Saint-Valentin – Valentine’s Day

France is often thought of as the world's most romantic country, so it's not surprising that la Saint-Valentin is a popular celebration.

In France, the first recorded French Valentine greeting was allegedly sent by the Duke of Orléans who, imprisoned in the Tower of London, is said to have sent poems and love letters to his wife in France. Today cards, gifts and flowers are traditionally offered in romantic gestures to loved ones.

Le village des amoureux

There is even a village in France called Saint-Valentin which is located in Indre in the Centre Val de Loire region. Sometimes called ‘le village des amoureux’, a forward thinking mayor named Pierre Rousseau created a public garden called ‘le jardin des amoureux’. Its main features are the Lover's Gazebo and the Tree of Vows, which is a metal sculpture shaped like a Weeping Willow dripping hearts. The garden is made up of trees planted by couples who have visited the village, and it's even possible to plant your own tree to commemorate your trip. Many proposals and even wedding ceremonies have taken place in the jardin des amoureux. On Valentine’s day there is always a special celebration for the whole village with a spectacle, and residents houses and gardens are extravagantly decorated with hearts and flowers.

Although this year La saint-Valentin might be on a much smaller scale, happily this romantic fête need not be cancelled completely.

Valentine's soap gifts

Why not give the gift of soap for Valentines? We are really excited to bring online our new Savon de Marseille gift box: ‘Des Amis Provençaux’ with the traditional Lavender Savon de Marseille large soap block (300g) and three additional 125g French market soaps.

Alternatively we have the romantic ‘Ma Provence: Amour’ gift box containing: Rose, Lily of the Valley, Verbena and Almond soaps, or the Terre et Mer 4 soap set containing Crushed Lemon, Rosemary, Marine and Olive oil soaps - and a wide range of other sets all available now.