Traditions That Should Never Have Gone Out of Style
While Valentine’s Day has largely become a consumer-driven holiday (according to the National Retail Federation, Americans planned to spend an average $196.31 each—or $27.4 billion total—on gifts and celebrations for the holiday in 2020) it’s also true that many people are perfectly happy with inexpensive Valentine’s Day gestures, like a special meal, thoughtful card or homemade gift, a romantic movie night at home, or even a sweet shoutout on social media.
“I’m not surprised that Valentine’s Day has become a holiday in which people say, ‘I don’t need to spend money,” Candace Corlett, the president of WSL Strategic Retail told the New York Post.
“There’s a mindset now that says, ‘Let’s celebrate our time together.’”
You can even get kids involved by having them create Valentine’s Day crafts.
With this sentimental (and costeffective) outlook in mind, here are some bygone Valentine’s Day traditions that we’d like to see make a comeback.
Something to do for free
From handmade gifts to fun traditions, they’re all things you can do for free (or practically free), which will help put the emphasis on making memories with your spouse or partner, friends, and family members.
Homemade Cards
Before the days of buying cards in bulk, people of all ages used to design and create unique cards from scratch.
In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, lovers spent considerable effort creating something beautiful (you can thank Shakespeare and Chaucer for adding romance to the holiday).
Your skill set doesn’t really matter here—it’s the thought and effort you put into a DIY card that does.
Handwritten Cards
Long before Hallmark and the mass-produced greeting card industry existed, people used to send one another Valentines that were customised with personal messages.
In fact, handwritten holiday cards were the norm until 1847, according to The Huffington Post.
Though pre-written cards are more convenient, there’s nothing quite like a one-of-a-kind love letter from your sweetheart.
Gifting Purse Puzzles
If you really want
to go
all out with a handmade of expression of your love, take a cue from the Victorians and make a “puzzle purse.” These gifts were a series of love letters that were meant to be read separately, but also fit together to create a beautiful design and message, according to Bustle.
Use the Valentine puzzle purse tutorial from VictorianTreasury.com to make one at home this year.