Hearts, Cupids, and Red Roses

by Barth, Edna

• ISBN13: 9780618067916
• ISBN10: 0618067914
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2001-01-21
• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Summary

Describes the celebration of St. Valentine's Day from pagan festivals to present-day activities. Each of our holidays has its own familiar traditions: Trick-or-treating on Halloween, eating turkey on Thanksgiving, waiting for Santa Claus on Christmas, exchanging cards on Valentine's Day. But where do these customs come from, when did they begin, and why do we continue to observe them? In the engaging blend of careful research and lively prose that has earned her books a lasting place on the holiday bookshelf, Edna Barth explores the multicultural origins and evolution of the familiar and not-so-familiar symbols and legends associated with our favorite holidays. Full of fascinating historical details and little-known stories, these books are both informative and engaging. Festively illustrated by Ursula Arndt, they are now available again in hardcover as well as paperback editions, featuring new, eye-catching jacket designs, and fun holiday activities inside the paperback covers. Each book includes an annotated list of holiday stories and poems and an index.

Author Biography

Edna Barth grew up on the Massachusetts coast and received a B.A. degree from Radcliffe College and a B.S. from the School of Library Science at Simmons College. She worked as a librarian, a teacher, and an editor of books for young people before becoming the beloved author of many well-known books Born in West Germany, Ursula Arndt studied at the Academy of Arts in Dusseldorf and worked as a freelance artist in Europe before coming to the United States. She lived in Brooklyn, New York, for many years and illustrated a number of popular children's books. Arndt is also well known for her work with the greeting-card designer George Caspari

Table of Contents

How St. Valentine's Day Came to Be	8	(8)
Valentines in the Old World	16	(8)
Valentines Cross the Atlantic	24	(9)
True-Love Tokens	33	(5)
Enter Cupid	38	(4)
Valentine Love Birds	42	(3)
Hearts and Sweethearts	45	(4)
Roses Are Red	49	(6)
Valentine Lace	55	(2)
Red, Pink, and White	57	(2)
Valentine Goodies	59	(3)
Stories and Poems for Valentine's Day	62	(1)
Sources	63	(1)
Index	64