NEW YORK (ACNI) – The flowers have begun to wilt, the heart-shape boxes of chocolate have been picked over, and Cupid’s annual messages of love are now propped up on bedside tables or pasted into scrapbooks for future generations’ amusement. Yes, another Valentine’s Day has passed, but oh how the holiday has changed.

As antiques authority Terry Kovel wrote in her Feb. 13 column in Auction Central News, Valentine’s Day has been celebrated for centuries. The tradition of sending romantic cards became entrenched in Western society by the 1790s, Kovel says. Over time, the artistry seen in valentines has become more sophisticated, evolving from lacy, pasted-together cards of simple design to 3-D pop-ups and modern talking cards.

What will come next? If our youngest generation has any say about it, the whole Valentine’s Day process just might become a girl’s prerogative. No longer content to sit about waiting for a red envelope to appear in the mailbox, today’s young ladies seem to want a more proactive approach to courtship. Take, for instance, the self-confident message in this Valentine’s story written by 5-year-old Bo Tillmanns-Ellison:

The Boy and the Girl that Fell in Love

By Bo Tillmanns-Ellison

On Valentine’s Day, the boy named Eric was going to work in the afternoon. He was walking down the street and he saw the girl named Julia.

Julia was going to the bakery for a cupcake and a cake with her friend Rachel. Eric saw Julia first, then Julia saw Eric. Eric said, “Hello,” and Julia said “Hello” back. Then they wanted to get dinner together.

Julia asked Eric to go to Meme [her favorite restaurant] with her, and he said, “Yes!” They went at 7:30.

Julia had macaroni and cheese, and Eric ordered a burger, with fries and Ketchup. For dessert they shared chocolate ice cream with presents all around it. Then he walked her home and it started raining. Neither of them had an umbrella. It was a storm. They loved the rain. They stepped in puddles. Finally, Julia got home. Julia said, “Let’s meet for breakfast,” and Eric said, “Sure!”

THE END

This Valentine’s Day scenario, in which the girl takes the reins, asks the boy to dinner and even chooses the restaurant, would have been unheard of in previous generations. But whether it’s the girls or boys calling the shots in future editions of Valentine’s Day, one thing we know for sure is that the very personal experience of choosing a special valentine, and the excitement of receiving one, will never go out of style.

Additional editorial written by ACN staff

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About Bo Tillmanns-Ellison:

Bo Tillmanns-Ellison is 5 3/4 years old. She attends school in New York City and enjoys spending weekends and summers in the Hamptons. Bo loves to draw, paint, collect shells on the beach, and watch movies. Her friends are very important to her, and she loves ‘all the princesses in the world, especially Princess Ariel.’

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