Saint Valentine’s Day is coming! For the hopeless romantics among you it’s a chance to celebrate with tokens of love and romance. Cards, flowers and other romantic gifts are common between lovers and even friends. As massage therapists, we may want to do something for our clients but may not be sure what to offer. Let’s first look at the history of Valentine’s Day in order to understand the holiday, and then we will discuss some ways to celebrate it with our clients.
Do You Know the Real Story Behind Valentine’s Day?
Valentine’s Day, or Saint Valentine’s Day, is observed every year on February 14th, but few of us really know the story behind it. Saint Valentine was a Catholic priest back around 270AD in Rome who was known both for his healing abilities and the fact that he held secret marriage ceremonies for the soldiers. You see, the Roman emperor Claudius II believed that married soldiers were reluctant to go off to war, and so banned them from marriage. Saint Valentine felt they should be able to marry and performed the ceremonies in defiance of Claudius II. When Claudius II found out, he was angry and had Valentine jailed.
In prison, Valentine was approached by Asterius, his jailer, who asked him to heal his blind daughter. According to legend, Valentine did so through his faith. It is also said that the emperor then tried to convert Valentine without success. Eventually, Claudius II ordered Valentine to death, on February 14th. A relationship had developed between Valentine and Asterius’ daughter, and when he wrote to her to comfort her prior to his death, it is said he signed off with the phrase “from your Valentine,” making the expression one we still use today.
Later, in 496AD, Pope Gelasius turned the Roman holiday Lupercalia (February 15th) into a Christian feast day to honor Saint Valentine (February 14th). Now for those who believe the giving of gifts and cards is nothing more than a modern “Hallmark” holiday, lets point out that the tradition of gift giving and exchanging of cards become commonplace back in the 18th century, when tokens of flowers, ribbons and lace were the norm.
5 Best Ways to Celebrate Valentine’s Day in Your Massage Practice
It is always nice to mark the holidays in our massage practices with some sort of themed service or client gift which makes clients feel special. We can also fill the bill for those looking to do something for their significant other by providing the type of personal, intimate service that makes the perfect gift on Saint Valentine’s Day.
- Offering a special price for gift certificates or for couples’ massages on this day is a great place to start, but there are other things we can do as well.
- Roses are typically given on Valentine’s Day, so the use of a few drops of Rose essential oil into unscented carrier oil would make for a nice addition.
- The color red or pink is also associated with Valentine ’s Day, so the use of red or pink top blankets in the massage room would be festive. Soft, fleece throws are readily available and inexpensive in department stores, making it easy to change out colors and themes throughout the year.
- As always, the gifting of a nice piece of dark chocolate after the massage is greatly appreciated.
- Another top notch idea is to coordinate with a nearby café and offer a combination together, two massages and a light lunch for two, for example. Or if there is coffee shop or bakery nearby, two massages followed by a pastry and coffee at their location. Be creative when collaborating and working with nearby businesses – and don’t forget the florists.
Finally, it also may be a good idea to leave a few extra minutes between appointments that day. Not only do couples tend to take longer to get onto and off of the table, but on a holiday occasion like Valentine’s Day they can run over even longer.
Saint Valentine’s Day is a holiday about love and romance so, above all else, have some fun with the theme that day!
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