You & Me!
In the states February is the month to show that “special” someone how much they mean to you. Somehow this tradition has been so commercialized that I know I am now wondering how all of this got started in the first place.
So I did a little digging and came up with all sorts of information on Valentines’ Day, Sweetest Day AND Sadie Hawkins Day – which is my personal favorite…hahaha!
The stories go something like this:
Valentine’s Day or St. Valentine’s Day (Official):
This celebration of love is most popular in the U.S. and a few other countries and contains many antiquated elements of both Christianity and ancient Roman traditions – though no one seems to know which elements those are.
The first story states that St. Valentine was a priest who secretly married lovers – because single men at that time could not get married because the emperor (Claudius II) decided that they performed better in battle, than men who had families waiting for them – thus, he basically OUT-LAWED marriage…bhahaha!
Another story regales that he helped Christians escape Roman tyranny – needless to say, the emperor ordered his execution. The story further goes onto say that the first Valentine’s Day greeting card (a note which he signed, “From Your Valentine”) was sent from his prison cell – to the jailer’s daughter no less! Martyrdom sprinkled with love is a sure fire way to get yourself a holiday. Now there is a lot of debate amongst those who “know” as to whether February was chosen to celebrate this illustrious holiday, in honor of St. Valentine’s death (the anniversary); as an attempt by the Christian church to legitimize the pagan festival Lupercalia or in recognition of Spring and the “blossoming” love…the world may never know.
Fast forward to 2012 and Valentine’s Day is the second most celebrated holiday behind Christmas – of course. It is estimated that approximately 141 million Valentine’s Days cards are exchanged annually – this is where the pitch comes in – haha!…so be sure to check out Blac Gurlz Ink’s UNIQUE, hand-crafted, couture Valentine’s Day greeting cards! Each one is created with LOVE!!
Sweetest Day
Growing up in the Midwest, Akron, Ohio to be exact – I developed a fondness for Sweetest Day – a day dedicated to those who make our lives “special.” I actually thought it and Valentine’s Day were the same holiday though Sweetest Day is celebrated the third Saturday in OCTOBER!? I was a confused a child…bahahaha!
Now that I’ve gone back to do some research for this blog – I totally understand why! Sweetest Day was founded in CLEVELAND, OHIO (28 miles north of Akron) around 1922 by a gentleman by the name of Herbert Birch Kingston who worked of all places – at a candy factory. He and his friends passed out candy and small gifts to orphans, shut-ins, the sick, disabled and forgotten – to spread happiness and joy.
The holiday caught on in mainstream America due to the help of celebrities and philanthropists. Starlets Ann Pennington and Theda Bara showered strangers on Sweetest Day. It was reported that Pennington gave 2,200 paper boys boxes of candy and that Bara gave away 10,000 boxes of candy to adoring fans who came to see her movies and to patients in various hospitals in the Cleveland area. WoW! Talk about PR!
Sadie Hawkins Day
Of the three celebrations of love, my favorite is Sadie Hawkins Day. I remember reading the Lil Abner comic strip as a child and watched the short lived mini-series that just didn’t stand the test of adequate ratings. The Beverly Hillbillies is a spin-off of the Lil Abner series.
In the Lil Abner comic strip, Hekzebiah Hawkins is fearful that his 35 year old spinster daughter, Sadie will NEVER marry and be with him til his death. Not to be undone, Hekzebiah calls of the bachelors, of Dogpatch, US of A, and says,
“When ah fires [my gun], all o’ yo’ kin start a-runnin! When ah fires agin – after givin’ yo’ a fair start – Sadie starts a runnin’. Th’ one she ketches’ll be her husbin.”
Capitalizing on the idea, the spinsters of Dogpatch, US of A, thereafter made Sadie Hawkins Day an annual “mandatory” event.
I don’t think anyone was prepared for the side effects of this comic strip. This holiday ushered in a “gender role-reversal,” over America’s college campus where –women and girls took the initiative and chased the men/boys! The foot race component of the holiday was lost and the “modern” ritual consisted of women asking the beau of their choice out on a date, usually to a Sadie Hawkins Day event attended by other beaus and their benefactors – which was revolutionary at this time.
By 1952 there were Sadie Hawkins Day celebrations at over 40,000 venues. In Canada, Sadie Hawkins Day is a day-long celebration; we celebrate it on the Saturday following November 9th. Hey, but wasn’t it in October? Hahaha!
At Blac Gurlz Ink, we are out to leave our legacy in the greeting card industry and with holidays like Valentine’s Day, Sweetest Day and Sadie Hawkins Day, we’re sure we will have tons of opportunities to show our love for YOU – our Sweetheart customers.
Happy Love Day!!
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