Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Favorite tea pots and tea cups for Valentine's Day


Let's Have Tea, Won't We?

Isn't it always fun to celebrate Valentine's Day? I'd love to have a tea party with the grandkids, but our church has a "Princess Party" for Valentine's Day every year, and the littlest ones through the teens participate. The teens are the helpers for the day. The home schoolers also have a party, so they are pretty well saturated with Valentine parties, therefore no tea party this month.

But I do have some favorite Valentine's Day tea cups and tea pots, and since there are 6 girls in this house anyway, I'll just enjoy tea with them! Here are my favorite tea pots for the occasion. I have bought most of these at garage sales or flea markets--all but the little Portmerion pot.



I do love this flower-full tea pots!

And now for my favorite tea cups for the occasion:
(the granddaughters have claims on these!)


And this is the lovely table decoration that we will use for our tea and biscuits!


A brief overview of St. Valentine's Day

St. Valentine has been associated with at least three different individuals who lived during the third century AD, a priest in Rome, a bishop of Interamna --now the Italian city of Terni-- and a Christian martyr in Africa. Many theologians believe that the priest in Rome and the bishop in Interamna were actually the same man (Catholic Encylopedia). The activities that may have landed Saint Valentine in prison were marrying young Christian couples, proselytizing, and offering comfort to other Christians suffering under Roman persecution.

Among the miracles attributed to Saint Valentine was the restoration of sight to a blind girl, who also happened to be the daughter of Saint Valentine’s jailer. Inspired by Saint Valentine’s wondrous deed, the jailer converted to Christianity. While this certainly contributed to Saint Valentine’s renown, it also may have helped seal his doom. When after suffering severe beatings at the orders of Emperor Claudius II Saint Valentine still refused to renounce Christ, he was beheaded. One story alleges that Saint Valentine fell in love with the jailer’s daughter, and wrote her a farewell note which he signed "Your Valentine," sowing the seeds of a romantic tradition.

As is the case with Christmas, the celebration of Valentine’s Day is one mingled with both Christian and pagan traditions. While Valentine is a saint of the Catholic Church, his holiday is more often associated with depictions of Cupid, the cherubic Roman god of love, whose arrows cause mortals to be stricken with amorous intentions. February 14 may have been selected by the Church because this was the time of a Roman fertility celebration called Lupercalia, during which young men and women would be paired with each other via a lottery-type random drawing, a practice which the Church deplored and attempted to undermine. Other sources state that February 14 was the date of Saint Valentine’s execution. The general consensus is that he died in 270 AD. 226 years later, February 14 officially became Valentine’s Day.


Read more at Suite101: The Story of Saint Valentine: Valentine's Day History http://www.suite101.com/content/the-story-of-saint-valentine-a44462#ixzz1CisKOn41

We can always celebrate the truth that there is One who loves us with an everlasting love and was willing to give Himself up for us so that our sins which were scarlet may be washed as white as snow. The Lord Jesus Himself, has promised to never leave us or forsake us if we are His.

Have a joy-filled day!

I am linking today to:

A Stroll Thru Life
http://astrollthrulife.blogspot.com

The Silken Purse
http://silkenpurse.blogspot.com

Tuesday Teatime with Lady Katherine
http://ladykatherineteaparlor.blogspot.com/

~ Teatime Tuesday with Sandi
http://sandimyyellowdoor.blogspot.com/

~ Teacup Tuesday with Martha
http://marthasfavorites.blogspot.com/


11 comments:

Grace on the Narrow Path

Beautiful tea pots and tea cups!!!
Blessings,
Bren

Terri

Beautiful tea cups! And I adore your gold and roses tea pot.
I enjoyed reading about St. Valentine. Thank you so much for sharing that information with us. You never know where some of these things come from!
hugs,
Terri

Sandi@ Rose Chintz Cottage

St. Valentine was indeed a very kind soul! I'm glad we remember his good deeds in such a romantic way. I just love your gold and roses teapot! It truly is a stunning piece. Thank you for joining me once again for Tea Time. Hope you're having a lovely week.

Blessings,
Sandi

Lady Katherine

Loved the history on Saint Valentine! I love your teapots, The flowers always speak to me. Oh, the teacups so many, just as lovely! So many favorites, but yet again, I see one with a tiny rose, Yes it is my favorite! Have fun having Tea with all the girls! Thank you for joining me for Tea Time! I love the feathers in your centerpiece

Belinda

Oh your tea pots and cups are so beautiful! I'm sure your grand daughters will cherish them one day.

Marty@A Stroll Thru Life

Oh I love them all. I don't think I could pick a favorite. So pretty. Thanks for the lesson on Valentine's, very interesting and informative. Hugs, Marty

The Quintessential Magpie

These are so pretty, and I'm crazy about the teapot in the Portmeirion Botanic Garden pattern. It's sweet that your grandchildren have claims on the various cups.

Interesting facts about Valentine's Day. I had read some of them before, but I always like to think of it as a Valentine from God for what He did for us with His son and Jesus' sacrifice for us. No greater love...

XO,

Sheila :-)

Slice of Pie

I just found your blog and I'm a new follower. Loved the post and appreciate the details about Valentine's Day. Did you know that Valentine thought that birds found their mates in mid-February ...thus the date?? Listen to the bird activity around your house in the middle of the month! Thanks so much for sharing. Nice to meet you!

fitty's pinky rose cottage

love all your teapots and teacups! and I have the same white teapot as yours! lovely!

Charity

When are we having tea and cookies? I want to use the cup with the girl and boy on them!

Wanda Lee

Hello there once again lovely lady!


What a delightful post!.., My, I love your exquisite teapots, yet I especially love the teapot with the roses and gold!.., So very beautiful!

Your information on Valentines was most interesting as well!..,

..,I always am so inspired as you also share timely scriptures and give glory to God!

Thanks so much for joining us for TTTT and also for TTFT this past week!

Cheers and hugs from Wanda Lee
@ The Plumed Pen/ http://theplumedpen.blogspot.com




P.S.~ Sorry that it has taken me quite awhile yet get by for a visit as I have been under the weather', not with a cold or flu, but with anemia and other health concerns)..,Better days ahead!

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