January is gone, along with about a million social media memes on its neverending-ness. We’re entering February, often referred to as the most depressing month of the year, with its cold, short days and New Year’s enthusiasm dwindling (we’re guessing the memes will just spill into February). We beg to disagree because February also brings the first hints of spring, snowdrops, daffodils, slightly longer days, and Valentine’s Day.
This Valentine’s Day, we’re rooting for love in all forms: friendship, self-love, family-love, romantic love. Whatever you feel most intense at the moment. Treat yourself to something you’ve been wanting for months, your mom or grandma to flowers, your friend to a book you loved and wanted to share, or your crush to a day trip in the mountains (warm tea and sandwiches included).
Read on to find out how Valentine’s Day actually began, how it was celebrated through centuries, and how to treat yourself and your loved ones this February.
Contents
- How Did Valentine’s Day Start in the First Place?
- Modern Valentine’s Day Celebrations
- Do Valentine’s Day Better
- How to Treat Yourself and Your Loved Ones This Valentine’s Day?
- Treat Yourself to a New Skill
- Or an at-Home Facial (for Years to Come)
- Treat Your Significant Other to a Concert
- Or, for the Incurable Romantics: Do Dental Hygiene Better!
- Invite Your Friends to a Dinner Party at Your Home
- Or Treat a Friend to Cleansing That Feels Like a Facial
- Treat Your Mom to Flowers
- Or a Lymphatic Drainage Eye Massage – at Home, Any Time
- Treat Your Teenager to a Night in With Their Friends
- Or to Mini-but-Mighty Facial Cleanser for Young Skin
How Did Valentine’s Day Start in the First Place?
There are a couple of theories about the origin of Valentine’s Day – one speculates that it derived from the Roman festival of Lupercalia, similarly held also in mid-February. The festival honored the coming of spring with celebrations including wine, fertility rites, and pairing of men and women by lottery. The festival was banned in the 5th century by Pope Gelasius I – it is speculated that it was replaced by St Valentine’s Day as the Roman Empire switched from pagan to Christian. However, it wasn’t until the 14th century that Valentine’s Day was celebrated as a day for romance.
The day may have taken its name from a 3rd-century Christian martyr imprisoned by the emperor Claudius II. According to a legend, the martyr sent letters from jail to the emperor’s daughter, signing them with “your Valentine.” Another legend says that St Valentine used to secretly marry couples, defying the emperor’s orders, to spare the men going to war.
The first Valentine’s cards appeared in the 16th century, and the late 18th century saw the appearance of the first commercially printed cards. The cards were adorned with flowers, cupids, and hearts, and since it was thought that the bird mating season started in mid-February – birds became one of the symbols of St Valentine.
Modern Valentine’s Day Celebrations
Since the Victorian era well into modern times, Valentine’s Day has had an aura of exclusivity: built around heterosexual romantic relationships, with advertising, movies, and customs all building up upon that notion.
Do Valentine’s Day Better
Gone are the days when Valentine’s Day was reserved for couples exclusively – and all of us who weren’t in a romantic relationship on that day felt as if the party was going on to which we weren’t invited. In recent years, Valentine’s Day has become more inclusive as the notion of love and affection has been expanded. There’s love towards our children, parents (or grandparents!), friends, pets, romantic partners, and ourselves. Gifting friends, colleagues, and teachers with cards has become common – and a lovely way to show appreciation towards those who make our every day better.
How to Treat Yourself and Your Loved Ones This Valentine’s Day?
If the last few years have taught us anything, it’s that the world needs more love, more patience, more connectedness, and more understanding. So, we’ve come up with a list of things and experiences to treat yourself or your loved ones to this February.
Treat Yourself to a New Skill
Is there that one thing you always wanted to learn but never plucked the courage or found the time or determination to do? How about shaking things up this February and starting a year with learning a new skill? Have you always wanted to learn how to play the piano? Watercolor? Knit? Dance? Write film critics? Speak another language? Ice skate? Arrange flowers? We have good news for you: now is as good a time as ever! There’s scientific proof that learning a new skill is the best way to keep your brain sharp, and with the influx of content handed over to us through social media and streaming platforms, learning instead of scrolling seems like a lovely gift to give to yourself.
Or an at-Home Facial (for Years to Come)
If you prefer gifts that you can touch and feel, how about a device that can treat you to an at-home facial any time? UFO™ 3 is a deep hydration device that uses warming thermo therapy to push the active ingredients deep into the skin, cooling cryo-therapy to firm and depuff your face, gentle T-sonic™ massage to relax muscle tension points, and the whole spectrum of LED lights to visibly revitalize skin – in under 2 minutes.
Treat Your Significant Other to a Concert
We’re talking about the whole deal: buying the tickets (as a surprise), planning the day around it, getting all dressed up, going for drinks before the concert, giving out little signs of affection by not-so-accidental touching, whispering in the ear, complimenting your partner, and showing them that you still find them very much attractive and appreciated.
Or, for the Incurable Romantics: Do Dental Hygiene Better!
Not everyone has to be a romantic in a traditional sense – you can also treat your partner to a physical gift, or better yet, a very useful one. ISSA™ 3 is an ultra-hygienic sonic toothbrush that is tough on plaque yet gently massages the gums – working 365 days on a single charge. The back of its flexible brush head has concentric ridges designed to clean the cheeks and tongue, too – did someone say kissing?
Invite Your Friends to a Dinner Party at Your Home
When was the last time you surprised your friends with dinner? We imagine this: send out old-school invitations for the special ones in your life, buy candles and flowers, get your nicest glasses and tablecloth out, cook dinner, or if you don’t feel like cooking, buy some cheese, wine, olives, bread, and cake (that’ll more than do) – there’s nothing nicer than putting and effort for your inner circle.
Or Treat a Friend to Cleansing That Feels Like a Facial
A softest deep facial cleanse you can imagine, removing 99% of dirt, oil, and makeup residue that also works as a massage that firms skin and improves lymphatic drainage: sounds like a perfect gift, right? LUNA™ 4 does all that, leaving the skin smooth, refreshed, and deeply cleansed – from the comfort of one’s home.
Treat Your Mom to Flowers
When was the last time that you brought your mom a delicate, spring-channeling bouquet? We’re thinking of daffodils, freesias, and tulips in yellow, purple, white, and green to brighten up her day – and taking her out for a cake and specialty coffee in your favorite neighborhood cafe. Sounds like a date, right?
Or a Lymphatic Drainage Eye Massage – at Home, Any Time
As we age, the membrane holding the fatty tissue around our eyes gets thinner and thinner, causing the fat to push out – resulting in puffy eyes, dark circles, and under-eye bags. Research shows that women say that the first place they see signs of aging is around their eyes. Enters IRIS™ 2, a rejuvenating eye massager inspired by ancient finger-tapping lymphatic drainage techniques practiced in Asia. Besides being delightfully relaxing, IRIS™ helps to relieve tired eyes, minimizes the look of under-eye bags and crow’s feet, and reduces dark circles.
Treat Your Teenager to a Night in With Their Friends
Show your teenage kid some trust and appreciation by leaving them your home for the evening: prepare some snacks together, brainstorm ideas for non-alcoholic cocktails, make the living room cozy for laughs and whispers (or binge-watching their favorite series), and leave them alone for the evening (a good excuse for you to go out with your partner or your friends, too).
Or to Mini-but-Mighty Facial Cleanser for Young Skin
Hormonal changes during puberty are not only the cause of your teenager’s mood swings but also, often, unfortunately, skin problems. Due to excessive oil production and an increased likelihood of breakouts, teenage skin requires special care. LUNA™ 4 mini unclogs pores to stop breakouts, tackles an oily complexion by removing 99% of dirt, oil, and makeup residue, and is 35x more hygienic than brushes with nylon bristles. After gently cleansing the young skin, LUNA™ mini 3 enables the active ingredients in the creams, serums, and masks to penetrate deep into the skin, where they work best – to round up the teenage skincare routine.
Need more gift ideas for this Valentine’s Day? Check out the entire list of FOREO devices and skincare.
From all of us at MYSA, happy Valentine’s Day!
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