Celebrate St. Valentine's Day

I tried to make St. Valentine's Day special for our family while the children were growing up. We ate dinner together with the good china on a lace tablecloth. We celebrated love!

I loved exchanging little Valentine's Day cards when I was a little girl. As I grew into teenage years, I never seemed to have a sweetie when the day rolled around, so I felt lonely and depressed without a true love to celebrate with. When I became a Christian, I investigated to discover the true story of St. Valentine, a Christian pastor in Rome. 

You can read "St. Valentine, The Real Story" here from CBN.  

When I had my own family, I decided to celebrate love, the true love that comes from Jesus. That's the kind of love that St. Valentine had for his beloved flock. And after all, the day's named after him. 

Because of the way our culture sees St. Valentine's Day, I wanted to reach out to singles, too. We have included many single guys and ladies in our festivities. Although messages from the world creep in, I have tried to make St. Valentine's Day a family celebration because we all need the perfect love that comes from the Lord. Reaching out to people has helped us to show God's love to others. 

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It's fun to decorate the house with hearts, stuffed animals, and other things that make you think of love. Red and pink are the traditional colors for St. Valentine's Day.

Visit the library to find all kinds of books with a St. Valentine's Day theme. Some of your favorite series, like Curious George or Nate the Great, probably have a Valentine theme.

Words of Love

Making cards to share with family and friends is one of our favorite ways to celebrate the holiday. 

Sometimes we buy the little boxes of cards from the grocery store and pass them out to friends in the neighborhood, at homeschool co-op, and at church. Other times, we use doilies, ribbons, stickers, and construction paper to make our own. 
 
Sometimes we make and decorate heart-shaped cookies to enjoy and share with others. 

One year, we had a friend who was especially struggling with singleness on St. Valentine's Day so we visited her at work with  a box of chocolates, handmade cards, and notes of encouragement. 

I also know of families that share with one another how much they love each other through speaking or writing them down in little cards. 

Another fun idea is to make St. Valentine's Day cards for people who serve you like pastors, teachers, Sunday school teachers, relatives, and friends. It's a fun way to say, "Thank you," especially if it's paired with a sweet treat. 

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More Fun for the Whole Family

Here are more fun ideas for the whole family: 

• Discuss St. Valentine, his life, and death
• Have a Bible study on Love, looking up passages and discussing (I Corinthians 13, I John 4:7-19,  Ephesians 3:17-19)
• Have a Bible study on a couple's love story in the Bible (Ruth & Boaz, Sarah & Abraham, Rebekah & Isaac, Jacob & Rachel, Esther & the King, Elizabeth & Zachariah, and Mary & Joseph)
• Make, bake, and decorate a heart-shaped cake
• Bake and decorate heart-shaped cookies
• Do secret acts of kindness for elderly and sick folks who need a hand
• Decorate the house with Bible verses about love
• Share the love story of you and your spouse with your children and pull out wedding photos
• Make homemade lollipops
• Make homemade chocolate candies
• Write messages with the little hearts with the words on them. 
• Make a wreath out of hearts
• Host a St. Valentine's Day Dance for families or a Father/Daughter Dance

Romantic Ideas for Mom & Dad

A dozen roses, a box of chocolates, and a romantic dinner are great ways to for Mom and Dad to celebrate their love for one another. 

After tucking the little ones in bed, you could slow dance together. Here are 17 Songs to Slow Dance to after 34 Years of Marriage. You could also watch a romantic movie together. Here are some suggestions: Pride & Prejudice, The Ultimate Gift, Fireproof, 27 Dresses, Roman Holiday, The Lake House, Casablanca, Sense and Sensibility, Hitch, The Proposal, The Family Man, Kate and Leopold, You've Got Mail, While You Were Sleeping, Romancing the Stone, and Maid in Manhattan. 

One year, Mike got a box of cards from the grocery store and wrote little notes on each one for me. Then, he carefully hid them all over the house. Some were easy to find and some I found months and years later. It was so romantic! 

So, however you celebrate St. Valentine's Day this year, have a blessed day filled with love! 

Love, 
​Meredith Curtis

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Valentine's Day Cards to Print & Send to Everyone!

Valentine's Day Cards to print and send to everyone in the family :) :) And friends too :) :) #ValentinesDayCards #StValentinesDay #Celebrate