Valentine's Day is coming. Here's why we celebrate
Love is everywhere you look around.
The colors red and pink pop up everywhere including Walmart, Target and your local grocery store. Even when grabbing your morning coffee and a doughnut at Dunkin' you can't escape the pink and red icing, sprinkles, and candy hearts.
Valentine's Day is coming and it's time to get your romance game in full gear.
When is Valentine's Day?
Valentine's Day is Wednesday, Feb. 14. Mark your calendar. Schedule a trip to the Hallmark store or the florist. Remember to make reservations at your favorite restaurant quickly, lest you get stuck in the booth near the bathroom at McDonald's or Chic-fil-A.
Why is Valentine's Day celebrated?
Shouldn't we be celebrating our love for those important in our lives every day? OK, sure, but this is the real world and we can only do so much. Plus, too much of a good thing spoils the impact.
Valentine's Day was initially celebrated as a pagan fertility ritual called Lupercalia from Feb. 13-15. According to npr.com, the pagan feast was combined with a day honoring St. Valentine in the 5th Century to expel pagan rituals. As time passed, and poets Geoffrey Chaucer and William Shakespeare romanticized the holiday, it gained popularity.
In 1913, Hallmark Cards started mass-producing cards, and Valentine's Day became the first Hallmark holiday with cards, candies, flowers and displays of affection for those we love.
What if you're not in a relationship on Valentine's Day?
So you are single and not dating anyone, that's fine. There are still people in your life you care about. You can send a card to your parents or family members to show you care about them. You can send a perfectly platonic note to a good friend.
You can also celebrate Single Awareness Day on Feb. 15. It's a day to celebrate the fact that you don't need to have a romantic relationship to celebrate life.
What is Galentine's Day?
According to cosmopolitan.com, Galentine's Day, which is celebrated Feb. 13, is "a day all about celebrating the platonic love between a woman and anyone else. Cosmo suggests celebrating it any way you choose including brunch, dinner, wine-and-cheese night; you're only limited by your imagination.
Galentine's Day was created on an episode of "Parks and Recreation. " In the 16th episode of season two in 2010, Amy Poehler's character Leslie Knope devised the holiday, gathering her female friends for brunch, "Ladies celebrating ladies." Since then the holiday has taken off. Even First Lady Michelle Obama celebrated the holiday in 2020.
Where in Delaware to celebrate love: Best spots to get engaged, have a Valentine's Day date in Delaware
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This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Valentine's Day is coming. Here's why we celebrate the holiday of love