Happy Valentine’s Day puzzle lovers!
If there’s one topic that has inspired writers, artists, poets, and wordsmiths across cultures for generations, it’s love. From first love to last love, romantic to platonic, unrequited love to love that is returned, the love shared between friends, family members, and spouses – love is all around. It is, after all, a many-splendored thing. All you need is love. Love makes the world go ‘round, it conquers all, it will set you free…
Valentine’s Day is celebrated in many countries annually on February 14, representing a cultural and commercial celebration of romance and love. There are several different stories associated with the origins of Valentine’s Day, thought by some to have originated as a Western Christian feast day honouring early martyrs, and some of the traditions and symbols we recognise now have roots in European folklore.
Contemporary customs of Valentine’s Day, such as sending greeting cards known as valentines to loved ones and offering chocolates and flowers as gifts, developed in the 19th century in England and from there spread to other parts of the globe. In some Latin American countries Valentine’s Day is known as Día de los Enamorados, “day of lovers”. In the United States, approximately 190 million valentines are sent each year, and in Japan it is traditional for only women to give gifts to men on Valentine’s Day, often in the form of chocolates. Valentine’s Day does draw its fair share of criticism, particularly for the way it has become so heavily commercialised.
It’s easy to be cynical about such traditions though, and for us here at Lovatts we’d rather focus on the positives – a chance to celebrate love at its best! Whether you’re spending the day with your significant other, showering your best platonic friends with flowers and chocolates, or showing yourself some love by indulging in self-care, we hope you find joy in the doing. And don’t forget – sometimes the perfect way to spend Valentine’s Day is with all the puzzles you love.
