Valentine's Day Special: History & Gifting Ideas

Hello Folks,

So finally February is here. And I think February actually begins when the week of love comes knocking at our doors! Yes, so in this month of romance and on this day of love, let's go all lovey-dovey just for today to feel the love lurking in the air. So I'm going to make this blog post as romantic as possible. Being a single, I won't have much to share, but I sure can help out all those sweet-loving couples. And I bet reading this post about St. Valentine and those difficult gifting ideas for bookworms like us might lit up your hearts and minds. Go ahead and read along.


Our Love is written in Our History:
The legend of Valentine's Day is still a mystery to this day. All we know that St. Valentine’s Day has been originated from both Christian and Roman traditions.

Legend I: A priest named Valentine served the Roman Empire in the third century, when Rome was under the rule of Emperor Claudius II who made a decree that single men must serve as soldiers rather than those with wives and children. So Valentine goes out of his league to stop this injustice of the Emperor's words by performing marriages for young lovers in secret. When the Emperor found out about Valentine's actions, he put him to death.

Legend II: The priest Valentine fell in love with the jailor's young daughter on his days of confinement. And before his death, he wrote a letter to that young girl, signed "From You Valentine"- an expression still used to this day! And to commemorate the anniversary of Valentine’s death, people started celebrating Valentine's Day in the middle of February.

And according to Christian side of the Valentine's Day origin, the day was celebrated as a Pagan festival of Lupercalia, which happens to be a fertility festival dedicated to Faunus, the Roman god of agriculture. But in the 5th century, Lupercalia was outlawed since it was "un-christian". But in the middle ages, this day was already being celebrated as the day of love. And the oldest know Valentine greeting, still in existence today is a poem written in 1415 by Charles, Duke of Orleans, to his wife while he was imprisoned in the Tower of London following his capture at the Battle of Agincourt.

How "WE" Celebrated?
Great Britain celebrated Valentine's Day in the middle of 17th century on which day friends and lovers of all social classes exchanged small tokens of affection or handwritten notes, and by 1900 printed greeting cards replaced the hand written love notes.

America started out sending Valentine's Day greetings in the early 1700s. In the mid of 1840, Esther A. Howland started selling the first mass-produced valentine's day cards in America. Howland, who is the “Mother of the Valentine,” decorated those cards with real lace, ribbons and colorful pictures known as “scrap.”

And Today "WE" are a Legend:
According to the Greeting Card Association, an estimated 1 billion Valentine’s Day cards are being sent each year, thus making Valentine’s Day as the second largest card-sending holiday of the year.
Over 50 percent of all Valentine’s Day cards are purchased in the six days prior to the observance, making Valentine’s Day a procrastinator’s delight. 

Gifting Ideas for your "bookworm" Valentine:

1. Chocolate Book- Literally!

 
Valentine's Day means chocolates, flowers and cards and cute cuddly Teddy. Yeah, it's that simple to shower someone normal girl with gifts like chocolates and flowers, but it's not easy to impress a bibliophile, since everything in their lives happens bookishly! Buy this Bridge Brands Chocolate Book Lover's Collection for your nerdy girlfriend. She will sure be over the moon.


Purchase Link:
BridgeBrandsChocolates






2. Book Jewel

Jewellery will always be a girl's best friend, even though she is a bookworm. So surprise your bookish Valentine with this book styled jewellery from earrings to brooches, she sure is going to love you like never before.

Purchase Link:
BookEarrings










3. Custom-made Book of Love

Something hand-made?! Yes, that's the best thing to have a bookworm Valentine. They adore those handmade bookish gifts a lot more than the traditional gifts. Try to make this or you can ask for somebody's help who have a steady hand to make crafts out of recycled things. First, you can go search your library or old and going-to-throw-away box for an old hard bound book. Then open the book, and fold all the pages together and make some designs like in this picture. But it needs a lot of patience to make this gift! And your patience will pay off when you see that million dollar smile on her face accepting your book of love!





These were just some gifting ideas which are simply over-the-top for your book lover Valentine. But you can always check out Etsy to purchase anything cool and bookish. Because "Love indeed makes us all crazy.. but it's fun too!" 

So go ahead and make some memories out there with each other!!
Have a great Valentine's Day.