Elementary students celebrate Valentine’s Day with a blizzard of handmade creations & sweets
The Maywood elementary students had a wonderful chance on the 13th of February to practice their fine motor skills while crafting Valentine’s Day boxes. It was definitely a very creative day for Kindergartners through 4th graders. Glue, tape, boxes, and construction paper flew through the room like a tornado as little hands worked with scissors to cut the perfect shapes for Valentine’s Day decorations. When the kids were finished, they had very impressive products. Everyone seemed to enjoy making their visions come to reality. Of course when the boxes were finished, they were filled with cards and a storm of sweet surprises.
In 496 AD, Pope Gelasius proclaimed February 14 to be the feast day in honor of Saint Valentine, a Roman martyr who lived in the 3rd century. It is this St. Valentine whom the modern Valentine's Day honors. A popular account of Saint Valentine of Rome states that he was imprisoned for performing weddings for soldiers who were forbidden to marry and for ministering to Christians, who were persecuted under the Roman Empire. According to legend, during his imprisonment, he healed the daughter of his jailer. The story goes on to add that before his execution he wrote her a letter signed "Your Valentine" as a farewell.
The Feast of Saint Valentine, or Valentine's Day, is a celebration observed on February 14, each year. It is celebrated in many countries around the world, although it is not a public holiday in most of them. Valentine's Day symbols that are used today include the heart-shaped outline, doves, and the figure of the winged Cupid. Since the 19th century, handwritten valentines have given way to mass-produced greeting cards. Today the flower and candy industries profit the most from this special day. Florists earn nearly 20% of their annual profits on this one day of the year, with tens of millions of roses being sold and delivered!