Life&Style February Issue - MaltaRightNow.com

| RELATIONSHIPS |
Valentine’s Day is not
the best time to be
single. As she ponders
this, Jo Caruana chats
to two couples about
their thoughts on the
Patron Saint of Love and
keeping love alive.
St. Valentine’s
Keeping
LOVE ALIVE
As a single girl in a modern world, the thought of St Valentine’s Day doesn’t
exactly bring a spring to my step. The birds may be singing and the flowers may
be blooming for those individuals who are part of a two-some, but as another
February 14 th looms, the impending doom of thrusting open my letter box only
to find a credit card bill (and not a swanky card from some Adonis) starts to hit
home.
I’m fine with this of course. After all, I’ve had plenty of practice on-and-off
through the years as one boyfriend came and went, taking with him the promise
of romantic poems, candle-lit dinners and expansive bunches of blood-red
roses. I regularly assure myself that I’m single by choice, and not because I’m a
complete loser drastically lacking a personality. Somewhat as a result of this, St
Val has become my
patron saint of friendship and each time he’s about to rear
his head, I give him a nod and plan a fantastic night of fun and games with a
group of gal-pals instead.
This is a more American approach it would seem, as a bit of research
confirms that across the Atlantic they’re focused on honouring the love of their
best-mates and friends, as well as their partners, which sounds like a good plan
to me.
Valentine’s Day Trivia
Long before St Valentine lived, February 14th had strong links with
fertility. The date traditionally is known for when birds choose their
mates.
In Medieval times, girls ate unusual foods on St Valentine's Day to
make them dream of their future husband. During this time, they also
believed that the first unmarried person of the opposite sex you met
on the morning of St Valentine's Day, would become your spouse.
Over 1 billion Valentine cards are sent in the United States each year.
Over 50 million roses are given on Valentine's Day each year.
The oldest known greeting card in existence is a Valentine card made
in the 1400's which can be admired at the British Museum in London.
By the 19th century, printed Valentine's cards were on sale and
extremely fashionable - in 1825 the Post Office handled more than
200,000 letters more than usual on St Valentine's Day.
The first box of Valentine's sweets was made in the late 1800's.
L&S | FEBRUARY ’07 15