Well, here it is that most romantic day again — Valentine’s Day. As I mentioned a couple of weeks ago when talking about Groundhog Day, there’s a limited amount of “new” things to write about a holiday that is celebrated every year.
Most of us think about flowers, chocolate, jewelry, or cards as Valentine’s Day “traditions.” But did you know that gloves were once a very important part of Valentine’s Day? A token of love in the 19th century was a paper hand, which was a symbol of courtship. Tiny paper gloves were also popular. Real gloves were a favorite valentine gift, especially in the British Isles. Gloves were often given with a verse that went like this:
If that from Glove, you take the letter G
Then Glove is Love and that I send to thee
It became a tradition that if a man gave a woman one glove on Valentine’s Day and she wore it in public on Easter Sunday, it meant she returned his love.
Seems kind of sappy, but I guess it’s a little more romantic than texting….
Happy Valentine’s Day.
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