Tag: valentines
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January chills…
January is such a quiet time and everyone seems to be recovering from a hangover or on detox.
Things were quiet at the Chocolate Cellar at the beginning of this month and the team brainstormed to come up with some fab new ideas for our Valentines Day Collection and also design some stunning new cakes.
So now we are all beavering away to turn all those ideas into reality watch out for some show stopping cakes!
Tuesday 5th January was pretty eventful for us. We had decided to take a day out for a team building exercise. We started off with breakfast at the new Novotel Hotel across the road from us. If you havent paid them a visit yet, do pop in the staff are extremely friendly and the breakfast was delicious many of us had the veggie option as well as the meat eating one!!
Just as well …. our next task was a treasure hunt around the city of Liverpool … A big thank you to the Stig who allowed us to have his picture taken with our team š
There was no definitive winner as we didnt have enough time to complete the challenge… I do think our team won though as we completed more of the bonus tasks!
The bad weather and horrific grid locked traffic descended on us the same day and most of us were then challenged with the task of getting home! It is so nice to feel warm again after such a cold week. We were forced to close the shop for most of that week due to the bad weather and we do apologise to anyone who made it to the chocolate cellar only to find it closed!
We now seem to be back to normal and our winter warming hot chocolate and cakes seem to be flying out. We are using January to try out some new ideas so keep your eyes and ears open there are always a few little samples on offer in return for honest feedback!
Keep warm … hope to see you soon Bala š
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Love begins at home…
āLove begins at home, and it is not how much we do… but how much love we put in that action.āĀ – Mother Teresa
I love this quote. For me it shows what Valentineās Day is all about.
Many people seem to find Valentineās Day a stressful time.
Quite often couples agree not to do much on Valentineās. Men are then baffled when their partner presents them with a gift on the day with an expectant look on their face. There is then a sudden panic as one tries to arrange an amazing experience for their partner that they can present them with as a surprise on Valentineās Evening. We have often been called in to save the day last minute!
From a female perspective I would say it is not about the gift itself. Obviously there is a certain standard that the gift should pass. It is more about the gesture. It is about the thought and effort that has gone in to the gift. It is about feeling valued, and knowing that you werenāt an afterthought on the way home from work. It is about the delight you feel when you go through the mechanics of untying the ribbon, opening the box and finding a little treat just for you.
We have put together a few tips that we think are important ā we hope you find them useful:
- Plan ahead ā look around you. When you start to see pink and red in the shop windows with lots of hearts everywhere it is time to think about what you would like to do for Valentines. The date does not change ā it is always on 14th February.
- Keep it a surprise ā most people love surprises!
- Consider the recipient ā think about what your Valentine really likes. Find out if they prefer milk or dark chocolate before buying that box of chocolates!
- Ā Wrap it ā even if it is in a ready-made gift bag.
If you do come to the conclusion that our chocolates would make the perfect gift, here is the link to pre-order www.thechocolatecellar.co.uk/shop
A different Valentine’s day?
Valentineās Day is internationally recognised as a day of love and adoration; taking its name from the 3rd Century Roman Saint Valentine, who was arrested and later martyred after conducting marriages in defiance of Emperor Claudius 2nd.
Nowadays western countries celebrate this holiday with outpourings of flowers, chocolate, and teddy bears for their beloved ā or their āValentineā – but other cultures have adapted the 14th February to coincide with their own cultures.
Denmark
In Denmark, men take Valentineās Day as a chance to write letters and poems to their loved ones through the tradition of GƦkkebreve. These letters are intricately decorated, but not signed. Instead, the writer leaves a series of dots to replace their name, aiming to tease or “drive the reader madā as they try to guess the sender. All this headache isnāt for nothing, however, as a correct guess of the senderās name will earn you a chocolate egg!
Ā This holiday is named after the Snowdrop flower (or VintergƦk) that accompanies the letters.
South Africa
To āwear oneās heart on their sleeveā is a common expression, used when a person bears their love openly, but young women in South Africa take this motif a set further and pin the name of their crush on their sleeve during 14th February.
Ā This tradition supposedly had its roots in the Roman festival of Lupercalia, where young womenās names were drawn from a lottery, and they would be paired up with unmarried men. While many of the Roman traditions have fallen away, Lupercalia is still a way for girls and women to send a not-so-subtle hint to their crushes.
Japan
Japanese culture sees a twist on our Western ways. Valentineās Day in Japan sees primarily men receiving chocolate, and if they are to be wooed, they receive Honmei ā expensive, hand-made chocolates that show a man he is truly a subject of a womanās affections.
Ā But donāt worry ā women donāt just get snubbed every year! Instead, their sentiments are returned on 14th March, or White Day, where the men buy them a present to match- but this time in white.
Finland/ Estonia
Finally, if a day of romance isnāt for you, you may feel more at home in Finland and Estonia where February 14th is set aside for Friendship Day. Friendship Day sees the usual Valentine activities of buying gifts and cards and going for fancy meals, but instead it celebrates the platonic love between friends.
This holiday was first encouraged in school children as western traditions became widespread, but soon spread in popularity and was gladly celebrated by adults. In 2015 Friendship Day was recognised as Finlandās 2nd most popular card giving holiday, with 3 million cards sent between loving friends.
So those are just some of the ways people celebrate their loved ones all around the world. Let us know what your plans are for the 14th, we always love hearing from you!
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