How to Make Everyone Feel Wanted Around Valen-time

Valentine’s Day … commemoration of a Catholic saint, a day for young sweethearts or a commercial opportunity for mass-produced and plastic tack? Unless you fall into the sweetheart category, or have a genuine conviction of the importance of honouring the lives of those who have lived well in bygone times, Valentine’s Day could either be an unwanted reminder of all that is not how we would like it to be in our lives or a pressure to spend money we do not have on overpriced flowers or gifts. This might sound rather like a Valentine Scrooge, but let us assure you that is not our intention! Rather, here at Craft Insurance, we’d like to suggest another option; why not celebrate Valentine’s Day in a way that includes everyone, that ensures we can all be reminded we are loved and valued, and can be a showcase of local crafts at the same time? What could be better to brighten up a cold February day?

So, to give us some ideas of how our crafts could be tailored for such a day, let’s first take a look at the history behind Valentine’s Day, who St Valentine was and how his commemorative day has turned into a mass marketing event and a mountain of red and pink plastic gifts.

The life of St Valentine is somewhat shrouded by the mists of time. The man we remember could even be a combination of two men, both early Christian martyrs. However, what does seem clear is that he was a priest or bishop and possibly also a physician, living in Italy in the third century AD. He was a man of courage who stood strong in his Christian faith at a time when there was much persecution of the church. He was also a man of integrity who endeavoured to do the right thing for his fellow citizens even if it meant possible penalties by the authorities. Legend has it that he defied the Emperor’s orders and secretly married young couples to spare some husbands from war. A story goes that at the end of his life, while he was waiting in prison to be executed for his faith, he fell in love with his jailer’s daughter, for whom he had prayed and was subsequently healed from blindness. Just before his death, he sent her a letter, signed “Your Valentine.” The feast of St Valentine was established on February 14 by papal decree, in 496. It might, however, not have been until a poem of Chaucer’s written around 1375 that St Valentine was linked with romantic love. St Valentine is also the patron saint of beekeepers; (always an opportunity for some honey and wax-related craft products).

Before Robert Burns’ Red Rose poem, a yellow crocus was the flower traditionally associated with St Valentine. The story behind this is beautiful. Legend has it that when Valentine wrote his final note to the jailer’s daughter, he enclosed a yellow crocus. When she opened the letter it was then that her blindness was healed and the crocus was the first thing she saw. While this could well be more legend than factual reality (how did he get hold of a crocus while in a grim Roman prison) an endearing tradition sprung up from it; churches prepared for the feast day by writing letters to prisoners.

We have gathered together several threads which all weave a story of St Valentine very different to that which is usually portrayed across our nation now. There seems to be a good array of information from which we could reclaim this saint’s day. So, what about celebrating February 14 by showcasing craft with a particular emphasis on buying a gift for someone who you value or someone who serves their community as St Valentine did? It’s a great opportunity to promote soap and other bath products; much-appreciated gifts for mums, aunts, female friends as well as wives and girlfriends. As it’s still cold, woollen hats and gloves would make useful presents and small ceramic products always go down well. For the men in our lives, a choice of metalwork or wood-turned products could be well received.

As St Valentine is also the patron saint of beekeepers, it is an opportunity to include honey, wax candles and any other wax or propolis-based products. As the yellow crocus is the original flower for St Valentine, some rays of sunshine yellow could then join the palette of pink and red.

Valentine’s Day can highlight loneliness, so what about taking your crafts to a community event where tea, coffee and cakes are served? What a great opportunity to promote the idea of buying a beautiful handmade gift for anyone you love, whether romantic or not. Most people are ready for a post-Christmas lift by now!

If you are heading out to take your business to a local coffee morning or larger event it’s also a very good idea to purchase public liability insurance for craft stalls. If this is your first time taking your craft business to a public event, you will probably need some advice on the best type of public liability insurance for craft stalls. Most stallholders who do this kind of thing regularly will have it. Drop us a line or pick up the phone and either Naomi or Sam will be able to help. In a nutshell, public liability insurance for craft stalls covers you for any claims towards damage of person or property which are made against you or your business, regardless of whether or not the incident was your fault. It’s a sleep-easy insurance and as such is well worth having.

So, as we approach Valentine’s this year, we hope you can all give and receive some unique hand-crafted gifts as a token of the value and love you have for family, friends and community.

We’d like to feature the work of one of our clients here, Victoria, who is the owner of Sparkle 8 Studio, in the beautiful county of Shropshire. Victoria makes beautiful ashes jewellery alongside other gifts. Please do have a look at her work…

…and a Happy Valentine’s Day to everyone.