Valentine's day

A little bit of history…

No, V-Day has not always been associated with love, candlelight dinners and sweetheart candy. Quite the contrary in fact. The origins of the holiday are way darker than one would imagine. The ancient Roman festival of Lupercalia certainly is the earliest record of that celebration. On this occasion, women were stricken with a piece of skin of a sacrificed goat in order to improve their fecundity (!). During the Middle Age, the event became a way to calm the secret passions of young people… It was not until the 15th Century in Victorian England, with the era of courtly love, that Valentine’s Day increasingly turned into a day focused on romantic love and affection. It was indeed during this period that the first valentine greeting cards were exchanged. Since 1847, the holiday became very commercial with the beginning of mass production of the greeting cards in the United States.

Love isn’t just about couples!

At this day, we have two different types of celebrations that coexist. While in Europe, the couple has slowly become the one and only heart of the matter of this day, in the United States and England, people celebrate love in every form, which includes of course romance, but also loving your friends, your family and sometimes even your neighbours! Why indeed reduce love to romantic relationships? The Anglo-Saxon versions can be very inspiring in order for us to open up to new horizons and reflect about our understanding of what love can be, far away of its typical symbols or representations such as kitsch Cupids, heart-shaped chocolate boxes or mushy movies. In the tumultuous times we live in, may we take the opportunity to put some sense back into this celebration, and spend some quality time with your loved ones, your sister, your best friend or your darling…

Heart to heart

Of course, this doesn’t mean that you cannot treat someone special to a small present (even if it is an extremely kitsch one!). There are surely as many languages of love and ways to show our affection as there are individuals on this planet. Whether you are in a romantic relationship or single, big fan or not of the V-Day concept, the 14 February sometimes can be a nice excuse to surprise and show someone a little appreciation in a very personal way. Lacking inspiration? Don’t worry, our teams have you covered: jump to the next paragraph to discover some gifts ideas!

Here it is, follow our gift guide

If love is an invisible bond between two persons, why not try to show it outside in a subtle way, by coordinating your presents? Here are four gifts couples with four golden rules to spend a wonderful Valentine’s Day or Eve:

1. Take your time
2. Match perfumes
3. Enjoy the fresh air (with your favourite bag)
4. Stay relaxed

Click to discover our gift selection for her and him!