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Jack Valentine and other St Valentine’s Day traditions

DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
edited February 2020 in The potting shed
14th Feb is St Valentine’s Day
and, as both Chaucer and Shakespeare wrote, it’s traditionally the day when birds choose their mate. 

However, since moving to Norfolk I’ve become aware of another St Valentine’s tradition 

https://www.edp24.co.uk/news/jack-valentine-norfolk-remembers-tradition-1-6512335


Has anyone else heard of Jack Valentine?

Are there other less well known Valentine’s Day traditions?

Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





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  • wild edgeswild edges Posts: 10,497
    In Wales we have St Dwynwen's day.
    If you can keep your head, while those around you are losing theirs, you may not have grasped the seriousness of the situation.
  • Lizzie27Lizzie27 Posts: 12,494
    No, I've never heard of that. Best keep quiet about it in case it gets bigged up as yet another excuse for the shops to flog us yet more cards and tat! 
    North East Somerset - Clay soil over limestone
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    🤣 

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • TopbirdTopbird Posts: 8,355
    edited February 2020
    As a Norfolk girl this Jack Valentine tradition is one I grew up with. On the 14th Feb there would usually be a loud knock at the door after dark which we (6 yrs old or thereabouts brother and I) would be allowed to answer.

    On opening the door there was nobody there but there was a small pile of 'little' sweets (fruit salads, tiny 1d chocolate bars, flying saucers etc etc) left on the porch window sill for us. All my friends received similar treats in a similar way.

    It wasn't until I moved away from Norfolk in the late 80's that I realised that nobody outside the county had even heard of this tradition. Certainly not in Yorkshire where they had strange things like mischief night and parkin - neither of which I'd heard of before.

    Very regional customs are to be treasured...
    Heaven is ... sitting in the garden with a G&T and a cat while watching the sun go down
  • BenCottoBenCotto Posts: 4,718
    What a great card! One thing intrigues me: why did you keep for several years a useless jumper? Or perhaps you’re very prescient and carefully stored it next to the box containing short pieces of string knowing one day you’d find a use for it.
    Rutland, England
  • TopbirdTopbird Posts: 8,355
    Great card😀
    Heaven is ... sitting in the garden with a G&T and a cat while watching the sun go down
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    Love it ❤️ 

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • wild edgeswild edges Posts: 10,497
    BenCotto said:
    why did you keep for several years a useless jumper? Or perhaps you’re very prescient and carefully stored it next to the box containing short pieces of string knowing one day you’d find a use for it.
    I think she kept it as a gardening jumper for a while then decided it wasn't getting used so chucked it away. I tend to keep bits of useful fabric for projects so I cut the arms off and added them to the collection. I used some to make a gnome hat for an xmas decoration too. The string was from my string collection too :blush: These days I use the excuse that we'll need a ton of craft stuff for kid's projects as they go through school so nothing useful gets thrown away.

    If you can keep your head, while those around you are losing theirs, you may not have grasped the seriousness of the situation.
  • wild edgeswild edges Posts: 10,497
    I'm guessing the postman is on a Valentine's promise as well. The post has turned up several hours early so he must be jogging the route today. I hope he's saving some energy for later... :#
    If you can keep your head, while those around you are losing theirs, you may not have grasped the seriousness of the situation.
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