Valentine's Symbols

We can't imagine Valentine's without the color red. Dozens of hues are actually named Valentine's Red. It's the color of life, passion, and love. Well, it can also mean a lot more, depending on the shade, combinations with other colors, and the context in general. Still, it's just one of the Valentine's colors. If we add pink with its gentleness and purple with its mysticism, we don't do enough. Modern Valentine's palettes include gray, orange, and even blue shades, which allows us to create a unique subliminal message already with the color of the package, for instance.

Since ancient times, people connected the heart with love and other emotions. While science undeniably proved that emotions are shaped in the brain, the role of the heart is actually important as well. The heartbeat, for instance, directly affects the amygdala, the brain part where emotions are processed. The amygdala is in charge of emotions on the most basic level. It decides about some actions (like escaping from a dangerous situation) before the so-called higher brain processes the information.

Even more interesting is that some information travels from the amygdala to the heart as well. In 2004, an experimental study showed that the heart makes decisions similar to those of the amygdala even before the brain! With all this knowledge, it's only fair to keep the heart as one of the major symbols of St. Valentine's Day.

Did we mention that love can be painful? Before we knew about the existence of a nervous system, we blamed others for our love troubles. Gods, with their mighty powers and inaccessibility, were thankful scapegoats. Cupid became the main cause of our broken hearts. He is often portrayed in vintage Valentine's cards as a childish and immature youngster who aims his magical arrows at unsuspecting victims without thinking of the consequences. If somebody falls in love and starts acting like a fool, we don't need further explanations - it's Cupid's fault!

The knot is a symbol of unity and connection in many cultures. Tying the knot is not just an expression. Numerous wedding ceremonies truly incorporate some kind of physical tying of the newlyweds, visually expressing their unification. In the ancient Celtic tradition, for instance, it's called handfasting. The hands of the bride and the groom are tied (by someone else) with a ribbon or a cord.

Yes, the knot is a symbol of St. Valentine's Day, and so are the ribbons.

A brick is a basic yet essential element of a building. If we compare a relationship with a building, we immediately notice similarities. For both, we need patience and accuracy. A solid foundation is a prerequisite for a permanent result. Bricks guarantee safety. They were quite a popular symbol on the Old Valentine's cards at the beginning of the 20th century.

Today, you can hardly find them in a relationship with romance. Maybe because the bricks are not so often used as a building material as they were, or maybe our perception of love (especially a lasting one) is not the same anymore?

A spider's web is another symbol of a successful relationship, which is a bit forgotten nowadays. In most world cultures, spiders are considered a symbol of good luck, especially in relationships with homes. Spiders, after all, catch insects, traditionally the most dangerous disease vectors. A spider needs skill, persistence, and patience to build a web and catch something in it.

All these qualities are characteristic of a lasting romance. There's also a bonus - with a postcard decorated with a spider's web, you send a clear message: 'I have been caught!' or: 'I will catch you!'.

Doves are ancient symbols of peace and love. In Greek mythology, Aphrodite, the goddess of beauty and love, is frequently portrayed with doves resting on her hand or flying around her. Doves, however, are not the only birds connected to St. Valentine's Day. The beginning of February is the time when a lot of birds start mating. Spring is coming. It's time to build a nest and take care of the offspring!

People noticed the birds' activities and connected our feathery friends with romance. Several fertility-related festivals took place at the end of winter and the beginning of Spring.

The term lovebirds comes from the fact that many bird species mate for life. This is not true for all bird species, but enough to associate them with stable relationships, which are praised on Valentine's.

While most of the presented symbols are rooted in thousands of years of traditions, an association of chocolate with love is relatively new. To be honest, even chocolate as we know it today (in solid form) is a relatively new invention. When first chocolate tables came to the market, they were just sweet pampering, but when Richard Cadbury started packing chocolate confections in heart-shaped boxes in 1861, the connection between chocolate and love was set, and we can't imagine it broken anytime soon.

Do you know that the feelings of tasting the chocolate are positioned in almost the same area of the brain as the feelings of being in love?

Teddy bears present affection, comfort, love, sentimentality, and warmth. They are one of the 'youngest' Valentine's symbols. Hugging a teddy bear induces feelings similar to hugging a human and activates memories from a happy childhood at the same time. Teddy bears are popular gifts for St. Valentine's Day, and sellers make that even easier by equipping these plush toys with hearts and love-related quotes, like we see in the Valentine's coloring page below.

Especially giant teddy bears can be impressive Valentine's gifts with unpredictable consequences. Some receivers truly adopt them as friends, put them in chairs or beds, cloth them, etc., but others can find them annoying, especially if they are short of space (and who doesn't?). Before you decide to give your sympathy to a giant teddy bear, think thoroughly.

There is no chance to talk about Valentine's symbols without spending some time with roses. Their rich and complex symbolism deserves a whole article, which is actually already done (post about roses). Here, however, we need to mention at least a few basics.

While red roses are an obvious choice for most people, the symbolism of rose colors is quite demanding. Different shades of red, for instance, represent different levels of a relationship. Even the meanings of yellow, a classic choice for expressing friendship (not love), can vary, so it's best to decide what you intend to say with a rose (or a bucket of roses - and yes, the number of roses carries its own symbolism as well).

Roses are not your only flower option, but they are by far the most popular choice. Their gentle blossoms and thorn stalks are a perfect representation of the old saying 'Love hurts.'

Yes, it's hard to be in love. It can be even harder not to be:)