spend it with but for me, as a hopeless romantic (my favourite films are all tragic love stories! Think Moulin Rouge, Funny Girl, Romeo and Juliet etc.), I personally think it’s amazing that in a world full of so much hate, terror and poverty, there’s a special day to single out the person that makes your life so worthwhile.

So, the origins of Valentine’s Day are debatable, but my favourite explanation is the legend that Valentine was a priest and when Emperor Claudius II reigned during the third century in Rome, he decided that single men made better soldiers than those with wives and families. He then outlawed marriage for young men. Valentine, realising the injustice of the decree, disobeyed the Emperor and continued to perform marriages for young lovers in secret. When Valentine’s actions were discovered, Emperor Claudius ordered that he be put to death. However, during his time in jail, he sent a letter to the jailer’s daughter, which he signed, “With love from your Valentine”. For me, I think that that’s so romantic even if the present-day holiday has become a little commercialised and profane.

For me, Valentine’s Day is a selfless day, even with the current society of materialism, and much like Bishop Valentine, most people who celebrate the holiday are genuinely in love and isn’t that something worth celebrating?

I spent my Valentine’s Day having a steak dinner and cocktails with one of my best friends! We had the loveliest morning before heading off to a pastry class in the Atrium restaurant. Since Galentine’s day has become evermore popular, (Check out Ellie’s post on the topic!) it proves you don’t need a romantic partner to enjoy this holiday!

Over 110 million roses are reportedly sent around Valentine’s Day in America only! We send red roses because the colour red represents love and lust and were the chosen flower of the Roman goddess, Venus. So, whether you sent a dozen red roses, sent a letter like Juliet Capulet in Verona or proposed along with 220,000 others on this romantic day, I hope you’ve had a happy Valentine’s Day!

Happy Valentine’s Day from me R.B!