About Valentine Trees
Holiday customs and traditions all start somewhere as just an idea and then over time some of them evolve into a special part of a holiday. This seems to be what is happening with one of the newer kids on the block -- the Valentine tree. It seems to be picking up a little momentum each year recently after making brief appearances on the scene over the years.
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Definition
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A Valentine tree does not technically have one accepted definition at this time. It does not appear in dictionaries or encyclopedias. A good definition of a Valentine tree in its current stage of evolution is any tree that is decorated to celebrate Valentine's Day.
Considerations
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It is not hard to understand how the Valentine tree could have evolved from the Christmas tree, branching out from December into January and February. Taking the Christmas tree down can be a slightly depressing task. Even though it may have been up for a few weeks, a month or even two months, taking down the Christmas tree can fill you with melancholy feelings. So as your coping skills kick in and you begin to see Valentine cards and hearts and novelty items popping up on store shelves, it's only natural for it to occur to you to keep the tree up, and trim it with a new theme for Valentine's Day. Perhaps you might like the idea of a Valentine tree but think it might be a little over the top to keep your Christmas tree up and redecorate it. A smaller version or a different style might be perfect to fill the void created by taking the Christmas tree down and to celebrate the holiday of hearts, cupids, flowers, romance and love.
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Types
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There are still limited choices to purchase as the tradition of the Valentine tree evolves, but there are endless crafty ways to create your own masterpiece. There are tabletop collectible Lenox Be Mine Valentine Trees, Primitive trees, Danbury Mint Snoopy Valentine Trees and a few other selections to purchase. If opting to be creative, you can make edible Valentine candy trees or Valentine cupcake dessert trees. Hobby and craft stores sometimes carry Valentine ornaments that would work nicely for your Valentine tree. An easy option is to use a family picture tree and decorate it with Valentine ornaments. If you have a small Christmas tree, you can put lights on it and hearts or other valentine ornaments. A small white tree would look especially nice with all red and pink and purple hearts. You can also add cupids, doves, roses and words of love. If you cannot find any or many Valentine ornaments, you can make them out of felt, lace, wood and other craft supplies. In its most simple form you can put some bare tree branches in a sturdy base such as a flower pot filled with heavy rocks and hang Valentine cards on them. There are really many festive options.
Significance
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Why go to so much trouble to create or find a special Valentine tree? It's another way to add to your celebration of the holiday of Valentine's Day. Legend indicates that Valentine's Day in all probability originated from the ancient Roman feast of Lupercalia. At the festival that was celebrated on February 15th, the young men each picked a girl to be their sweetheart for the year. Lupercalia was later renamed as Valentine's Day after a priest in Rome named Valentine who secretly held marriage ceremonies for young couples against the emperor's orders. He unfortunately lost his head for it on February 14th and as Rome became more Christian, Lupercalia was moved to February 14th and renamed Valentine's Day in his honor. Many romantics lose both their heads and their hearts on Valentines Day.
Benefits
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Adding a Valentine tree to your holiday decorations is a nice way to create a special tradition for you and your family. Celebrations are a good way to bring joy and warmth into your life and the lives of your significant others. Sharing, caring and celebrating love and romance with a Valentine tree is a way to create cherished traditions and seasonal tributes to your memory-making celebrations.
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Resources
- Photo Credit Kate Woods
