Aroundtown Magazine January/February 2024 edition

LOVE IS IN THE AIR
Love is in the air
Get crafty
With Dawn Topliss
Make your own
Valentine’s
Topiary
Send someone an
artfelt token of your
love this Valentine’s
Day with this DIY
topiary craft project.
You will need
28cm long Terracotta tom pot
Oasis or chicken wire
Moss
1m ribbon
Garden sticks or BBQ skewers
Green coated garden wire
Green garden string
Punched or artificial flowers
& leaves
Tiny crystal gems
Glue gun & craft knife
Method
1. Using a craft knife, cut the
oasis to fit inside the terracotta
pot. Or if using chicken wire,
scrunch until level with the top
of the pot.
2. Cut garden sticks into four
12cm lengths. Use wire to bind
together at the top and bottom.
Glue into the centre of the pot.
3. Use a pot or jam jar to
bend a piece of wire into a
12cm circle. Twist both ends of
wire together leaving a length of
3cm. Now carefully remove and
press the top centre down to
make a heart shape.
4. Glue the twisted ends into
the top of your stick bundle.
5. Tie your garden twine onto
the top of the wire heart. Now
lay lengths of moss onto your
wire and bind in place with the
twine following the shape.
6. Cut 1cm lengths of coated
wire and bend into small
hairpins. Use these to secure
moss to the top of the pot
covering any oasis or chicken
wire.
7. Decorate with punched or
artificial flowers and gems and
a ribbon. You may also want
to add your own sentiment to
the pot.
Your Valentine’s Topiary is
now complete.
Happy Crafting!
Bachelor’s Day is coming...
No, it’s not a day all
about single men.
Well, not in the way
you’d think.
Bachelor’s Day is the tradition of
women proposing to their partners
on Leap Day – February 29th.
According to Irish folklore,
the tradition dates back to the
fifth century when a nun named
St. Brigid asked for St. Patrick’s
permission to allow women to
propose marriage should their
significant others take too long to
do so.
The two saints made a deal
that, every four years, on Leap
Day, women could be the ones to
break cultural norms and pop the
question.
It is believed that Brigid then got
down onto one knee and asked
St. Patrick to marry her, but he
declined. He kissed her on the
cheek and gifted her with a silk
gown. From that day forward, any
man who rejected a proposal had
to pay a fine for silk dresses and
gloves to cover the woman’s lack of
an engagement ring.
This legend was made true in
Scotland, when Queen Margaret
passed a law in Scottish Parliament
in 1288 legally allowing women
to propose to men on the 29th of
February.
Today, there are still women who
choose to do a reverse proposal
on Leap Day. However, we live
in a completely different world to
that of the fifth century and gender
roles, relationships and views on
marriage have changed significantly
since then.
But there is still some sentiment
to choosing a date with a special
pattern or novelty. Plus, your partner
has literally no excuse to forget your
anniversary – especially when you
technically only need to celebrate
every four years.
But what about getting married
on Leap Day? Many countries like
Greece, Italy and Ukraine believe
it will lead to bad luck or divorce.
Whereas the Chinese believe that a
leap year is an auspicious time to tie
the knot.
So, ladies. Will you be popping
the question on Leap Day? And
men – will you be accepting?
24 aroundtownmagazine.co.uk