Did you know women purchase approximately 85% of all Valentines? Maybe that’s because women love celebrating love. Or perhaps it’s because women are better shoppers and gift givers. Regardless, we love to celebrate Valentine’s Day too, and we believe all women deserve to be pampered.
Our promotion for this month would make a perfect Valentine’s Day gift — if you buy any gift card during February, you will receive 10% extra credit added to your card. So, for example, if you spend $150, you’ll receive a gift card valued at $165. It’s a deal even “sweeter” than chocolate!
Cards Filled with Love
Americans have exchanged hand-made Valentines in the early 1700s, when it was common for friends and lovers to exchange handwritten notes or small tokens of affection on Feb. 14. The first mass-produced Valentines were available in the U.S. in the 1840s. Esther A. Howland, who was known as the “Mother of the Valentine,” made the first popular, elaborate, mass-produced cards, and they featured real lace, ribbons and colorful pictures.
Today, the Greeting Card Association estimates 1 billion Valentine’s Day cards are sent each year, which makes Valentine’s Day the second largest card-sending holiday. (This is no surprise, but Christmas is by far the largest with an estimated 2.6 billion cards sent during that holiday.)
Celebrating Around the World
While Valentine’s Day is extremely popular in the U.S., it’s celebrated in countries around the world, although each culture puts their own twist on their traditions. While red roses are popular here, sweethearts exchange pressed white flowers called snowdrops in Denmark.
In England, the tradition used to be that women would place five bay leaves on their pillows — one in the center and one at each corner — on the night before Feb. 14 so they would dream of their future husbands. In Italy, unmarried girls wake up early to spot their future husbands. The first man they see on Valentine’s Day would either be the man they’d marry or at least strongly resemble their future husband.
In South Africa, women pin hearts with the names of their love interest on their shirtsleeves. It comes from an ancient Roman tradition known as Lupercalia, and this is often how South African men learn about their secret admirers.
And in the Philippines, mass wedding ceremonies have become increasingly popular with hundreds of couples gathering at parks and malls to get married or renew their vows all at the same time.
Again, consider a TwinsSalon gift card as a way to spoil your Valentine. But any gift is nice, so whether you’re giving your loved ones cards, flowers, balloons, sweets, jewelry or any other gift, we hope you celebrate Valentine’s Day too!