Thank God it’s Monday, again. I always look forward to Mondays, as they’re my 52 Chances a year, in which I get to share Memories of My Mom with you. Therefore, have a happy Monday.
February celebrates (among other things) National Creative Romance Month and National Weddings Month. Of course, Valentine’s Day will be on Saturday and this week is also celebrating National Marriage Week.
This month, more than any other, is known as the month of love. Thus, these days, you could say, “love is in the air”, just as John Paul Young sang in the famous 1977 song by the same name.
As I wrote last week, NationalDayCalendar.com says, “…marriage is more than a day or a ceremony. A marriage requires dedication and commitment that generates a lifetime of rewards.” A marriage also requires love to inspire such devotion.
This week’s blog post is dedicated to my parents, whose love and marriage withstood the test of time, trials and tribulations – like any other couple – dealing with unreceptive in-laws and raising five kids and various pets, while both were working to make ends meet then running their own mail-order and publishing business, together, from home.
They were truly committed to each other, having been together for almost 60 years before Dad passed away in 2014. During the last 38 of those years, they were together, side-by-side, 24/7, every day of every year. Pictured below is Mom’s story about their marriage and compatibility, which I also shared (in written form) in last week’s blog post.
Thanks to marketing these days, we’ve been besieged for the past month by countless symbols of love – such as red roses, white doves, Cupid-like angels, cuddly and fluffy teddy bears, and red/white/pink-colored heart-shaped everything.
However, as popular as Valentine’s Day seems to be, it only ranks #8 on Wikipedia’s top 10 list of most celebrated Public Holidays in the United States; coming in ahead of St. Patrick’s Day, as well as New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day tied at #10. Christmas is #1, followed by Thanksgiving then Mother’s Day, Easter, July 4th, Halloween, and Father’s Day.
Still, next to Christmas, this is probably Hallmark’s and every candy company’s favorite time of year, as the most prevalent Valentine gifts, from year to year, always include candy/chocolates, cards, and flowers.
By the way, Valentine’s Day is the biggest flower-giving holiday of the year, closely followed by Mother’s Day. Did you know that California produces more cut flowers, by a large margin, than any other state? Yet, most of the cut flowers sold in the U.S. are imported.
Richard Cadbury, the eldest son of John Cadbury (a 19th century British chocolatier and businessman), is accredited with “inventing” the first heart-shaped box of chocolates for Valentine’s Day in the 1860s – although, he didn’t patent it. Incidentally, Wednesday is National Inventors’ Day.
Other popular Valentine gifts include jewelry, perfume, candles, and stuffed animals; as well as special and unique “experiences”, such as a date-night with concert/event tickets or a spa day or a romantic cruise or a weekend getaway.
According to Oxford Languages, a valentine is “a card sent on St. Valentine’s Day (February 14) to a person one loves or is attracted to.” Gifts are also considered to be valentines, as are the recipients. The first valentine is believed to be a poem by a French Duke for his “valentine” (as he referred to her) in 1415, while imprisoned in the Tower of London.
Legends infer that Saint Valentine, for whom the holiday was named, secretly married couples that were otherwise forbidden by Roman bans and sacrificed himself for love and faith. Moreover, medieval tradition believed that mid-February was the start of the bird mating season, bolstering Valentine’s Day’s association with love and romance.
Incidentally, on a side note, with this being the week of Valentine’s Day and the start of the bird mating season, Friday also happens to be the start of the Great Backyard Bird Count (for 2026).
Allegedly, 45% of engagement proposals happen during the winter holidays, with 22% on Valentine’s Day, making it the number one day of the year, for such events (according to an AI Overview). Only about 6% of marriage ceremonies happen on Valentine’s Day. Most are in cities like Las Vegas, where there’s already a high volume of nuptials.
The two most popular holidays for weddings are those with long weekends (and favorable weather) like Memorial Day and Labor Day. Valentine’s Day comes in sixth place because it’s in the middle of winter, requiring indoor venues. However, New Year’s Eve’s winter nuptials placed third, in the top choices, for being a party-filled midnight celebration.
“All marriages are happy… Love songs and laughter… What causes all the trouble is the living together AFTER!” – Gloria Pitzer (circa 1970)
I found an awesome article by Lovingly.com (updated 12/15/21), called 9 Things To Know About Getting Married On Valentine’s Day, which covers some really interesting pros and cons to consider, for anyone thinking about having such a wedding, in the middle of winter.
When considering the budget… Did you know that, generally, about two-thirds of the cost of a traditional-style wedding is wrapped up in the reception? It includes, for the most part, the venue, catering, and a band or DJ. There’s a fascinating slide show at MarthaStewart.com, about “Who Pays For What For The Wedding?“, (Updated: April 15,2021).
Another wonderful read on marriage and compatibility is by Marlo Thomas and Phil Donahue, written several years before he passed away, called What Makes a Marriage Last (HarperOne; May 5, 2020).
“Smiles generate smiles, just as Love generates love…” – Gloria Pitzer, Gloria Pitzer’s Secret Recipe Report (Secret Recipe Report, St. Clair, MI; Issue 84, December 1980; p. 2)
Valentine’s Day isn’t just a holiday for romance and lovers. It also celebrates plutonic love, such as that we have for our family, friends, and the like. I read somewhere that about 3% of pet owners buy their pets valentine gifts and teachers get more valentines than anyone else – followed by kids then mothers and wives.
That makes sense since most schools celebrate Valentine’s Day with classroom parties, including the exchanging of cards, candy/treats, and positive/loving words for each other (like “live” conversation hearts). Incidentally, a little-known fact about those popular little candies is that they originated as medical lozenges (without the words) in the 1860s.
Mom loved to write about love and its many forms in every newsletter and book she created, often capitalizing the word as a synonym for God, as well. The Greeks believed that the goddess, Aphrodite, represented love but Mom always believed that God is Love and Love is God.
FROM MOM’S MEMORIES…
As seen in…
Gloria Pitzer’s Secret Recipe Report (Secret Recipe Report, St. Clair, MI; Issue 86, February 1981; p. 4)
THOUGHTS ON LOVE
VALENTINE’S DAY IS FOR loving. Not just for youngsters romantically involved with each other and certainly not just for the mature man/woman relationship – but for everyone who feels a sense of love for another person.
I would like to send a Valentine to a mother-in-law who has kept me at arm’s length for over 25 years – because she felt I wasn’t the right girl for her son.
Maybe I wasn’t, but there is a strong bond between us – for as his mother and I, as his wife, we both truly love your son, Anise! Let me be one of your Valentines – I care about you… I really do!
I would like to send a Valentine to my two younger sisters, whose attention and affection I have been trying to win for most of their lives, finding it met only in return with their continuing indifference. I know we truly care about each other – but unfortunately, we have never gotten to know each other well.
I would rather be one of your Valentines then spend another day trying to prove that you’re wrong about me and the kind of person you both think I am. I care about you both.
I have already sent a card in the mail, but I must remind my older sister, Hazel, and her husband, Chris, in Torrance, California, that I am so lucky to have them as a part of my life and that they are my Valentines every day – not just on February 14th!
Another Valentine I want to send is to every one of my readers – and you know how I hate to call you customers – even though technically the government considers all 10,000 of you just that. You are friends – and even better – like family.
You catch the mistakes in the monthly report and point them out was such loving care and concern. It is better than I deserve. You have brighten my world more than I ever dreamed a working relationship would with other people, most of whom I have never met in person. You are all, indeed, my Valentines!
And what would this happy occasion be without a greeting of love for my special Valentine, who for a quarter of a century has put-up with my silliness and my weird humor, my down-in-the-dumps-days and my impatience with injustice in the world!
Even though you still cannot tell the difference between a guest towel and a grease rag, you will always be my special Valentine and I love you more than any other person in the whole world, Paul!
LAST THOUGHTS…
Thanks for visiting! I hope you’ve enjoyed reading about my memories of my mom, her memories, and other related things. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to email me at therecipedetective@outlook.com. You can also find me on Facebook: @TheRecipeDetective.
IN CLOSING…
In honor of February, being National Snack Food Month, and TODAY, being National Pizza Day, here’s Mom’s secret recipe for “Parmesan Pizza Snax”; as seen in… Gloria Pitzer’s Secret Recipes Newsletter (Secret RecipesTM, St. Clair, MI; Sep.-Oct. 1988, p. 7). As always, I’m asking only for proper credit if you care to re-share it.
P.S. Food-for-thought until next Monday…
The month of February celebrates… National Fasting February, Black History Month, National Canned Food Month, National Great American Pies Month, National Bake for Family Fun Month, National Bird Feeding Month, National Cherry Month, National Grapefruit Month, National Hot Breakfast Month, and National Library Lover’s Month, among other things.
The second week of February (8th-14th for 2026) observes… National Kraut and Frankfurter Week, Freelance Writers Appreciation Week, Great American Pizza Bake, and National Jell-O Week, among other things.
Today is also… National Cut the Cord Day and National Bagel and Lox Day. Plus, as the second Monday in February (2026), it’s also… National Clean Out Your Computer Day. Additionally, for 2026, it’s also… National Football Hangover Day (which is always the day after “The Big Game”).
Tuesday, February 10th, is… National Cream Cheese Brownie Day and National Umbrella Day.
Wednesday, February 11th, is… National Don’t Cry Over Spilled Milk Day, National Make a Friend Day, and National Peppermint Patty Day.
February 12th is… National Plum Pudding Day. Plus, as the second Thursday in February (2026), it’s also National Giving Hearts Day.
February 13th is… National Cheddar Day and National Tortellini Day. Plus, as the first “Friday-the-13th” of the year (for 2026), it’s also… National Blame Someone Else Day. Supposedly, this day also celebrates… “Galentine’s Day”.
Saturday, February 14th, is… National Cream-Filled Chocolates Day, National Ferris Wheel Day, National Organ Donor Day.
Sunday, February 15th, is… National Gumdrop Day and National Wisconsin Day. Plus, as the start of the third week of February (for 2026), it’s also the start of Brotherhood/Sisterhood Week, as well as Random Acts of Kindness Week, which is always the week of February 17th.
Have a great week!
…6 down, 46 to go!
