The month of February ushers in the celebration of Valentine’s Day!
How will you celebrate this time? If you are short on ideas but long on time; here is one suggestion:
A FUN VALENTINE’S DAY GATHERING
What better way to set the stage for your celebration than using The IN SEASON Lifestyle’s Family Tree called THE VALENTINE TREE? We invent a new version of this tree almost every year. Below is one we have used in the past.
This beautiful minimalist styled tree is full of tiny little pink, white and red hearts.
The idea is that you pin a heart to represent those that you love. It doesn’t have to be romantic love. This is all in fun and to remember the amazing life of St. Valentine and all that he taught us about love and faith.
MAKE IT SIMPLE
You can invite your favorite people over for coffee and cake around Valentine’s Day, then give them their own special card which you will have waiting under your tree with their name on their envelope. If you truly want to go all out – write a note expressing why you appreciate having them in your life.
This is a win/win situation; as you all get a fun visit and they get a card and a treat!
WHO WOULD ENJOY SUCH A GATHERING?
As mentioned previously; this isn’t just a time for romantic lovers; but it is also a time for all people to show their love for one another. All people do not have romantic love in every moment of their day. This is a way to be more inclusive and not make the day a day for certain groups to feel sorry for themselves because the rest of the world seems to be on a different page. That doesn’t ever have to be the case.
WHO TO INVITE?
THOUGHTS ABOUT YOUNG CHILDREN
Our suggested gathering works great for giving small Valentine’s treats to other family members, especially those grandkids who love getting and giving out Valentine’s cards. Children are too young to understand romantic love and that is good and healthy. Don’t spoil their God-given rights to be children.
Without intending; some school Valentine’s events can be hurtful to some kids. It is impossible to read the thoughts of young children some times. Those school parties can turn into popularity contest, leaving perfectly beautiful children feeling inadequate and insecure. A loving family core that includes aunts and uncles and cousins lets them know they are always loved and appreciated. It also teaches them the REAL reason for celebrating Valentine’s Day as opposed to the pagan practices that come at them from other places and events.
Such warm, friendly and loving family being always around gives children the feeling of security and helps them to be proud of who they truly are. They can grow safely into the people that God intended them to be.
Thus; our ideal gathering includes all ages. Making children feel special and loved during a celebration that is usually adult-centered keeps them from feeling neglected and ignored whenever those adults DO take time out for themselves. Therefore; keep all adult-only romantic thoughts for adults only and in another more appropriate time than this gathering.
Let’s just let our little ones remain children until God decides they need to grow up. The world we live in is going to try to push adult responsibilities on them as fast and furious as possible. Families can prevent this by remaining a present and steady part of their lives. A simple little gathering that merely says “I love and appreciate the person that you are” will make children feel included and loved; and help them to remain happy and innocent.
INVITING OTHER AGES AND GROUPS
This casual little celebration is also a great way for youth groups and for that matter, any small church groups to express their appreciation for each other. Often the formal meetings of such groups are structured and don’t allow enough time for socialization. A gathering with less structure and more social mixing can solve that problem. The next time you meet; everyone will know one another better. It might be a great idea to stress “no dates” or to save dates for AFTER the gathering. No one will feel pressure if they don’t have a date on this night.
SENIOR CITIZENS LOVE GATHERING
One of the most enthusiastic groups I’ve seen enjoy such a time are groups that gather at Senior Centers. There is no rule that states it has to be at a Senior Center to be an event. Invite your friends to come into your home if you like. Should that seem too much work though; the Senior Center is always available. Just contact the appropriate people in your neighborhood and give them the idea.
Keeping in mind just how much older people enjoy social events; don’t forget to invite them to your home gatherings of all ages. It doesn’t have to be specifically a senior event; the opposite might just be much more intriguing to them.
Older people truly understand the importance of each and every friend and acquaintance. It isn’t about romantic love; they truly value good friendship and interesting conversations. Most seniors love any good reason to stop and fellowship in a more casual way.
You might be surprised how much this means to some senior citizens. I’ve given casual cards to one special person and returned to her apartment months later to find my card still posted to her bulletin board. Always take every opportunity to make someone else’s life more special. The time could actually turn around to a gift you give yourself. Remember that you may be on the other side of that equation one day. Such actions truly matter more than we realize.
So be especially careful to put those seniors on your list of people to invite. Older people have so much to contribute to the moments which you are about to share. When you look back on the memories of this gathering in years to come; many will remember their stories and their enthusiasm and their thoughtful acts of kindness.
SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES
REFRESHMENTS
As each guest arrives (either together and/or at the same time depending on how you decide to invite them) treat them to a Valentine’s Cup Cake and a cup of warm coffee (have hot chocolate on hand for the littles.)
No need to stress over refreshments; just pick up some cupcakes from your local grocery store or bakery. If you want to do a little baking though; we thought this blogger from Gypsyplates.com had some pretty special cakes: https://gypsyplate.com/the-best-cake-recipes/
Refreshments are always fun and nice to have on hand. They never need to be elaborate or fancy; just simple and to the point will work well with this little gathering.
REMEMBER TO TELL THE TRUE STORY
The true story of St. Valentine and why this day came about is almost lost in our present society. A great way to begin is to have someone tell the real story; or simply read it from an accurate and brief little booklet. If you need a refresher on the real story; here is a post from our blog that you might find helpful: https://theinseasonlifestyle.com/loving-valentines-day/
SILLY GAMES ARE FUN
If you have plenty of time; play some silly games and get everyone in the room laughing and sharing their thoughts. Laughter helps people to relax and be themselves. We thought Catherine Holecko offered some great game suggestions in the verywellfamily blog. Here is a link: https://www.verywellfamily.com/active-valentines-day-games-and-activities-1256836
After visiting and chatting, eating and playing; simply pull each guest’s already addressed card from the stack underneath your Valentine tree. Be sure to give a special moment to say you care with this card to each of the guest before they begin to say good-bye.
Each of your guest will feel very special and loved. All will know that you have thought of them as you decorated and celebrated in your home for this season. The world will be on its way to a better day!
To order the pink clothespins – click here:
To order the cardinal – click here:
To order valentine hearts – click here:
HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY!
WE LOVE ALL OF OUR READERS!