The meaning of Valentine's Day in 2021: showing love to all
February 14th – arguably the most romantic day of the year – is just around the corner.
Come Valentine’s Day, couples all around the world will exchange gifts, make romantic gestures and share candlelit dinners to show their love for one another.
Since as early as Chaucer’s time, the meaning of Valentine’s Day has been rooted in romantic love. The idea of penning a love letter on February 14th has spiralled to make Valentine’s Day what it is today – an excuse for couples to celebrate one another and a day most singletons dread.
After the year we’ve all just had (thanks Covid), we think it’s about time Valentine’s Day got a reboot.
Why should people in a relationship be the only ones to enjoy the meaning of Valentine’s Day? With many millions of people separated from loved ones due to pandemic restrictions, we think February 14th should be about celebrating love for friends and family, as well as our romantic partners.
While we’re not saying we should ditch our romantic partners entirely, we have a unique opportunity to reset the meaning of Valentine’s Day in 2021. We should seize February 14th 2021 as a day to show everyone we hold dearly just how much they mean to us.
The meaning of Valentine’s Day around the world
A quick look at the meaning of Valentine’s Day in other countries shows we’re not the only ones to have this idea.
In Finland and Estonia, February 14th marks ‘Friend’s Day’ – Ystävänpäivä in Finnish and Sõbrapäev in Estonian – where people share cards and gifts with their friends. Finns are so passionate about celebrating platonic love that ‘Friend’s Day’ has become the country’s second most popular card-giving day.
Latin American countries share a similar tradition. El Dia de Amor y Amistad (the day of love and friendship), celebrated in September in Colombia, extends the traditional meaning of Valentine’s Day to include non-romantic gestures for friends.
Reset – the meaning of Valentine’s Day in 2021
We think it’s about time we all followed in the footsteps of our Finnish, Estonian and Latin American friends.
The real meaning of Valentine’s Day in 2021 should be about ALL kinds of love. The love for our friends and family is just as important as – and in many cases much longer-lasting than – romantic love. How many times have your family and friends picked you up when you hit rock bottom after a breakup? Precisely. Mates before dates, as they say!
The real meaning of Valentine’s Day in 2021 should be about ALL kinds of love. The love for our friends and family is just as important as – and in some cases much longer-lasting than – romantic love
How to show you care on Valentine’s Day
The pandemic has robbed us of the ability to hug our nearest and dearest this Valentine’s Day.
As painful as this is, there are other ways we can show our love.
The simple act of sending a card can mean the world to someone. A handwritten note to let them know you’re thinking of them will brighten their day and let them know they’re not alone.
Using February 14th as an excuse to catch up could also put a smile on your loved ones’ faces. How about arranging a virtual dinner party with your nearest and dearest? Or hosting a Valentine’s Day online quiz (with a love song music round, of course!). If you’ve had enough of virtual entertainment, why not pick up the phone and have a good old chin wag?!
With the technology we have at our fingertips, we all have the power to make someone’s day on February 14th at the touch of a few buttons.
Gift ideas for Valentine’s Day
If you would like to stick to tradition and share a gift on Valentine’s Day, we’ve got you covered!
Chocolates and flowers might be conventional, but these aren’t exactly personal gifts.
Gift boxes make for perfect Valentine’s Day gifts. They show that love, care and thought has gone into finding the perfect gift for those special people in your life.
We have plenty of pre-made gift boxes that can be posted directly to the recipient. Plus you can add a free personalised postcard for that extra special touch.
We also take bespoke orders if you have something specific in mind.
Whatever gift you decide upon, posting a gift to your loved ones this Valentine’s Day is a beautiful way to bring you closer together when circumstances keep you apart.
Summary – show love to all this Valentine’s Day
In our humble opinion, 2021 should mark the year when we expanded the meaning of Valentine’s Day to include our friends and family. They have been there for us through thick and thin, even before we met our romantic partners, so it’s about time they got some recognition!
Whatever you decide to do to mark the occasion, we wish you and all your loved ones a happy and safe day.
Team Foldsi x
