Valentine’s Day History, Activities, and Heart Art

Valentine’s Day is upon us with an epic number of iconic red hearts appearing in every nook and cranny. Of course, flowers and chocolates are also de rigueur during this holiday. Or you can combine the two, chocolates in a heart-shaped box thanks to Richard Cadbury, the British Chocolatier who created the first heart-shaped chocolate box in 1868, allowing us to kill two birds with one stone; perhaps a more suitable expression in honor of this holiday would be to couple these two traditions in one. 

 

A brief history of the holiday:

 In short, no one is certain though most experts agree on pagan beginnings and at least one Saint Valentin in Rome who is believed to be how Christians integrated this holiday into their calendar. The Catholic church eventually dropped it from their official calendar; Saint Valentin is still recognized as a Saint. Turns out the origin of Valentine’s day isn’t all sugar and spice but has dark origins and may be suitable only for older kids. Check out this NPR article to learn about the non-Hallmark side of this holiday. 

 

Modern Day Valentine’s

I have a confession to make: drowning in hearts annually in February led me to loath them, which is rather sad given that it is this remarkable organ and all it stands for. Thankfully, moving to Mexico changed my relationship to this iconic image as I fell in love with the “Sacred Hearts” in Mexican folk art. 

 

These hearts come in many variations, with wings and flames; some with crowns. I assumed they represented the passionate love people felt for each other. Boy, did I get that wrong. 

 

The heart symbolizes Jesus’ divine love and passion for humanity, hence why some of them have thorny crowns. I am not entirely sure how I missed that given that my favorite restaurant in Merida has an entire wall of them. There are endless variations of this iconic image. 

 

I recently saw some for sale in a shop promoting local craftsmens’ work, sculpted out of wood with metal work pressed into the heart, simply stunning. 

 

 

This got me thinking about hearts in the arts: Keith Hering featured hearts in a number of pieces. 

 

Banksy has two iconic heart pieces, one of which made global headlines when it was destroyed only moments after it was purchased at an auction. 

 

Every year since 2004, San Francisco General Hospital has held a benefit event called “Hearts in San Fransico”, featuring giant hearts painted by different artists. You can find pictures of previous years online and check out this year’s hearts here: 

 

Art Heart Activity: 

Want to make heart art with your kids? Check out this lovely post featuring different ideas based on various artists who feature hearts in their work. 

For some, a picture is worth a thousand words, as the famous adage goes, but for others, it’s wooing with words that tickles us pink. For those fond of poetry, here are six beautiful poems featuring hearts, and even a red rose or two. 

 

Poetry Activity: Make an Acrostic poem, one where the first letter of each verse creates a word, with your child using HEART, LOVE, or any word you like! 

Here is one we did. I’ll add a caveat that I had to reign in my little Wednesday Adams to get a version that I could share here…

 

Here I sit, wishing you were by my side

Early in the morning light

Awake, Alone, without you in my sight

Realizing now how silly they were, our fights

Today, I’ll find you, apologize and make things right. 

 

Valentine’s Day Cards:

I was never a fan of the holiday growing up. I strongly suspect my first encounter with this holiday was in Kindergarten where our French School embraced a ritual of humiliation, having kids drop hearts in a box and then call out the names of those who received one played a significant part in this. 

 

I can’t help but think about all the people who will not receive a Valentine’s today. Love is about so much more than the person you love or fancy. It’s also about what we put into the world, the love we give to to our friends and families, to those we know and even those we don’t, through acts of kindness, understanding, and service. 

 

One way to show that love is to consider making Valentine’s day cards for senior citizens who no longer have their loved ones by their side. Country Living put together a huge number of inspiring ideas for diy cards.

 

If you are just completely over this holiday, maybe these beautiful locations around the world can help you take your mind off overpriced chocolates and flowers. 

 

Happy Valentine’s Day to all of you from all of us!