Valentine’s Day is celebrated every year on February 14. The most known and popular colors for this day are pink and red. Candy, flowers, and several other gifts are given and received by loved ones throughout the United States and other parts of the world on this day.
Valentine’s Day is celebrated not only in the United States but also in Australia, Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, and France. During the 17th century, Valentine’s Day in Great Britain started to become widely recognized as well.
Friends and couples would frequently exchange gifts of affection or handwritten notes by the middle of the 18th century. By 1900, thanks to advancements in printing technology, printed cards started to take the role of written letters. Valentine’s Day is now the second largest card-sending occasion of the year, after Christmas. The Greeting Card Association estimates that 145 million cards are sent on that day each year.
Another very popular Valentine’s Day tradition is candy. Many people eat candy as well as give it to their loved ones as a gift. Some specific Valentine’s candies that are very popular are conversation hearts, heart-shaped boxes of chocolate, heart-shaped suckers, and many other well-known heart shaped candies. During the Valentine’s season, 36 million boxes of chocolate in the shape of hearts are sold, generating sales of $1 billion in chocolate and sweets.
A well-known figure that represents Valentine’s Day is Cupid. Cupid is a winged infant carrying a bow and a bag full of arrows. He strikes his arrows at people to experience a passion and love for another person. The Roman’s Cupid was the same as the Greek god Eros. Cupid is, quite literally, the child of the goddess of love, Venus.
At Algona High School, Valentine’s Day will be celebrated in a couple of different ways. Student Senate members are selling heart shaped cookie kits to students, staff members, and loved ones. Cookie kits will consist of four cookies, sprinkles, and frosting for $5. They will be delivered on February 10th. Proceeds from this fundraiser will be used to send flowers to area nursing home residents on Valentine’s Day. FCCLA is also doing a Valentine’s Day fundraiser. They are selling Crush pop to whoever wants to send one to their crush.
We hope everyone at AHS has a happy Valentine’s Day!