St. Valentine's Day

I never would have guessed it, but St. Valentine's day seems to be much more of an American holiday than Spanish.  Now, that's not to say that everyone in Spain has a Grinch-sized heart, but that they take love and romance much more seriously.  When I think back to my time in elementary school, I have (fond) memories of making valentines for all of my classmates, teachers, and relatives (sorry, Mom, for all the glitter I must have spread through the house). At school, we would make little mailboxes out of lunch bags and spend time going from desk to desk, or class to class, handing out our cards, chocolates, and the ever-amusing conversation hearts.

This, however, is not the case in Andalucia.

While discussing the story of Cupid (fact: sometimes Cupid makes bad decisions because he's a baby! Why had this never occurred to me before?!), one fourth grader asked how many valentines I usually receive each year.

'Tons!' I exclaimed. 'We pass them out to everybody - our classmates, our workmates, our teachers, neighbors, mailmen.' 

In Spain, according to my students, love is taken a bit more seriously, with only one or two valentines given out, perhaps to your best friend, your teacher, and your significant other. There aren't conversation hearts, Hershey's Kisses, or the onslaught of Valentine's Day cards, stickers, teddy bears and balloons. Perhaps the Valentine's Day images that live in my head come straight from Hallmark, but I still love it. And so did the kids!

Check out our Valentine's Day cards!

Hope you had a great Valentine's Day!

- Robyn