Valentine’s Day Traditions
It’s always nice to spend one day a year going above and beyond to show the person you love, how much they mean to you. We start from an early age celebrating this Day, it is a bright spot in mid-winter that everyone begins to look forward to. The color red, heart shapes, flowers, chocolate, and all the sweet notes, have become known as our Valentine’s Day traditions.
Are you thinking you need to do more this year? Maybe you want to try out some historical traditions of Valentine’s Day or some that are celebrated around the world.
Taiwan– Celebration is all about flowers. If you’re wondering if your significant other is proposing, all you have to do is count the flowers. If you receive 108 roses, they are asking you to marry them. Did you get 107 on February 14th, you have another chance on July 7th.
Japan– Do you want to know how much someone admires you? If you receive “hommei choo” (true love chocolate), they are really in love with you. If you receive “giri choco” (obligatory chocolate), you are in the “friend zone”. Women give chocolates to the men on February 14, but men must wait until March 14th (White Day) to give to women.
Denmark– Flowers are beautiful but don’t last exceptionally long, so in Denmark they give pressed flowers called snowdrops. They also send funny poems or notes anonymously called gaekkebrev (meaning snowdrop letter). If the receiver guesses who sent it, they receive an egg on Easter but if they guess wrong, they owe the sender an egg.
Germany– Do you want to get a Valentine? You may not after learning they trade pig inspired gifts.
Philippines– Looking for a cheap wedding? The government hosts a Gala on this day performing one large wedding ceremony for young couples to get married for free…. Not good for a venue business.
England– Jack Valentine is the Santa of Valentine’s Day. The children fill the hills with sounds of songs while people shower them with candy, fruit, and money. Some also exchange plum shuttles (Valentine buns) made from raisins, plums, and caraway seeds. Women used to place 5 bay leaves on their pillows on Valentine Eve to bring dreams of their future husbands.
Mexico– “El Día del Amor y Amistad” (Day of Love and Friendship) No matter if you are married, in a relationship, or friends, everyone celebrates this Day.
South Africa– Don’t wake up on February 14th expecting chocolates, they celebrate on February 15th. They actually wear their heart on their sleeves- they write the name of their love on paper and pin it on their sleeve.
South Korea– Get ready Men, this one is for you! On February 14th, women shower men with chocolate…but don’t worry, they celebrate love on the 14th day of each month. In fact, April 15th is for singles (Black Day). They celebrate or mourn being single by dressing in black and eating Black Noodles in black bean sauce known as “jajangmyeon. May 14th may be a happier day known as “the day of kisses”.
Verona– The love of Romeo and Juliet sets the day for Valentines. You don’t just celebrate one day, but festivities go on for four days. You can even join in on a love letter-writing contest to Juliet.
X symbol– This tradition came about in medieval times when people could not sign their names. A X would be made for their signature in front of a witness and then they would give it a kiss for sincerity.
Ghana– Need help with marketing, maybe the country of Ghana can help. In 2007, to boost tourism, they declared February 14th “National Day of Chocolate”….. Why didn’t I think of this??
Wales– January 25th is their day of celebration. If you want to show someone you love them, you exchange hand-made spoons. “Day of Dwynwen” has been celebrated with this tradition since the 16th century.
Chocolate– You must follow your doctor’s orders. In the 1800’s physicians would order patients to eat chocolate to calm them after losing a love.
Ancient Greeks and Romans– Do you trust a bird to pick your spouse? The folklore stated that the first bird an unmarried woman saw on Valentine’s Day, was the symbol of the man she would marry. The swan meant loyal partner for life, dove- kind-hearted man, and blackbird- clergy or spiritual man.
Victorians– Before Hallmark and e-cards, the Victorians would send a “puzzle purse”. Your love would receive several separate handwritten love letters that could be combined and displayed as treasure in their home. If they did not like their suitor, they would send a “vinegar valentine”. Another tradition by the Victorians was for the gentlemen to send one glove to his admirer, in the hope she would return his feelings by wearing the one glove on Easter Sunday.
France– The very first Valentine’s Day Card was thought to be sent in 1415 in France. Charles, The Duke of Orleans, sent love letters to his wife from prison that started the exchange of Valentines. France is home to a village known as Valentine even though February 14th has not always been a day of love. A now banned tradition usually would end in violence. Men and women would pair up and men would have the option of changing their date for another date. The women not chosen would ban together and burn pictures of their scorned lovers.
Italy– All women better strategically go to sleep the night before Valentine’s Day, because the ancient tradition stated that women were to awake before dawn and that the first single man they saw on February 14th is whom they will end up with (or somebody that looks like them).
With all these traditions, Valentine’s Day has developed many options of showering our loved ones on this day.
Are you still struggling with what to do this Valentine’s Day? We can help you!!! We are providing you with an easy solution to show your loved one how special they are.
You can receive a one-night suite rental at Thee Parsonage Venue & Suites in downtown Somerset with two paid reservations waiting on you at Serendipity at the Orange Door, all within walking distance. With multiple entertainment occurring downtown, you can walk and enjoy this night away.
Valentine’s Day Package
5 Star Review
Our First Wedding at The Venue…
Wow, we had our first wedding in the venue this past weekend. It was one of the most memorable weekends of my life. Not only am I the Venue Owner but also the mother-of-the-bride. Yes, my daughter and son-in- law were married with a weekend full of events. It was a special moment in Thee Parsonage journey for us. The festivities kicked off on Thursday with a trip to the salon and dress shopping (I had a back- up at home, but great excuse for a new dress). Finished all the errands and ran to Thee Parsonage to clean a suite that was rented the night before. I spent the evening doing laundry and the accounting books for Thee Parsonage and now to only focus on the venue setup.
Friday came quickly and my husband, daughter, son-in-law, and grandson (5years old) met at the Venue. Tables and chairs were put in place, tablecloths put on and pressed, and decorating had begun. A couple of phone calls were pursued throughout the day changing the number of guests, so tables got removed and then some got added. The story of living in a Covid world right now.
By the end of the afternoon, all the tables were up, white linens were on, and greenery was placed on top of the linens surrounding the antique brass candlesticks. We were ready to place the taper candles, when we discovered a miscommunication had occurred between my daughter and myself on purchasing the candles. Now, finding 50+ taper candles in rural America was going to be a challenge but my daughter and son-in-law bought out all the white taper candles in Somerset.
3:00pm rolled around and decorating for the day was complete, so time for everyone to dash home and get ready. Remember at the beginning of the blog, when I said, “a weekend of festivities”, well Friday evening was the actual wedding ceremony and Saturday was the reception. Everyone was back at Thee Parsonage by 5:15 and ready for the ceremony. My daughter and I rushed up to the suites and she put on the most gorgeous white scalloped one-shoulder lace sheath wedding gown I had seen (purchased at David’s Bridal).
Back down to the venue with the fireplace and historic French Doors in the background stood my husband (who was officiating the ceremony), my soon to be son-in-law (whom already was like a son in my eyes), and my precious grandson as the ringbearer. At this point, I now became the Venue Owner, Mother-of-the- Bride, and Videographer. The wedding began and it was magical to hear my husband officiate the ceremony while looking like a proud Daddy beaming at my daughter. I then turned to see my son-in-law with this sparkle of love in his eyes as he stared faithfully at my daughter. I could feel the emotions begin to build up, but then came the vows. Oh my, my heart was not ready to hear the vows that each of them had written for each other. The tears were flowing good! After they exchanged their vows, my son-in-law made a vow to my grandson. This is when you can hear the sobbing on the video (Remember, I was the videographer). The ceremony concluded, eyes were dried, marriage license signed and ready to move on to the reception preparation. The newlyweds were off to enjoy a nice meal before returning to work at the venue. We took our 5-year-old grandson with us and had a fun night of laughter, play and lots of sweets. At midnight, I left my husband and grandson in their cardboard fort in the living room with a sign “No girls Allowed” and off to bed for me.
Saturday’s job for us was entertaining the 5-year-old and getting him ready for the evening. My daughter’s sister-in-law made and delivered the cake, and her mother-in-law made all the food. When we arrived at Thee Parsonage that evening, the place looked amazing. The simple eloquence in the room matched my daughter’s personality beyond words. The charcuterie style food was beautifully laid out on one side and cake/desserts on the other side.
The Bride/Groom table was placed front and center in the venue and made it very accessible for them to mingle with all their guests. The night was a fairy-tale experience and every little girl’s dream. At the end of the reception, food was put up and we all went home. A great perk of being the venue owner is clean-up can occur the next day. This is one reason we offer a 3-day Wedding package at Thee Parsonage, so everyone can enjoy their special day and focus on clean-up the next day. Overall, it was a weekend our family will never forget. We opened Thee Parsonage in 2022 to help and participate in our hometown community. I had a special place in my heart for Thee Parsonage building from childhood, and I wanted to share it with everyone. I never realized at the time that this place and business would hold so many new memories. Not only for myself, but my family, friends, community and all the visitors to the area. I am so excited to see all the new memories that are yet to come in Thee Parsonage. I won’t have to wait long to enjoy this, as a new bride and groom will be saying their “I Do’s” later this month.
Have a Blessed Day,
Kristen
Perfect Trip Itinerary
Thee Parsonage is in the heart of downtown, and centrally located to all the events you will attend during your trip. Your suite is equipped with its own bedroom, living room, kitchenette, and bathroom. The perfect space to relax and stay while you explore the area.
Day 1
Arrive at 3:00pm eastern and check in to Thee Parsonage Venue & Suites
Unpack your bags and rest from your trip.
Head out for a delicious meal
Serendipity at The Orange Door
(243 feet away from Thee Parsonage)
Take a walk downtown
Have a good night’s rest
Day 2
Start your day with Baxter’s Coffee
(0.9 miles away from Thee Parsonage)
Enjoy a Great Day at SomerSplash Waterpark
(2.8 miles away from Thee Parsonage)
Early Dinner at Charred Oak Grill
(80 feet away from Thee Parsonage)
Catch a show at The Virginia
(338 feet away from Thee Parsonage)
Another restful night at Thee Parsonage
Day 3
Grab some breakfast at YellowBird Bakery and maybe get a cupcake for later
(240 feet away from Thee Parsonage)
Drive to one of the close Marina’s and rent a Pontoon for the day.
Lee’s Ford Marina
(6.8 miles away from Thee Parsonage)
If you’re hungry after a full day of boating, Try out The Harbor at the Marina.
(6.8 miles away from Thee Parsonage)
Unwind at Thee Parsonage and watch some Apple TV
Day 4
Make sure to take a selfie at Thee Parsonage Mural and tag us on Facebook or Instagram before checkout at 11:00am
Lake Cumberland is the top 14 lakes in the U.S.
Lake Cumberland has been named #12 in the top 14 lakes in the United States.
Guest Review
Start planning your stay today at Thee Parsonage Venue & Suites. Direct book with us and save on fees but we also are listed on Airbnb and VRBO.
Enjoy Fresh Brew from Baxter’s Coffee
All Suites are stocked with Baxter’s K-cups
Try our famous local coffee brew while staying in Thee Parsonage’s suites. Baxter’s is the iconic coffee shop in Somerset. Family owned and operated since 2001, Baxter’s prides themselves in serving the finest and freshest green coffee beans available from around the world. They use only 100% Arabica beans. Each coffee origin is carefully chosen for quality and taste. They carefully hand roast each bean to perfection in their small batch roaster and guarantee you the freshest and most flavorful coffee possible. You can enjoy a cup from one of their locations or have it shipped anywhere for home use or commercial use.
Visit one of their locations
Start planning your stay today at Thee Parsonage Venue & Suites. Direct book with us and save on fees but we also are listed on Airbnb and VRBO.
