Figure 1.--The press caption here read, "Children's Vslentune Party Given at the Whitehall Hotel, Palm Beach Florida: A Valentine day party was given by Martin Jr. and Joan Sweeny of New York. Photo shows Lola and Charles Pierce, the children of Mr. and Mrs. H. Denny Pierce of New York (Social Register)." The photograph is dated February 22, 1930. A reader writes, "Martin looks to be anything but happy to have his photo taken holding his sister's hand."

Valetine's Day is more of an adult holiday with men buying gifts for wives and sweethearts. Grade school kids are not all that interested in each other. This does not begin to occur until the teen years. Here we a Valentine's Day party for younger children. The boy doesn't seem too thrilled about it (figure1). I don't recall Valentine Day parties as a boy un the 1940s and 50s. I have a vague recollection in grade school some sort of celebration. And the teacher decorating the walls with some Valentuine Day items. I seem to recall there was some candy. Teachers liked making the class room look special with seasonal and special day celebrations--items like hearts and arrows. Much of it was cut outs using colored paper. I recall exchanging Valentine Day cards in class. I don't think that is very common any more. When we exchanged cards the popular kids got a lot and the kids ho were not very popular only got a few. I think that the feeling today is avoid anything which causes hurt feeling like this. A Philadelphia reader writes, "I also remember celebrating Valentines Day in the lower grades duing the late-1959s. We would exchange cards. A few boys would get to be mailmen and deliver the cards to the students' desks. As I recall it was but it is so long ago I could be wrong. Remember, back then gender roles were so much more defined. I do not remember female mail carriers in those days. The transit company in Philly back then did not hire woman to operate the vehicles. The only woman were ones that signed on to work the trolleys back in World War II. They were grandfathered in. The last one of them retired in the late-70s. Of course by then woman were hired for all jobs."

Created: 9:46 PM 1/26/2020
Last updated: 9:57 AM 1/29/2020