How are you celebrating Valentine’s Day this year? Well, if you haven’t made any plans, here are a few inspirations from history.
According to the website Mental Floss, the Ancient Greeks and Romans would watch birds to predict the future. The first bird an unmarried woman saw on Valentine’s Day was a symbol of the kind of man she would marry. A swan predicted a loyal partner for life; a dove meant she’d marry a kind-hearted person; and a blackbird meant she would marry a member of the clergy or someone who did spiritual and charitable work.
If you’re willing to wait a bit, you can try this tack. Victorian men would send a single glove to the woman they had their eye on. He would then watch on Easter Sunday to see if she wore it as a sign that she returned his love.
If you’re not really feeling the lovey-dovey vibes of today, maybe you can send a vinegar Valentine. Also popular during the Victorian era, the authors of these notes would outline all of the things they loathed about the recipient, alongside a caricature illustration.
And, if all else fails, NPR reports that several zoos across the country are allowing you to name a cockroach as a fundraiser - so go give one the name of your ex.