{"id":4362,"date":"2021-02-16T06:17:08","date_gmt":"2021-02-16T11:17:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.helpteaching.com\/blog\/?p=4362"},"modified":"2024-09-17T05:29:10","modified_gmt":"2024-09-17T09:29:10","slug":"valentines-day-teaching-resources","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.helpteaching.com\/blog\/valentines-day-teaching-resources.html","title":{"rendered":"Valentine’s Day Teaching Resources"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"Valentine's<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Flowers, candy, and cards decorated with hearts are used by many to express love to that special someone.  The day offers many fun and creative ways to teach about friendships, poetry and prose, marriage, and relationships.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

History of Valentine\u2019s Day<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Despite flowers being the number one gift given on Valentine\u2019s Day, the holiday\u2019s origin is not so rosy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The real Valentine<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The most noted theory about how Valentine\u2019s Day began, is rooted in Ancient Rome.  In the third century CE, the Roman emperor Claudius II wanted to develop a fierce team of young men to be soldiers in his legions.  It was his belief that when young men are in love, this makes them weak.  Naturally, a man with a wife and children tended to be more cautious in how he fought on the battlefield.  So, Claudius outlawed marriage for young men serving in the Roman armies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Well, not everyone or everything can be commanded by an emperor.  As Claudius found out, he could outlaw love, but he could not stop it.  Young men and women still fell in love and wanted to marry.  A brave Christian priest named Valentine, who thought the law was horribly unjust, risked his life to perform the banned wedding ceremonies in secret.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

News of Valentine\u2019s clandestine ceremonies made its way back to the emperor.  The cleric was arrested, and while in prison, Valentine sent a love letter to a young woman — possibly his jailor\u2019s daughter — who visited him during his imprisonment.  He allegedly signed it \u201cFrom your Valentine\u201d, hence the expression.  He was executed soon afterward.  Centuries later, when the Roman Catholic Church made the kindly priest a saint, St. Valentine\u2019s feast day — February 14 — was chosen because it was the day he was put to death.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Literature of love<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

It wasn\u2019t until almost 1,000 years later that the first known Valentine\u2019s Day poem was written.  It also was penned by a prisoner, and was sent from the Tower of London to the prisoner\u2019s wife in 1415.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My very gentle Valentine,<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since for me you were born too soon,<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

And I for you was born too late.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

God forgives him who has estranged<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Me from you for the whole year.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I am already sick of love,<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

My very gentle Valentine.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Well, not the most remarkable of poems, but it\u2019s good for a first effort.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Everyone is familiar with Shakespeare\u2019s love sonnets, most notably number 18 which starts out famously: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shall I compare thee to a summer\u2019s day?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thou art more lovely and more temperate.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

And there\u2019s Scotland\u2019s remarkable bard Robert Burns: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

O my Luve is like a red, red rose<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

   That\u2019s newly sprung in June;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

O my Luve is like the melody<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

   That\u2019s sweetly played in tune.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

So fair art thou, my bonnie lass,<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

   So deep in luve am I;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

And I will luve thee still, my dear,<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

   Till a\u2019 the seas gang dry.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

And then there are the first love poems written by school kids:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Roses are red<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Violets are blue<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Faces like yours<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Belong in the zoo<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The economics of true love<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In the 21st century, greeting card companies each year produce over a billion cards of love and affection just for St. Valentine\u2019s Day.  The impact that Valentine’s Day has on the U.S. economy is stunning.  In 2019, more than $20.7 billion was spent on the holiday.  It\u2019s thought the most expensive Valentine\u2019s Day gift ever purchased is a heart shaped 1001 Nights Diamond Purse.  Decorated with over 4500 yellow, pink and transparent diamonds totalling 38,192 carats, the retail value of the gift is a gobsmacking $3.8 million.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Valentine\u2019s Day symbols<\/h2>\n\n\n\n