How and Why Start the Rest of the Year With Love? Dragobete, the Romanian Valentine's Day

Every year, after the cold winter months, nature comes back to life. The warmth of the sun caresses the green-ish pastures and trees will soon begin to blossom. This is the preparation for the spring and for the renewal of all beings.

Legend says that on the 24th of February, an almost mythological creature comes to life, and thus uniting all nature into pairs. It’s what we here in Romania know as the Dragobete, a similar celebration to the more commercial Valentine’s Day.

It’s considered to be the first day of spring, the day when birds begin to nest and mate. Maidens used to collect the last snow and use it to make love or magic potions the rest of the following year. Boys gifted girls snowdops as a symbol of pure love and rebirth of nature.

According to tradition, this creature helps bind together all living beings, contributing each year to the rebirth of the natural world. The birds fall in love, the animals fall in love, humans fall in love. It is a time for caring to all that is around and inside us.

So this is an invitation to start fresh. To find reasons to love your life, your self, with good and bad things, with illness and health, with abundance or scarcity, with whatever is currently present in your life. Accept that this is what you have and focus on what you can do with it.

What positive change can you make for yourself or for somebody else? It might be your experience and advice in some area, or a kind word to someone who needs comforting. It might be a journal entry or a self-talk to yourself.

It’s your choice, do what resonates with you. But whatever your choice is, be sure is a gift of love. Be sure it is kind, compassionate and gentle. There’s no room for hard or pointy corners today. Only time for comfort, coziness and positive thought.

Do whatever makes you feel better: read a book, watch a movie or a favorite TV series, write a blog, write in your journal, write to a friend, call a friend (why not?), cook something good to eat to a loved one, give a massage, take a nap, etc. There are loads of things you can do to feel loved and help others feel the same way as well.

We are all different and have personal choices. I just wrote a few examples of what you could do. The point here is to come alive with a sense of ease and comfort, with a new warmth in your heart and hopefully in the hearts of others too.

May you have a wonderful and safe day!

As always, yours truly,
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