Valentine's Day
It’s Valentine’s Day this week – so we are taking a look at how the world celebrates this day of love and romance.
There are at least three different saints named Valentine or Valentinus, all of whom were martyred. One legend contends that Valentine was a priest who served during the third century in Rome. When Emperor Claudius II decided that single men made better soldiers than those with wives and families, he outlawed marriage for young men. Valentine, realising the injustice of the decree, defied Claudius and continued to perform marriages for young lovers in secret.
During the Middle Ages, it was thought that February 14 was the beginning of birds’ mating season, which added to the idea that the middle of Valentine’s Day should be a day for romance. In fact, the poet Geoffrey Chaucer was the first to record St. Valentine’s Day as a day of romantic celebration in his 1375 poem “Parliament of Fowls,” writing,
“For this was sent on Seynt Valentyne’s day / Whan every foul cometh ther to choose his mate.
Valentine’s Day Around The World
France - Saint-Valentin
This pretty little village in France takes on the self-proclaimed title of the “Village of Love”. Residents adorn their homes with floral displays, hearts, and bows, and the village opens its garden to the public, where couples can take a romantic stroll and tie their romantic wish to the “Tree of Vows”.
Romania
Their version of Valentine’s Day is actually held on the February 24th and is known as Dragobete. There is traditional folk dancing around a crackling fire, and single men and women exchange handmade flower crowns. Flowers are an important part of the festivities, with spring flowers picked and hung to dry in the home. Four months later, these dried flowers are thrown into flowing water, like a river or stream, to ward off bad luck.
South Africa
Here, there is a tradition for women to pin their crush’s name to their sleeve. This tradition is known as Lupercalia, in homage to the Pagan festival of the same name.
Philippines
It has become a Valentine’s Day tradition in the Philippines for couples to hold their wedding on this day. Mass ceremonies are often conducted, funded by the government, with hundreds of couples tying the knot together.
Argentina
Here they dedicate a whole week to love in June, celebrating Sweetness Week when Argentinians express their affection by gifting candy and chocolate to partners, family, friends, and colleagues.
UK
We know that cards, flowers, chocolates and romantic dinners marke the 14th as a special day for many people, but back in the Middle Ages, people would draw lots on the 13th to see who our partner for the Valentine’s Day feast would be – a blind date of sorts and on Valentine’s Eve, women used to place bay leaves beneath their pillows to attract a husband. During the Victorian times there was a tradition of Vinegar Valentines ( a sort of anti-valentine card) when someone would send an acerbic card sent to tell an unwanted love interest that love was not on the cards.
Lidgate’s Valentine’s Treats
If you are cooking a special Valentines meal we have an amazing range of ideas and beautiful savoury foods in a special Valentine section of our website which, amongst other things has this eye popping Valentine's Boeuf en Croute which is perfect for 2 to share. Our pan-seared Scottish Highland Fillet of Beef with a coating of chicken liver pate and sautéed mushrooms, all encased in puff pastry.
There is also our star steak –Wagyu Sirloin. Fantastically marbled, superior tenderness with a delicate sweet flavour. It really is the most loved of steaks.
A Valentines gift box filled with Melt classics and 3 new Valentine heart flavours: Raspberry ganache, pecan praline and passion fruit caramel.
This box contains a total of 24 bonbons plus: A card game to strike love in all those who dare to play; A Fortune Teller game to predict the course of love; and The Power of Love Book, transcribed directly from Venus’s own manual of love and inscribed from Cupid’s quiver of arrows.
Inspired By Queen Victoria's private chocolate collection, each box contains a selection of Prestat's finest delights. From fragrant rose, violet and raspberry fondants, silky caramels, rich pralines, fudge and, of course, their world-renowned truffles. This box contains 16 delicious chocolates and truffles and weighs 210g.