Valentine's Day
Hey Empire Fam, I hope you have all had a great week! This week at Empire Copper we launched our Valentine's Day Eternal Rose. Valentine's Day, celebrated annually on February 14th is a Western, Christian Day. A number of stories are in circulation in relation to Saint Valentine of Rome and his imprisonment for ministering to Christians persecuted under the Roman Empire. Later entries about Valentine state that he also performed weddings for Christian soldiers that were forbidden to marry. The tales go on to state that whilst imprisoned Valentine restored the sight of the jailer's daughter and wrote her on the day of his execution signing off 'Your Valentine' as a farewell. These stories date back to the third century, approximately 1721 years ago!
Although Valentine's Day is not a public holiday, it is still celebrated all over the world and has been for hundreds of years. In the 18th century the day became somewhat as we know it today with lovers exchanging gifts such as confectionary, greeting cards known as 'Valentines' and presenting flowers - like roses.
The Empire Copper Eternal Rose has been made from 100% pure copper (as always). Cam has individually handcrafted each petal over many hours. The copper rose is available to purchase as a single item, in a wooden stand or nestled within a glass cloche. No two copper roses are the same and once the crafting process has been completed the rose is sealed with a clear lacquer to prevent oxidation or tarnishing.
The Empire Copper Rose has been a work in progress for about 12 months. Cam first made one for me last Valentine's Day as a surprise and it sits proudly within its' cloche on our entryway table to our home. I have long admired metal roses, particularly those with such intricate detail as you can really appreciate the craftsmanship and care that is put into each product; the kind of work we are all about at Empire Copper.
If you've already got Valentine's Day covered or you don't spend big on this 'Hallmark Holiday' our Eternal Rose may be fitting for other celebrations too! Not only is copper the traditional gift given to celebrate a seventh wedding anniversary but, it is a stunning gift for birthdays too.
We tend to do something small for Valentine's Day every year. Sometimes we gift and sometimes we don't but I am ALWAYS expecting a card. I'd love to read about your ideal date night in the blog comments below. Do you prefer lowkey or a lavish night out? This year for Valentine's Day I think we will skip presents and probably have take-out at home (Nando's hehe). Whatever you do, whomever with - I wish you a day filled with love and hugs (if you're into that).
- Your Valentine's
Beth + Cam
