VALENTINE’S DAY GIFT ideas for CHRISTIANS

Is it possible to have Christian Valentine’s Gifts, that is, Valentines Day gifts – for a Christian?

We think so, and in our SHOP we have a few VALENTINE’S DAY GIFTS of jewellery combining themes of both Love and Christianity – in particular, Crosses with Hearts, but also Love-Lock-Key jewellery, Friendship jewellery, etc. as well as the ‘Love’ or ‘Romance’ gemstones of Garnet, Rose Quartz, Jade and Moonstone combined with a Christian symbol. Any of these can given as a Valentine’s present that has Christian overtones or significance.

But don’t some Christians believe that Valentines Day is a ‘pagan’ festival?

It is true that, whilst the origin of Valentine’s Day has ‘connections’ to Christianity, there are those that say that it actually originated in the Roman festival of Lupercalia. This was a fertility festival around February that honoured the Roman gods of Juno (goddess of marriage and women), Pan (god of nature), as well as Faunus, Romulus, and Remus. Others say that Valentine was a holy priest in Rome in the days of Emperor Claudius II, who was executed for preaching the love of God.

But the essence of Christianity is said to be Love and the doctrine of Saint Valentine was to embrace love, to show love and to preach love. Hatred was to be discouraged. And for this reason alone (if any reason is actually needed), St Valentine’s Day can be celebrated as a time to show our love (usually for someone in a romantic way) or even rekindle it.

So, despite the fact that a few Christians think that Saint Valentine is to be shunned, many, many more think that the expression of love is more important and, by combining love and Christian symbols in our jewellery, we are able to offer Valentine’s Day Gifts for Christians.

See some Christian VALENTINES DAY GIFT IDEAS in our SHOP

If you really appreciate someone who happens to be of the Christian faith, why not let them know – with one of our inspirational gifts for Valentine’s Day

Around this time of year we see that “love is in the air”, hearts are everywhere (mostly red – although heart-shaped boxes of chocolates are very popular), and flowers are ordered for those with more romantic Valentine’s Day gift ideas. People also have a bit of fun with their Valentines Day presents.

But many of these things, particularly flowers and chocolates, don’t last that long. So why not consider something a bit more persistent, enduring and lasting . . like Valentine Jewellery – meaningful jewellery for girlfriends, boyfriends, sweethearts, husbands, wives . . and friends.

But kind words are important too, and so we have made it possible for customers to add a personal message to each of our gifts, which we then print on one of our gift cards.

Gem Stones for luck in love?

Something else that might be of interest: We are the Good Luck Gift shop – so why not take a look in our store for a gift that might actually help you get lucky in love yourself! For example, some gemstones are said to actually attract love! In particular, Garnet, Rose Quartz and Jade are very popular. And it is also said that if you place a Moonstone under your pillow at night, you will dream of your loved-one!

A Christian prayer for Saint Valentine’s Day goes something like this:

“God bless you on this special day, God keep you in His care, and may His blessing and His love go with you everywhere”

And in the Bible (Corinthians), it mentions Faith, Hope and Love – saying that the greatest of these is Love. So let’s commemorate love on Saint Valentine Day and remember that, as the saying goes: “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.”

In popular culture, the heart signifies love: And we have quite a lot of HEART JEWELLERY in our Store

The heart is symbolic of our spiritual and emotional core because the heart is thought to be the seat of the human soul: A piece of heart jewellery depicts love, as well as commitment, passion and longing.

Another example of Saint Valentine’s jewellery isthe so-called lock and key jewellery, or the love lock necklace – whereby a lock and key is combined into a charm and used to signify a secured (and sometimes, secret) love connection: One half of the lock-and-key set is kept by each partner to maintain a feeling of connection – even when both partners are (or have to be) physically apart. Heart, lock and key jewellery is very powerful symbolically: Give a friend or loved-one a piece of lock and key jewellery, and it means you are gifting them a piece of your fidelity. In this way, you wish (and hopefully, will get) the key to their heart in return. Indeed, a key gifted to a loved-one is said to signify that you are actually holding the key to their heart.

And what about love jewellery in general? Do love charms actually work?

Love charms can be traced back to the ancient world of Egypt, Greece and Rome. Common Anglo Saxon love charms included rings, flowers (such as red roses, and lilies), a lock of hair – especially when braided into a circle and kept in locket; dove feathers . . and love jewellery.

Wearing a piece of love jewellery is said to make someone feel more desirable – at least in their own mind. Many women in Ancient Greece used love jewellery as well as spells as a form of therapy. Regardless of whether the spells actually worked, it made them feel more comfortable and it made them feel as if they had some control over their lives.

We hope that our Love Jewellery works in the same way, not only as the ideal gift, but also as something for yourself . . to perhaps help you to find true love with the special person or friend in your life. Our pieces of love jewellery worn in a noticeable manner, may well work in this respect. They are objects that represent a desired change or outcome, and the charm focuses the mind to help you get what you want.

We stock a great deal of Concha Shell jewellery too: The concha shell has a long association with love.

Indeed, the principal symbol of Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love, is the shell. Over thousands of years, gods and goddesses from different cultures have displayed concha shells as symbols of romance and love.

But whatever your beliefs, Saint Valentine is still the the patron saint of love and, every year on 14th February, people celebrate this day by sending gifts of love and affection to partners and friends.

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LUCKY GIFTS

Did you know that over a third of people believe in luck (according to a YouGov survey) and a similar number consider that “touching wood” or “knocking on wood” will avoid bad luck?

Amongst sportsmen and women, this figure is much higher – especially on the big day of an event, competition, match or test / exam.

See Lucky Gifts for a special event or occasion in our ♥ Good Luck Gift Shop store online

If YOU are looking for a lucky gift . . you are not alone! At any one time, up to 30% of shoppers are looking to buy a gift (£1bn+ in sales, in the UK alone) and of those, 10% are shopping to buy a “good luck gift” – that’s a lot of good luck sentiment looking to buy something to pass on wishes of good fortune to a friend or loved-one in their latest venture, event or occasion.

Many politicians, actors and sports people in particular like to carry a lucky charm, talisman or amulet, or keep one in their car, house or office. But they are not the only people who believe in good luck symbols and charms: Millions of us like to put our trust in little good luck talismans to attract good fortune (or amulets to ward off bad luck). It’s probably all down to superstition: For example, so many people avoid the number 13 in the Western hemisphere, that it is often absent from the floor of a hotel or the seat number on a plane.

The truth is, that behind many of our beliefs, there is a long history of superstition to which many people feel compelled to adhere. For example, the tradition of touching wood for good luck, dates back thousands of years when trees and Mother Nature were perceived as having a special connection. Even these days, there are few people who will openly tempt fate. This is because they sub-consciously believe that Fate is lurking out there somewhere, and they don’t want to attract her wrath.

Carmina_Burana_wheel_of_fortune — The wheel of fortune – an ancient belief

In Greek and Roman Mythology, Fate was in fact THREE goddesses who presided over the birth, and life of humans. Each person’s destiny was depicted as a thread – spun, measured, and finally cut by the three Fates: Clotho, Lachesis, and Atropos. On the other hand, Lady Luck is said to be the personification of GOOD luck, a version of Fortuna (or the Greek goddess Tyche) who was the goddess of fortune and the embodiment of luck in Roman culture. Fortuna is often depicted holding a ship’s rudder, a Rota Fortunae (wheel of fortune, first mentioned by Cicero) and a Cornucopia (horn of plenty). However, even Fortuna represented life’s capriciousness and could bring good luck and bad in equal measure because she was also a goddess of fate.

Lucky gift Pig ceramic — Even the Pig is considered lucky in some cultures

So, over the centuries, the concept of luck has been important and even today millions of people genuinely believe that some sort of good luck charm will bring them good fortune and prosperity, and that it will keep misfortune at bay. In fact, it has been proved in scientific experiments that it is this BELIEF that makes them have good luck or bad.

The British Museum has a complete collection of lucky charms and talismans dating back centuries. Some of the most powerful people in the world have believed in good luck charms: President Roosevelt carried one in his jacket; Napoleon carried a lucky coin; and during his election campaign, Barack Obama carried an array of good luck charms in his pocket. Michael Jordan, the famous Chicago Bulls basketball star, spent his entire NBA career wearing his old University of North Carolina shorts under his team shorts – for good luck.

Lucky Indalo travel charm bracelet — Indalo mojo bracelet

Lucky gifts

So, yes, people like to have so-called ‘Lucky Charms’, and giving one to a friend or loved-one can be a smart idea because, overall, most people are mindful of Lady Luck and are often looking for ways to appease her. To make sure that your Lucky Gift goes down well, it would be wise to listen to the words of Tennessee Williams: “There’s real power in a thought made positive or concrete by a lucky charm”. Yes, lucky charm gifts really can help people’s dreams come true, and a gift for good luck that has real meaning will almost always be a success.

We have a great many good luck charms / symbols and LUCKY GIFTS in ♥ The Good Luck Gift Shop store . .

Our good luck gifts are based on ancient faiths, talismans, and symbols . . the sort that have helped people for many years. People have put their faith in these beliefs for centuries: And our gifts help people to have this belief. They have real provenance and derivation.

The simple lucky clover:

It is believed that the meaning of clovers pre-dates Christianity, going back to a time when clovers were used as Celtic charms. The Celts once extended across Ireland and into much of Western Europe and the Celtic priests, the Druids, considered them a sign of good luck, allegedly protecting against evil spirits and warding off evil / bad luck.

According to legend, the four leaves of a Lucky Clover represent hope, faith, love, and luck because, in Irish Christian tradition, the Shamrock (or 3-leaf clover) represented the Holy Trinity: one leaf for the Father, one for the Son and one for the Holy Spirit. When a Shamrock has a fourth leaf, it represents God’s Grace, and so encapsulates everything that a person could want.

The ubiquitous lucky horseshoe:

The Horseshoe is probably the most commonly recognised good luck symbol in the Western World. The combination of luck, protection, religion, and magic that is captivated by the Horseshoe symbol means that many people believe it will bring them good fortune – and help to ward off evil.

Man has long believed that the crescent-shape was a powerful protective talisman: For the Greeks, it symbolised the moon with links to Artemis and Diana. In olde England, St Dunstan nailed a horseshoe to a horse when working as a blacksmith. But the horse was actually the Devil in disguise and it caused the Devil great pain. St Dunstan only agreed to remove the shoe after the Devil promised never to enter a house with a horseshoe. And so, the symbol of protection arose.

Lucky gemstones:

For years, people have thought that certain gemstones have magical powers. e.g. Jade is supposed to promote longevity; Rose Quartz to attract love, and Carnelian is believed to bring courage.

Back to Cleopatra and beyond, gemstone jewellery has been worn for their supposed magical powers . . to help protect people, bring them prosperity and good luck, as well as good health, longevity . . even love, and to help them to succeed. It has been scientifically proved that this belief brings people better fortune in their lives.

Religious symbols for good fortune

Many people believe that religious symbols can bring them good fortune. For example, on the famous Camino de Santiago across northern Spain it is common to see people carrying the Scallop Shell symbol – la concha de vieira . . an expression and reflection of their faith perhaps, but also for some, it has been give them as a lucky gift to wish “buen viaje” or “buen camino” or “good journey”.

Travellers cross promoting faith and good fortune

Many also carry with them the cross of St James, the Travellers Cross – believed to promote faith and good fortune.

Not all lucky gifts are the same. But one thing is certain: The gifts for good luck in our shop are designed to be just that: Gifts to pass on good fortune – items for the home or office that are genuinely believed to be lucky – possessing provenance and real, genuine character that really DOES mean something, and usually featuring symbols that people have put their faith in for many years.

Make sure that your lucky gift has real provenance / derivation. If it doesn’t, it’ll just be another meaningless gift to fill up the mantlepiece shelf.

Now that you know it’s best if a lucky gift has real meaning, you’re ready to find that ideal and magical gift for good luck that features in our shop

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Stone for love – Valentines Day and Garnet

Which stone means love? What is the best stone to attract love and a soulmate? Does Rose Quartz attract love at Valentines, or Garnet? So what is the gemstone for love?

Birthstones and Gemstone jewellery for luck in love:

Search for ♥ Valentine gifts in our Good Luck Gift Shop store

We also have a few items of Rose Quartz jewellery in our store – the pink stone for love

Wow! Did you know that if you search on Google for Stones For Love – you get over 2 billion results! (Valentines only returns a mere x1 billion). So “stone for love” is a popular search indeed and it indicates that a lot of people are looking for love – and hoping perhaps to get some sort of “other-worldly” or celestial help to achieve it 😉 Here are some other common searches:

Stone for love and happiness: Stone for love marriage: Crystals for love and romance: Pink stone for love: Gemstone to attract soulmate: Crystals for love spells: Gemstone for love success: What stone for love and marriage?

OK you get the picture!! and the most commonly-used stones to attract love appear to be: Garnet, Rose Quartz and Jade. Moonstone also features as a gemstone for affection (although it also has an element of protection). Place Moonstone under your pillow at night and dream of your loved-one – so the saying goes.

Find a few items of Moonstone jewellery in our shop

And also a bit of Jade jewellery .

For years, people have thought that certain gemstones have magical powers. For example, Jade is supposed to promote longevity, but some say Jade also attracts love: In ancient Egypt, Jade was admired as the stone of love, especially when fashioned in the shape of a heart. And of course, Rose Quartz and Garnet are supposed to bring love.

But wait! Isn’t Garnet the modern birthstone for January and Aquarius: January 21-February 19th? What better time then to get your loved-one something for Valentines featuring the magic gemstone Garnet. Yes, the Garnet gemstone is often gifted to loved-ones as a stone for love and happiness.

Garnet stone for love — Garnet: One of the stones for love

Garnet and its deep rich red is thought of as the stone of romantic love and passion, enhancing sensuality and intimacy. Although said to be more of a feminine life force and for women’s needs, Garnet is also said to encourage a quick return of a separated love. Garnets are often gifted to women when they fall in love, and so as Engagement presents too. The myth is that the Garnet, as a symbol of truth and purity, will secure someone’s love forever!

So, are you looking for marriage or love? What are you waiting for!

We have a few items of Garnet jewellery in our Good Luck Gift Shop store

Going back in history to Cleopatra and beyond, gemstones have been worn for their supposed magical powers . . to help protect people, bring them prosperity and good luck, as well as good health, longevity . . and love. Nowadays, it has been scientifically proved that it is the faith or belief in a positive outcome of events that brings people better fortune in their lives . . and so we imagine, luck in love.

NOTE:
Although a Garnet gem stone is often gifted to a loved-one as the stone of romantic love and passion, it is said that Noah hung a huge Garnet on the Ark to illuminate the dark and help him steer to safety: So travellers in the Middle Ages started carrying Garnet to supposedly light up their journey and to give them protection from misfortune. So, if your Valentine is going travelling sometime soon – great, what a combination is the purported qualities of Garnet, to achieve the perfect Valentine gift! Garnet is especially valued as a present to a lover or partner who is going to be away for a while on a trip.

St Valentine is celebrated on February 14th in many (not all) countries of the world – the day of Romance. On this day, gifts of love are exchanged – many unsigned, so the recipient if left wondering: “Who loves me enough to send me this card or this beautiful piece of gemstone jewellery?” In Dublin, Ireland . . in the Carmelite Church on Whitefriar Street, you will find the resting place of St Valentine, the patron Saint of love, and the so-called inspiration behind all things to do with romance.

So, Valentine’s gifts can be varied and diverse – but will they help you find the one you want? The best we can do is to make someone feel extra special, and more loved and appreciated this Valentines Day, with a small and meaningful gift of love and inspiration from our shop:

But remember: Garnet is the gemstone for the month and can also be associated with the zodiac sign Aquarius.

Take a look in our Good Luck Gift Shop store for a gift to get luck in love!

For years, people have thought that certain gemstones have magical powers. e.g. Moonstone is supposed to offer calm and protection; Rose Quartz and Garnet are supposed to bring love!