Valentines Day Party

Valentine’s Day is celebrated throughout America and Europe on 14^th February every year. On this day, couples show their love for each other by giving Valentine’s cards, sometimes anonymously along with gifts such as chocolates, flowers and jewellery.

Traditional Valentine’s cards or notes contain romantic images such as hearts, doves and the figure of cupid – the roman god of erotic love and beauty. Hand-made or written Valentine’s cards are considered the most thoughtful along with personalised love poems. In recent times, the mass-production of Valentine’s cards has overtaken hand-penned notes.

Legend has it that Valentine’s day is the commemoration of the death of St Valentine, a Roman who illegally performed marriages in the 3^rd century. Other sources imply that the day originated as a Roman fertility festival.

The poem “Parlement of Foules” by Geoffrey Chaucer is thought to be the first time that Valentine’s day was associated with romantic love. The poem was written to mark the first anniversary of the engagement of King Richard II and Anne of Bohemia. The poem reads:

For this was on seynt Volantynys day Whan euery bryd comyth there to chese his make.

 

 

Household Participation Rates

Greeting Cards 65%

Date Night 44%

Confectionary 38%

Flowers 32%

Perfume or Cologne 12%

Jewellery 11%

 

Florists’ Sales

Red Roses 39%

Mixed Bouquets 34%

Roses 27%

Other Flowers 26%

Plants 16%

180 million Valentine’s Day cards are exchanged annually, making Valentine’s Day the second-most popular greeting-card-giving occasion after Christmas. The US Greeting Card Association goes further than this, estimating that up to 1 billion cards are sent on Valentine’s Day and of those 85% are sent by women. 

Nearly 50 percent of Valentine’s Day cards are purchased in the six days prior to the observance, making Valentine’s Day a procrastinator’s delight. 

About 40% of all Valentine card purchases are by parents. 

In 2007, 214 million roses were produced for Valentine's Day

Twenty-six percent of adults purchased flowers or plants as gifts for Valentine's Day 2008; of those, 35% were men and 17% were women.

 I think that Valentine's day is a hreat excuse to throw a party (not that I usually need one!) Decorate with your home with pink and red banners and streamers and adopt a heart shaped theme. Send romantic invitations out to your guests asking them to arrive dressed as famous couples throughout history. Serve romantic food such as Italian cuisine, chocolate and wine.

How about serving some dishes that have been regarded as aphrodisiacs throughout history? These include oysters, chocolate, oysters, garlic & onions, quince, cheese, asparagus, walnuts, pine nuts, grapes, ginger, chilli, avocados and honey - we recommend drawing the line at rhino horn!

You could also arrange a Speed Dating night for you and your friends, it's all a lot of fun and you never know if romance could blossom.

If you have had enough of all that soppy stuff, here are some

Alternative Valentine’s Party Ideas

Have a Singles Only party and have forfeits at the ready for anyone found flirting with or talking about the opposite sex.

How about a Girls' (Or Boys') Night In? Get together, watch movies, get a take-away and have lots of fun.