We use cookies on our website. You are free to manage this via your browser settings at any time. To learn more about how we use our cookies click Read MoreAcceptRead more
Search
  • New
  • Art
    • All Art
    • Fine Art Prints
    • Stretched Canvas Prints
    • Scratch-It Maps
  • Clothing
    • T-Shirts
    • Baby & Kids Clothes
  • Bags & Cases
    • Suitcases
    • Totes
  • GK Collections
    • Butterflies & Bees
    • IRN-BRU
    • GK Odes
    • Love Scotland
    • Mapped Out
    • Pride & Joy
    • Scottish Wildlife
    • Scottish Breakfast
    • Scottish Thistles
    • Scotties, Westies & Doggy Pals
    • The Vault
    • Tunnock’s
  • Bargain Bundles
  • Homeware
    • Aprons
    • Candles
    • Cards
    • Clocks
    • Cork Pinboards
    • Cushions
    • Kitchen Storage Tins
    • Mugs & Coasters
    • Placemats
    • Plates
    • Serving Trays
    • Teapots
    • Tea Towels
    • Totes
  • Sale
  • Tunnock’s
  • Sign In

Customer reviews from trustpilot

Sign In or Create an account

Lost password ?

New client Register ?

Search
0 (£0.00)
Menu
  • New
  • Art
    • All Art
    • Fine Art Prints
    • Stretched Canvas Prints
    • Scratch-It Maps
  • Clothing
    • T-Shirts
    • Baby & Kids Clothes
  • Bags & Cases
    • Suitcases
    • Totes
  • GK Collections
    • Butterflies & Bees
    • IRN-BRU
    • GK Odes
    • Love Scotland
    • Mapped Out
    • Pride & Joy
    • Scottish Wildlife
    • Scottish Breakfast
    • Scottish Thistles
    • Scotties, Westies & Doggy Pals
    • The Vault
    • Tunnock’s
  • Bargain Bundles
  • Homeware
    • Aprons
    • Candles
    • Cards
    • Clocks
    • Cork Pinboards
    • Cushions
    • Kitchen Storage Tins
    • Mugs & Coasters
    • Placemats
    • Plates
    • Serving Trays
    • Teapots
    • Tea Towels
    • Totes
  • Sale
  • Tunnock’s

Featured

Gillian Kyle’s history of Valentine’s Day

2017-01-31 / 614 / 0

Love it (for ever and always), or loathe it, Valentine’s day is on it’s way. It’s one calendar date that definitely didn’t start as a Scottish tradition (if you’re being offered a Glasgow kiss don’t be fooled, you are NOT being romanced!). Growing up I loved the mystery of an anonymous Valentine’s card, sent to me or anyone else.

Cynics point to Hallmark as the masterminds behind the day’s conception and recently there’s been a revolution in the form of Single Awareness Day. So, did St Valentine exist and what on earth did he (or she) do to start this day of pink, red and flowers? Is it a chance to declare your love or take stock of how lucky in love you are? Are lovers who ignore Valentine’s Day missing a chance at romance? This year I’m looking into what it’s all about.

What is Valentine’s day – and where did it start?

Do you dole out Love Heart sweeties and wait by the door for the postie? Valentine’s Day as we know it isn’t solely the creation of Mad Men style masterminds at Hallmark. It turns out the romance and fluffy stuff started WAY further back.

So, who was St Valentine?

This delicious fudge makes a change from the usual chocs, and the cool tin makes it a lasting gift.

First off, St Valentine was not just one person. It all gets a bit blurry historically and there are a few martyrs called St Valentine going back. Rather spookily one particular St. Valentine was persecuted by the Romans and is probably the source of the anonymous sign off. Legend has it he healed his jailer’s daughter and signed his last letter to her (before he was executed!) ‘Your Valentine’. This puts a rather macabre twist on one of my favourite elements of Valentine’s day!

Historic feasts

Around the same time, the Romans (who loved a feast) celebrated Lupercalia – a fertility festival – and the Normans celebrated Galatin’s day (The ‘G’ is pronounced as ‘V’ in English). Over the centuries these celebrations seem to have been wrapped into the very un-pagan celebration of St Valentine’s day on 14th February.

So far, so unromantic

Chaucer (of Canterbury Tales fame) is credited with making February 14th a day of lovey-dovey romance. An improvement on beheadings methinks. It was in his era that ‘romance’ as a concept was invented. From then on not only was St Valentine’s day a feast day, it marked a day for sending declarations of love too (justifying a bit of chocolate-related over indulgence).

Sending flowers, sweeties and cards became the norm for Valentine’s gifts back in the 18th century and Hallmark jumped on board in 1913. In pre-war Britain Mr Cadbury popularised sending heart shaped boxes of chocolates.

More recently celebrations have gone beyond the tradition of sending a card and gift to one special person. Now mums everywhere give their kids cards to ensure no-one misses out. Frankly it can all get a bit extravagant! Having said that my lovely Dad has sent me an ‘anonymous’  Valentines card each year since I was a wee girl, signed ‘Guess Who?’.  Its become a family tradition in its own right and I think its fab.

Get your priorities straight and show your love for the nation’s favourite drink this Valentines Day!

What’s it all about then?

I do love flowers, but the hundreds of millions (I kid not) of red roses bought and sent on Valentine’s Day does scare me a bit. Blooms, sweeties and helium balloons are all so fleeting, and I can’t help feeling, just a teensy bit wasteful.

A beautiful print makes a lasting gift that won’t be forgotten in a hurry.

Identifying senders of Valentine’s cards is brilliant fun if you’re unattached, and I will always live vicariously through those who get mysterious cards.

I say we need to share the love now more than ever, so, despite the schmaltz and the dubious eco credentials, I’m generally in favour of Valentines Day.  Thoughtful gifts show your Valentine(s) that you care, and stand the test of time. Choosing a Valentines gift should be all about that individual person, and not because Marks & Spencer’s are promoting heart-shaped chocolate boxes, roses or red lingerie!

So, thinking caps on people – there are only 2 weeks to go. And Happy Valentines Day from me when it comes!

Get some Valentines Day gift inspiration now!

I’m giving away Valentine’s goodies – tell us who you would love to share a cuppa with on social media for a chance to win! See more here.

Tags: gifting, St Valentine, tunnock's, Valentine's Day, Valentine's gifts
Share Post

Related posts

Scottish Christmas presents by Gillian Kyle
Christmas
Read more

14 Best Scottish Gifts for £25 or Under

2019-12-06 / 1292 / 0
... Continue reading
Uncategorised
Read more

Mother’s Day – it’s not about the presents

2019-03-20 / 1594 / 2
... Continue reading
Featured
Read more

20 Interesting Facts about Puffins

2018-11-09 / 1555 / 0
... Continue reading
Gillian Kyle Scottish Clocks Animation
Featured
Read more

Enjoy the happy gift of Scottish Time

2018-10-26 / 763 / 0
... Continue reading
animation celebrating the V&A Dundee and Maggie's Penguin Parade
Design
Read more

The V&A and Penguins Come to Dundee

2018-09-14 / 1156 / 0
... Continue reading

Leave a reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked

Search

Categories

  • Architecture (4)
  • Art (25)
  • Baby Gifts (1)
  • Bonfire Night (1)
  • British Gifts (43)
  • Charity (1)
  • Charles Rennie Mackintosh (3)
  • Christmas (18)
  • Competitions (4)
  • Design (42)
  • Easter (1)
  • Fashion (1)
  • Featured (31)
  • Food (31)
  • General (12)
  • Gifts (52)
  • Graphic Design (2)
  • Graphics (20)
  • Halloween (1)
  • Holidays & Festivals (3)
  • Illustration (4)
  • Interactive (4)
  • IRN-BRU (2)
  • Miscellaneous (3)
  • Music (1)
  • Musings (39)
  • New Stuff (19)
  • People (16)
  • Places of Interest (8)
  • Press & PR (29)
  • Print & Canvases (1)
  • Robert Burns (5)
  • Scotland (68)
  • Scottish Brands (26)
  • Scottish Food & Drink (18)
  • Scottish Gifts (73)
  • Scottish infographics (7)
  • Scottish Thistle (3)
  • Sport (1)
  • Stockists (1)
  • Tunnocks (26)
  • Uncategorised (17)
  • Valentines Day (1)
  • Video (1)
  • Vintage (5)
  • Wildlife (7)
  • Work (2)
Trustpilot

Useful Links

  • My Account
  • Contact
  • Sign up (for more of all things Scottish)
  • Meet Gillian Kyle
  • Scottish Stories Blog
  • Delivery & Returns
  • FAQ
  • Cookies
  • Terms of use
  • Privacy Policy
  • Trade Customer Login
  • Become a Trade Customer
  • Wholesale Ordering Form

Hello from Gillian Kyle

Thanks for visiting! I design colourful and fun Scottish gifts for you and your home. I love what I do and I hope you enjoy looking around just as much.


Hello from Gillian Kyle

Customer Reviews

Trustpilot

© Gillian Kyle 2019

We'd LOVE to share our newest Scottish art, designs and Scottish Stories Blogs with you as they are released. Sign up below for regular doses of all things Scottish...
We take your data seriously at Gillian Kyle - here's our Privacy Policy
We'd LOVE to share our newest Scottish art, designs and Scottish Stories Blogs with you as they are released. Sign up below for regular doses of all things Scottish...
We take your data seriously at Gillian Kyle - here's our Privacy Policy
We'd LOVE to share our newest Scottish art, designs and Scottish Stories Blogs with you as they are released. Sign up below for regular doses of all things Scottish...
We take your data seriously at Gillian Kyle - here's our Privacy Policy

Terms & Conditions

  • buy 1 full-price Scottish adult or child's T-shirt and get 50% off a second (full-price adult or child's t-shirt)
  • just add both tees to your basket and the discount will be applied at checkout - it's easy!
  • if  choosing t-shirts at different prices (for example 1 adult's and 1 child's), the more expensive t-shirt will be charged at full price and the discount applied to the less expensive t-shirt
  • this offer does not apply to already-discounted t-shirts
  • sorry, no other discount codes or discount coupons can be used offer ends at midnight on Sunday June 30th - don't miss out!