by Leila Oertel

Valentine’s Day is coming up and The Lewis County Historical Society would like to remember and celebrate our traditions of this day. There are many ways to tell someone that they are special and Esther Howland in Wooster Massachusetts started the business of handcrafting cards to send in 1850 in Massachusetts. There were beautiful, crafty, silly, sentimental, saucy, romantic cards and even some “lemon” or vinegar cards with the opposite message were anonymously sent telling someone that they were definitely to stay away.

My school used to have a day of opening up all the cards, many handmade or cut out or punched out from a page that were passed to us with little notes to tell us we were special.

Valentine’s Day also meant candy. A lot of soft-bite hearts with messages of “I Love You” or “Kiss Me” on them. Or chocolate wrapped in foil. Or a red heart box with chocolate squares with gooey, sticky filling. Or chocolate covered cherries, hard rock candy, bits of taffy in twisted paper, red hot dots, peanut brittle, and other delights.

From a very special friend, if you were lucky, you might get flowers - a bouquet, a single rose, or a potted dwarf rose.

Do you have any saved valentines from years past? Come share with us your memories or momentos from the past. And bring some of the candy goodies or food that are special for this occasion with extras to pass around if you’d like. There used to be a tradition of chocolate with cheese here that you don’t see anymore since Ammons grocery has closed. Anyone remember? Please bring some special goodies to help us remember this time. What a treat to experience. Share with us any special traditions your family or friends or the town had.

We will meet Monday at 6:00 p.m. at the Hohenwald Housing Authority on February 6. Please, no red drinks or hot food, unless it is a cherry cake fresh out of the oven.