Roses are Red, Violets are Blue, This Valentine's Day Do Something New
By Jean West Rudnicki
Love withers with predictability; its very essence is surprise and amazement. To make love a prisoner of the mundane is to take its passion and lose it forever. ~ Leo Buscaglia
What's wrong, Cupid? Has boredom got your bow bent? Are you stuck in a Valentine's Day rut? Don't despair; you're not alone. Valentine's Day, it turns out, is the most procrastinated of all holidays. This fact, courtesy of government statistics, indicates that of the more than 192 million valentine cards purchased in the U.S. each year, 60% are bought in the six days immediately preceding February 14.
White tents overflowing with overpriced floral arrangements, balloons and teddy bears spring up in grocery store parking lots the day before. You dash in, buy a bouquet, add a box of candy, a card, and you're good. Mission accomplished. No sleeping on the couch this year. So it seems we give Valentine's Day as much thought and true attention as it takes to Google florists, find the dozen red roses and hit the "Submit Order" button. Unless, of course, you are "dating," then the day's requirements are in direct proportion to the projected lifespan of the relationship.
Valentine's Day has been around for a very long time - centuries, in fact. The first written reference appears by Chaucer in the 14th century. In those early days, lovers wrote letters (as in, long hand) proclaiming the depth of their love and devotion. Printed Valentine cards appeared in the U.S. in 1850, and as with other holidays, has been on the commercialization fast track ever since. This brings us to our current state of affairs where we give little more than lip service, and not the kissing kind, to this day celebrating love and lovers.
Red roses, chocolate-dipped strawberries, lingerie, and champagne may be the current hot tickets, but romance remains a personal thing best defined by the lovers themselves. And while the official observance is February 14, when the day falls midweek as with this year, the weekend before is a virtual hotbed of Valentine activities. Actually, according to one Houston B&B owner, the entire month of February is hopping. So, feel free to observe the holiday when and how you desire, but most importantly do take the time to celebrate it befittingly. Don't just check the square.
Here are a few Valentine ideas to help infuse new vitality into an old tradition.
- A simple way to turn any valentine into a Hallmark moment is by sending it to your sweetheart via Valentine, Texas. This small West Texas town 36 miles west of Fort Davis was so named by the Southern Pacific Railroad crew that reached the location February 14, 1882. Today 125 years later, Postmaster Maria Carrasco receives anywhere from 15,000 to 39,000 valentines annually seeking the town's postmark, as well as the specially designed red Valentine cachet, or seal, lovingly placed in the lower left hand corner of the envelope. Students from the Valentine school submit original designs each year and the city council selects the winning entry. Carrasco, who has been postmaster for 17 years, personally stamps each envelope - though she does have a "replacement" on call should she need help. Place your properly addressed valentine inside an envelope addressed to Postmaster, Valentine, Texas 79854. Mailing begins February 7. For the diehard procrastinators, Carrasco says the cachet is used for 30 days. www.texasescapes.com/TOWNS/ValentineTexas/ValentineTexas.htm
