According to history.com, Valentine’s Day is a holiday celebrated each year on February 14 by the exchange of cards, flowers, candy, or gifts with your special “valentine.” The day of romance we call Valentine’s Day is named for a Christian martyr and dates back to the 5th century, but has origins in the Roman holiday Lupercalia.
Is there another day that celebrates relationships quite the way that Valentine’s Day does? Over 40,000 people in the U.S. are employed in chocolate factories. Chocolate is a staple for Valentine’s Day (I just spent a week in Pennsylvania, which is the 2nd largest producer of chocolate in America).
The U.S. postal service will assist in handling some of the 150 million cards that will be exchanged on February 14 – not including all the Valentine’s Day cards given out by school aged children in classrooms across the country. That constitutes 25% of all greeting cards sent each year.
So, this year, nurture your relationships. Not just on February 14th, but every day. Smile brightly, listen intently, be present. And enjoy some chocolate!
Nikki Wince – Mandt Faculty Supervisor
