Your Valentine Traditions? The Red Headed Hostess

I love Valentine’s Day.

I know a lot of people feel otherwise and I know it is highly commercialized, but I think it is wonderful that there is a holiday centered around such a fundamental and pivotal thing in our lives: Love.

I love that it is neatly sandwiched in between Christmas and Easter. How appropriate. And I love that you can celebrate it for just pennies if you wish.

So I would love to hear from all of you.

What are your Valentine traditions? 

Please share any ideas you have on what you do to celebrate Valentine’s Day in your home.

You could include:

  • Fun traditions
  • How you decorate
  • Romantic ideas for you and your spouse
  • Gift ideas
  • Etc.
Thank You!!!!

17 comments

  1. I have 2 girls that love Valentines. I have been doing this for a few years. They always ask me in January if I’m going to “do” Valentines. This is what I do, it is really simple. I cut out a big red heart out of poster board. Then I get pink heart shaped sticky notes and every day I write something on a sticky note that I love about them: Smile, hugs, cuddliness, hard work, etc. I will also leave a little treat or surprise for them too: chapstick, pink socks, headband, a candy etc. I start the treats out small then I will end with a red shirt or something to wear to school. They love it. I leave the heart on their bed every day so when they come home from school they run to their rooms to see what was left for them. It is simple but fun!

  2. A NEW tradition my husband and I started, since becoming empty nesters is to buy the little ($1) heart shaped boxes of candies and take them to the widows we know, (since their sweethearts are no longer here to do it for them.)

  3. One year my kids got electric toothbrushes for Valentines… and since then they have reminded me and it has been a tradition that we get them every year! We also have a fancy family candlelight dinner.

  4. I LOVE valentine’s day too! I usually heart attack my boys’ doors the night before (http://servingpinklemonade.blogspot.com/2010/02/heart-attack.html) and we do fun things throughout the month. We always make valentine’s to send to our grandparents and great grandparents. I always make a special dessert for my husband… usually something with chocolate since that’s what he loves. Last year our family had a little mail box and spent the month filling it with love notes to each other. Here are a few other things we’ve done in the past: http://servingpinklemonade.blogspot.com/2010/01/valentines-fun.html.

  5. At night, while my kids are sleeping I hang crepe paper streamers in their bedroom doorways that have a variety of hearts taped on them (the hearts have poems and love notes and lists of things that I love about them on them). Then in the morning we have a special breakfast with heart pancakes, and hearts on their straws for their juice. This year, we are encouraging each of our kids to do 14 acts of kindness for each other from Feb 1st to the 14th. Every act of kindness reported to me will be represented by a bead added to our heart jar. When we fill it up with beads we get to have a fun family activity (like going to a movie together, or going out for pizza).

  6. Since my birthday is Feb 13, we do our “date dinner” on my birthday and do a “red” dinner with the kids on Valentine’s Day. It varies year to year what we have to eat but typical foods are pasta with marinara, steak, strawberry salad, red mashed potatoes, raspberry punch, red jello etc. We use red plates, cups and napkins as well. The kids love it and look forward to it each year. Now that they are a little older, they help me find new and fun foods to include.

  7. My “second mom” who lived next door to us when I grew up shared with me that for the first years that she was married they were a typical newlywed poor couple struggling to pay the bills. So near Valentine’s they went to the Hallmark store on date night and looked at all the cards until they picked just the right one. They then exchanged the cards right there in the isle of the store. They read the card and the carefully placed it back not having spent any money. The card said what they wanted, they spent the time together and it was the thought that counts. Now that they have more money and purchasing a card wouldn’t be a burden, they still do this because it is a tradition for them and they never forget those first years. This story impressed me so much as a teenager, my husband and I often do this as well.

  8. I have done the 14 days of valentines for many years. A small note/gift of love for the 14 days leading up to valentines. My kids always look forward to it.

    Also just wanted to let you know I purchased your scripture journal and am LOVING my scripture study. Thank you so much!

  9. I write love letters to each of my seven children every Valentine’s day. I leave it on their beds with a special treat, and now that some of them are gone, I mail them. It’s a great opportunity to let our children know how much we love and appreciate them. I make sure I mention their talents and gifts that they have and just focus on how wonderful they are.
    Connie Gordon

  10. I served a mission in Barcelona, and always loved the Catalan way of celebrating St. George’s Day. Sweethearts exchange gifts—traditionally men give women a rose, and women give men a book. I love to read, so I’d rather have the book! Years ago we adopted this tradition as a family, so each child gets a new book too. I wrap them all in cute Valentine’s wrapping paper and put them on their dinner plates. For dinner we always have crepes with strawberries and whipped cream. We try to steer the dinner conversation to people and things we love.

  11. One year when our girls were young, the stake had planned a sweetheart ball, but the children became ill just as we were to leave on our date. So we had our sweetheart ball at home. Every year since the children dress up, decorate, choose the music and menu and we have a lovely evening together.

  12. Since I was a little girl my mom made hamburgers shapped like hearts for Valentines. I’ve now been married almost 30 years and haven’t missed a year yet! My grown kids still look forward to this fun tradition!

  14. I love Valentine’s Day! I love to decorate my house, love to bake yummy treats, and love to give gifts of love all month long. One of my favorite traditions is our love book. Each member of the family has a journal (usually they are red and pink and covered in jewels or glitter) All the other members of the family write a love letter in the journal to that person, telling them all the reasons they love them. Its easy to pass around and its easy to read. Throughout the year when my husband leaves me love notes here and there I tuck them in my love book, that way whenever I need a little pick me up I have a big book of love that I can read and get my cup refilled. Its also a treasure to have after loved ones have passed away, and is something my kids will enjoy reading one day. My husband is serving in the military far from home and I am sending his love book in a Valentine’s package. I’m getting his close friends and all our family, to write love letters in his love book, I know it will make him feel at home and feel our love on Valentine’s Day.

  15. My girls started making a Valentines dinner for their father several years ago and the tradition has stuck! They LOVE it and he ADORES it! They decorate, cook and dress up for their special night with their “Prince.”

  17. My husband and I do our own celebration on the weekend. Our highlight is the fondue night we create for our kids! Starting the beginning of Feb, I also bring out our decorated paint cans. We write a nice thing about each other daily, then read it before the chocolate phase of fondue night.

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