Are you inspired to create your own Valentine’s Day art? Traditionally, this is one of the holidays when people make crafts to give as gifts to their sweethearts. Adults mostly prefer a ready made gifts, like candy and diamonds, usually because of time constraints.

The tradition of craft making has been mostly kept alive by school children. Every year, thousands of kids make’ beautiful crafts in anticipation of Valentines Day celebrations on February 14. It is one of the noncontroversial holidays where schools can teach Valentine’s Day craft projects for pupils to bolster the latter’s’ aesthetic imagination and artistic abilities.

Valentine’s Day customs developed in early modern England and spread throughout the English speaking world in the 19th century. In the later 20th and early 21st centuries, these customs have also spread to other countries along with other aspects of American pop culture, but its impact has been rather more limited than that of Halloween, or such US pop culture inspired aspects of Christmas (such as Santa Claus). But with art like Ms. Lu’s, this may change.

St. Valentine’s Day began as a liturgical celebration of one or more early Christian saints named Valentinus. Several martyrdom stories were invented for the various Valentines that belonged to February 14, and added to later martyrologies. One such account about Saint Valentine of Rome states that he was imprisoned for performing weddings for soldiers who were forbidden to marry and for ministering to Christians, who were persecuted under the Roman Empire. According to legend, during his imprisonment, he healed the daughter of his jailer, Asterius. An embellishment to this story states that before his execution he wrote her a letter signed “Your Valentine” as a farewell.

Today, Saint Valentine’s Day is an official feast day in the Anglican Communion, as well as in the Lutheran Church. The Eastern Orthodox Church also celebrates Saint Valentine’s Day, albeit on July 6 and July 30, the former date in honor of the Roman presbyter Saint Valentine, and the latter date in honor of Hieromartyr Valentine, the Bishop of Interamna (modern Terni). In Brazil, the Dia de São Valentim is recognized on June 1.

Of course, the most important question for young suitors is “What do I get her for Valentine’s Day?” If nothing else comes to mind, than let the movie Forest Gump inspire you to get her a Box of Chocolates.