The magic of Valentine’s Day is unmatched – red is in the air, the butterflies of young love fluttering around red roses and sparkly cards have a heady story to tell.

What is indeed amazing about Valentine’s Day is how, with age, the day seems to change the definition. With every passing year, its meaning and the way it is celebrated changes from person to person. From a red rose person – you grow into a ‘heart-shaped chocolates’ person only to eventually ‘let’s couch the night out with a good movie and some pizza’. 

 

For the uninitiated, Valentine’s Day is celebrated on February 14 each year. There are multiple theories for why it is celebrated, however, we have decided to bring to the fore, two of the ones that are the most credible. 

According to National Public Radio of California, from Feb 13-15 the Romans celebrated a festival of fertility called Lupercallia. During this, men would beat women up with animal hide in a bid to increase their fertility – and no, this wasn’t unconsented. If history was to be believed, women lined up for the ritual. Later, a jar would be filled with the names of the women and the men who picked out a name would marry each other if they clicked. 

 

Another theory suggests that Valentine’s Day is a catholic feast day celebrated to honour the many saints called St. Valentines who were martyred. 

The festival only received much importance through literature when poets and laureates like Shakespeare and Chaucer romanticized the idea of Valentine’s Day, given its history.

 

Coming back to the point…

Here’s examining Valentine’s Day and its relationship with love, food and everything in between.

 

Heart-shaped everything

Come V-Day and from pizzas and cakes to chocolates, everything suddenly turns to heart-shaped delights. Not just foods, the menus, the décor and even the ambience scream hearts from everywhere. Right from streamers and balloons to candles, food outlets spare no expense and leave no stone unturned to ensure that the message is loud and clear – hearts must rule the day. 

 

Red Ready

If the hearts weren’t a total giveaway of what day it is, the red more than makes up for everything. From red roses to red ribbons to red outfits and even waiters and servers dressed in red – most food places go the whole way to ensure that there is FOMO as far as Valentine’s Day experiences are concerned. 

 

Chocolates

Over a period of time, the idea of Valentine’s got entwined with gifting chocolates. From store-bought candy to the real deal with an expensive box of exotic truffles or pralines, Valentine’s Day is suddenly the embodiment of chocolates. Don't get us wrong – we may or may not like V-day but we’re all in for luscious smooth chocolates.

 

Important Celebrations

A lot of people prefer to make their V-Day something bigger and better and to do that they end up making it an important day. Either choosing to pop the big “Will you marry me?” or to set a wedding or engagement date. 

 

Some V-Day Ideas for foodies

 If your purpose of spending Valentine’s Day, alone or with someone is food – here are some ideas to spruce up your V-Day, Foodism style!

 

1. Make a picnic basket

A thermos full of coffee, some croissants, sandwiches, chips and beverages, you could simply fill up a picnic basket and whiz off to an undisclosed, seldom frequented, scenic spot and enjoy the view with a lot of food. Our tip is to carry for an army of 8, even if it is just you two.

 

2. Cook up a storm

Cooking at home for your special someone is a beautiful thing. You get to experiment, you get to ask them for help and bond over food prep. You can create dishes ranging from simple to hard, based on your needs.

 

3. Plan a nice dinner at home

If you don’t want your partner to cook you can always share the load and simply order takeaway. Set the ambience right and bring on those mood lights. 

 

4. Skip the V-Day and go food hopping

Go on a food hop – a non-romantic, only food-centric crawl that takes you to amazing places. After all the love for food is the only truth.

 

5. Play with fondant

You may not be great bakers but fondant is so much fun to play with – and its edible! Get your better half to come aboard the fondant train and make you something special while they are at it!

 

6. Create an exotic dessert

All the money you would have spent on going out and the efforts you put into dressing up can be channelled to create a mad dessert. Yes – think freak shakes but 100X! Order all the things you love – chocolates, cookies, icecreams, syrups etc. and put together the dessert of your dreams. Enjoy eating your marvellous creation together.

 

7. Bond over some learning

If you’re not too extrovert, simply stay in and bond over a course in baking or making a pizza or something. There are a multitude of online courses in food available – make the best use of those and try and make the dishes your own way.

 

8. Singles Ahoy

If you’re single it is best to steer clear of the red madness that will overtake the streets, come Feb 14. Gather a couple of friends to have a Galentine Day or spread the joy and call a single’s meeting – of course with food!

There is a lot that Valentine’s Day brings to the table – whether you are single or not so single anymore, try these methods to have a safe and happy Valentine’s.