If you are like me then I am sure when you realized Valentine’s Day is also Ash Wednesday, you sighed a little and got disappointed. While the beginning of Lent is an important time for Catholics, it doesn’t mean we can’t be a little thrown off by the timing of it this year. I realize not everyone enjoys Valentine’s Day, but for some, it’s a fun holiday that we look forward to each year. It is especially fun to celebrate with our kids and leave little treats.
So, how do we celebrate when it coincides with a fasting day and day that we remember our death? I want to share 3 ideas on how to can celebrate it this year.
- Move celebrations to the day before, and combine Mardi Gras with Valentine’s day this year. Pancake supper? Make them in the shape of hearts or add on red sprinkles while still enjoying a king cake for dessert.
- Choose to celebrate it on Valentine’s Day but without the candy and instead write notes to each other or give a nonfood related gift. Combining the two holidays is actually a little bit easier than you might think. One is about celebrating love, the other is the beginning of Lent, a season where we prepare for the Resurrection, which is the greatest act of love! This can be a great opportunity to teach our kids about love and sacrifice.
- Combine the two options above. You can celebrate Valentine’s Day with a special meal the day before (or weekend before) and still give a non food related gift or notes on the actual day. Teach your kids about “doing small things with great love” and watch them get creative!
What I will be doing this year
We are kind of thrown for a loop this year with Valentine’s day falling on Ash Wednesday AND my son’s birthday falling on Good Friday (we already talked with him saying that cake will wait until the day after, but he can still receive presents on his birthday). We are most likely going to do option #3 listed above.
I already talked with the kids and let them know we are celebrating the day before since Ash Wednesday is a day of fasting. I’ll probably make sheet-pan pancakes and use a heart cookie cutter to make them into hearts. I will also still have a king cake (our king cake is just cinnamon rolls with sprinkles and a blueberry stuck inside one of them for someone to find).
I still am planning to give them a little present on Valentine’s day. I’m making each a knotted fleece blanket/wrap- I found discounted fabric at Joann’s Fabric Store and have started cutting the fabric so I can begin knotting them together.
The older kids attend Catholic school, so they will be able to go to mass and get ashes, and we will also talk about Ash Wednesday and Lent with them at home. It should end up being a nice balance of the two holidays while still prioritizing our faith obligations as well.
This is how my family will be celebrating Valentine’s Day while still fulfilling Ash Wednesday obligations this year. At the end of the day though, it is important to do what is best for your family. However you choose to celebrate, I hope you have a wonderful time and enjoy getting creative!
