What is Valentine’s Day?

Feast Day of Saint Valentine, the celebration of love and affection

Whether you love Valentine’s Day or not, many people will always enjoy and celebrate it. We also think that any excuse for a celebration is a good thing.

Valentine’s might seem like a relatively new and modern celebration but it actually has a long history and there are a few legends that are going around. Some say that it has some dark origins back in Ancient Rome where people where celebrating from the 13th to 15th of February. This was all fine until the Emperor Claudius executed two men, both with the name Valentine. Not so romantic! Eventually, they were made martyrs by the Catholic Church and that’s how we celebrate the very popular Saint Valentine’s Day that we know today.

Most of us would describe this festivity in a happier, more romantic way, and to be honest with you, it is my favourite version for sure. It means The Feast Day of Saint Valentine and it is the celebration of love and affection.

Over the centuries, this day evolved to be associated with love and an occasion to display signs of devotion, like sending greeting cards or presenting flowers. Nowadays, the14th of February has become more and more complex and it has more of a strong cultural and commercial significance than a religious one.

As a florist based in London, one of the busiest and most multicultural capitals of the world, I have seen over the years how important Valentine’s Day is for couples, husbands and wives, girlfriends, boyfriends and lovers. Love is love and each individual expresses it in their own way.

Here, at Lilac and Bloom, we help people choose the right gift - big or small. It is crucial to understand the gesture of giving and how important the details are. It can be a classic hand-tied bouquet of red roses with a personal message on our signature cards, or a more complex and impressive gift with flowers, balloons, artisan macarons, chocolates and even luxury champagne - you name it!

In this time, perhaps more than most other years, there's a real need to express how much we love someone and care about them. It doesn't just need to be a traditional couple and that’s why we also cover Galentine's Day on the 13th (or 14th, it’s totally up to you!)- so you may wish to let your friends know how much you're missing them. This is a very cool way to do that! (I’ll make sure I send some bunches to my single girlfriends and even to my auntie, I know they'll love it).

You may have your own idea of a perfect floral gift for your loved one. In which case, let us know as early as possible (at least 2 days in advance) and we'll make your dream bouquet come to life to delight the love of your life. Perhaps you may take inspiration from their favourite flowers which may not be roses at all. Then you can make a truly bespoke arrangement for them and that’s what we enjoy creating with you!

We specialise in the local area and frequently deliver to Isleworth, St. Margaret’s, Chiswick, Brentford, Kew, Richmond, Sheen and Barnes. But wherever you're sending the flowers in the UK, just get in touch and we'll take care of it for you.

Although we're based in West London, we do deliver nationwide with DPD. In other words, we can take care of Valentine's Day for you completely, especially in these times when it's hard to meet with our loved ones when living apart.

Check out our Valentine's Day page for some inspiration!