Valentines Day Traditions Around the World

In Austria it has become customary for a young man to present his loved one with a bunch of flowers for Valentine’s Day.

In Australia during the gold rush, miners who were flushed with new found wealth paid high prices for elaborate valentines. The most extravagant of valentines were made of a satin cushion, perfumed, ornately designed with flowers, colored shells and a taxidermied humming bird or bird of paradise.

In Britain some unmarried women get up before sunrise on Valentine’s Day. They stand by the window watching for a man to pass. They believe that the first man they see, or someone who looks like him, will marry them within a year.In Denmark people press white flowers called snowdrops and send them to their friends. Danish men send a type of valentine called a gaekkebrev (joking letter). The sender writes a rhyme but does not sign his name. Instead, he signs the valentine with dots, one dot for each letter of his name. If the woman who gets it guesses his name, he rewards her with an Easter egg on Easter.

In 18th century England unmarried women would pin bay leaves to their pillow on Valentine’s Day in the hope of dreaming of their future husband. Others baked valentine buns with caraway seeds, plums or raisins.

Remember to order flowers for your VALENTINE EARLY!

(pictured – Pretty Pink Elegance)

Roses ~ How Supply and Demand Adds to the higher pricing

Feb5

Why Roses Are Sometimes More Expensive on Valentine’s Day

A simple case of supply and demand – Valentine’s Day inspires the heaviest demand for long-stemmed roses, and several rosebuds must be sacrificed to create a single long-stemmed rose. After the Christmas season demand for red roses is filled, growers need 50-70 days to produce enough roses for Valentine’s Day. Winter’s shorter daylight hours and higher energy costs hamper efforts to grow large rose crops. Inclement weather often requires extreme measures to ensure that flowers are delivered in time. To fulfill the tremendous number of orders for Valentine’s Day flowers, florists have to hire additional help, work longer hours and acquire extra delivery vehicles and drivers. In order to meet the heavy consumer demand for Valentine’s Day roses, imports have played a much bigger role in recent years.

In short, roses in February are every bit as special as you would expect.

Be sure to order Roses for Your Someone Special this week. Don’t wait until Valentine’s Day to send your Valentine a dozen roses, a romantic vase arrangement and more!

My Mistress’ Eyes

My mistress’ eyes are nothing like the sun;
Coral is far more red than her lips’ red;
If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun;
If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head.
I have seen roses damasked, white and red,
But no such roses see I in her cheeks,
And in some perfumes there is more delight
Than in the breath that from my mistress reeks.
I love to hear her speak, yet well I know
That music hath a far more pleasing sound;
I grant I never saw a goddess go:
My mistress when she walks treads on the ground.
And yet by heaven I think my love as rare
As any she belied with false compare.
Shakespeare, sonnet CXXX

Valentine’s Day Trivia and Facts 2015

Feb13

Did you know?

More than 100 million roses are sold at Valentine’s Day. Of cut flower purchases, Valentine’s Day ranks #1, making it the number one holiday for many florists.

Of Valentine’s floral purchases, 64% are made by men and 36% by women. What are they buying?

78% Cut flowers
15% Flowering houseplants
5% Outdoor bedding and garden plants
2% Green plants
Of cut flowers purchased, 45% are roses, 34% mixed flowers, 13% carnations, and 8% other single flower types. Of roses purchased, 74% are red, 10% pink, 5% peach/salmon, 3% yellow, 2% white, 4% mixed colors, 2% other. For whom are they buying?
Men:
84% wife/significant other
4% friend
5% mother
3% daughter
5% other
Women:
24% mother
19% husband/significant other
13% daughter
14% self
12% friend
6% parents
2% grandmother
1% sister
9% other

Source: Society of American Florists Survey results are from a nationwide survey of 481 men and 534 women conducted by Bruskin/Goldring Research

love

Love is very patient and kind,
never jealous or envious,
never boastful or proud,
never haughty or selfish or rude.
Love does not demand its own way.
It is not irritable or touchy.
It does not hold grudges
and will hardly even notice
when others do it wrong.
It is never glad about injustice,
but rejoices whenever truth wins out.
If you love someone you
will be loyal to him
no matter what the cost.
You will always believe in him,
Always expect the best of him
and always stand your ground
in defending him.
All the special gifts
and powers from God
will someday come to an end,
but love goes on forever.
Living Bible I Corinthians 13:4-8

(Pictured: That’s Amore Vase Arrangement of Roses and Lilies)

Valentines Day Trivia

Feb12

Here’s some Valentine Trivia you may not know…

God loved the flowers and invented soil. Man loved the flowers and invented vases. ~Variation of a saying by Jacques Deval

Medieval Europeans believed birds mated on February 14th.73% of U.S. men buy flowers on Valentine’s Day.15% of U.S. women send themselves flowers on Valentine’s Day.Queen Victoria sent over 2,500 Valentine’s during her reign.

The Welsh used to give each other wooden spoons on February 14th. During the nineteenth century, romantic Brits would simply pick the first person they say on February 14th to be their Valentine.Finns celebrate Valentine’s Day by being nice to their friends.

Alexander Graham Bell applied for his patent on the telephone on Valentine’s Day, 1876, If it weren’t for Mr. Bell, we’d still be spending each Valentine’s Day waiting by the telegraph.

In the 17^th century, a hopeful maiden pinned five bay leaves to her pillow and ate a hard-boiled egg before going to sleep on Valentine’s Eve. It was believed this would make her dream about her future husband.

Red Hearts are an ancient symbol of love. Because the human heart beats faster when one is excited, the heart was thought to be the centre of emotion and feeling in ancient times.

Interlocking Hearts, also known as the true-love knot, represent two hearts joined as one. Sometimes the true-love knot is joined with a capital “A”. The “A” stands for the Latin phrase “Amor vincit omnia”, meaning “Love conquers all.”

Valentine candy boxes are heart-shaped and tied with red ribbon to symbolize giving one’s heart.

To be awakened by a kiss on Valentine’s Day is considered very good luck.

In the United States, 64% of men do not make plans in advance for a romantic valentines day with their Sweethearts.

73% of people who buy flowers for Valentine’s Day are Men while 27% are women.

188 Million Valentine’s Day cards are exchanged annually.

(Pictured: Dozen Contemporary Roses)

More Valentines Day Traditions Around the World

Feb10

In France young unmarried people as well as older unmarried people would go into houses facing each other and start calling out across from one window to another, pairing off with the one they have chosen. If the young man didn’t fancy his valentine he would desert her and as a result afterwards a bonfire would be lit where the young ladies would burn images of the young man and would yell out abuse as she burnt the image of the young man.

In Germany women plant onions in pots, giving each a man’s name and placing them near the fireplace. The first sprouting onion is the husband-to-be.

In Japan downtown Tokyo department stores sell elegantly wrapped chocolates, but the candy buyers are all women. In Japan women are expected to give men chocolates. On Feb. 14, office ladies, known as OLs in Japanese, buy giri chocos — obligation chocolates — for their bosses. If a woman is interested in someone, she lets him know by giving honmei chocolates “true feeling gifts,” which bear romantic messages.

In Italy Valentine’s Day is celebrated as a Spring Festival and his held in the open air. The young would gather in leafy glades or ornamental gardens, where they would listen to music and hear poetry read, then they would stroll off with their valentine together into the gardens. In Turin it was once customary for an engaged couple to announce their engagement on this day. For a while before the day shops would be decorated and filled with all sorts of bon-bons. In Rome St Valentine’s Day in known as Lupercalia – a very romantic and pleasure-loving occasion. Order your Valentine Flowers Early!

(Pictured: The Pinks Are Hot)

Do You Know Your Valentines Trivia?

Feb5

Valentine Quiz

Take this Valentines Quiz and test your expertise of Valentine’s Day and its rich history…

1. What did people used to believe would happen if a woman saw a robin flying overhead on Valentine’s Day?

2. Who imprisoned Valentine?

3. Why was he imprisoned?

4. On what date was Valentine supposedly executed?

5. How many Valentine cards will be bought in a year?

6. Name 2 countries, other than the U.S., that celebrate Valentine’s Day.

7. In Roman mythology, February 14th is associated with which goddess?

8. What custom does the saying “He wears his heart on his sleeve” come from?

9. What is the flower associated with Valentine’s Day?

10. When did Hallmark make its first Valentine Card?

Bonus question:

How do you write I Love You in German? In French? In Spanish? In Italian? In Portuguese? In Cantonese?

Get the answers here: https://tulipstalk/valentine-quiz-answers/