top of page

Valentine's Day

Celebrate  Valentine's Day with special jigs, reels, and strathspeys!  

 

A traditional Sottish love token is the presentation to the recipient of your affection with a Luckenbooth brooch, often given as a betrothal or wedding brooch.

These silver brooches consisted of entwined hearts, or hearts with a crown on top. The name is derived from the Luckenbooths or Locking Booths – small shops that were a regular feature on Edinburgh’s Royal Mile.

 

Luckenbooths also might be worn by nursing mothers or be pinned to a baby's clothing to protect it from harm.  Variations of these brooches were also sometimes known as a witches' brooches or witches' hearts to protect against the "evil eye."

 
"Happy Valentine"
ilovealassie
"Valentine" (Bell)
"Heart to Heart"
"A Valentine Wedding Knot"
"Hearts Content"
"Lovers Knot"
"Love Spoon"
"Gibb's Valentine Party"
"Lady Valentine's Jig"
"My Cary Valentine"
"Saint Valentine's Day" (Donaldson)
"Saint Valentine's Day" (Mitchell)
"Valentine Special"
"Valentine's Strathspey" (Baker)
"Valentine's Strathspey" (Willitt)
"The Valentine"
"Heartbeat"

Selected Dances

(click for more Valentine's Day folklore and background information)

The Flirt

Valentine's Day

Whether dancing or not today, Happy Valentine's Day to all Scottish Country Dancers! Should you be heading to a Valentine's Ball, this might be a good time to brush up on your vintage flirtation skills while keeping cool with the versatile folding fan! During the 17th century and later fans were used by both women and men to subtly communicate. "The Original Fanology or Ladies' Conversation Fan Book" was published in 1797 and contained details about how to hold silent but richly meaningful conversations simply through unique movements of a fan! Some common communiques included: Drawing it across the cheek or placing the fan on the heart (I love you); Letting it rest on the right cheek (yes); Letting it rest on the left cheek (no); Dropping the fan (We will be friends); Drawing the fan across the eyes (I am sorry); Twirling it in right hand (I love another); and Carrying it in right hand in front of face (Follow me)! This flirty jig (also known as "C'est l'amour") presents several fan-less opportunities for flirtatious glances during the dance! And afterwards, cool down with a fan between those sets and examine a full range of encoded fan movements that might be just the right Valentine's Day message by clicking the link below! Happy Valentine's Day! 💜 💌 ❤️ 💘 ❤️

 Valentine Dance Index 

(click for dance description or cribs)

Dance
Type
Couples
Devisor
Source
Link Note
A Valentine Wedding Knot
Jig
3C/4C
Cannonito
Plighted Troth
Coming Soon
Braw Wooer
Jig
3C/4C
Drewry
Rondel Book
C'est l'amour (The Flirt)
Jig
3C/4C
RSCDS Book 34
Chased Lovers
Jig
3C/4C
Wilson
World Wide Weavings
First Love
Strathspey
3C/4C
Baker
Let's All Dance Too
First Love
Strathspey
2C/4C
Ligtmans
The Thistle Club
Coming Soon
Follow Your Love
Strathspey
3C
Steed
Friendship Dances
Gibbs' Valentine Party
Reel
4C
Campbell
Ottawa 25
Happy Valentine
Jig
3C/4C
Macfarlane
Tayside Collection 1983-2003
Coming Soon
Heart to Heart
Strathspey
3C/4C
Chennault
2009
Heartbeat
Strathspey
3C
Hearts Content
Reel
3C/4C
S Fogg & M Turner
Coming Soon
Lady Valentine's Jig
Jig
4C
Sawyer
Coming Soon
Love Spoon
Strathspey
3C
L Reid
Love Stricken
Reel
4C
P Richardson
Love is Like a Dizziness
Reel
5C
Boehmer
Cameo 14
Coming Soon
Love is in the Air
Reel
3C
Eysseric
Lover's Lane
Jig
3C
Lataille
Still Enough to Dance
Coming Soon
Lover's Quarrel
Jig
2C/4C
M&D Keppie
Siz and Half a Dozen
Lover's Track
Jig
3C/4C
McMurtry
Coming Soon
Saint Valentine's Day
Reel
3C/4C
Mitchell
Whetherly 10
Coming Soon
St Valentine's Day
Reel
3C/4C
Donaldson
South African
The Clumsy Lover
Reel
3C/4C
Richardson
Aurora 10
The Hopeful Lover
Reel
3C/4C
McColl
Friendship 1
Coming Soon
The Hopeful Lover
Strathspey
3C/4C
Beattie
Charities 7 & 8
Coming Soon
The Hopeful Lovers
Reel
3C/4C
Boyd
The Cairdin' O't
The Lovers' Knot
Strathspey
3C/4C
RSCDS VIII
The Luckenbooth Brooch
Jig
3C/4C
Dickson
Reels & Wheels
The Valentine
Strathspey
3C/4C
Gaul
Magazine
Coming Soon
Trysting Place
Strathspey
2C/4C
Boyd
RSCDS Book 35
Valentine
Strathspey
3C/4C
Linda Gaul
Dances 2009
Valentine
Strathspey
3C/4C
Bell
Dundonald Coll.
Coming Soon
Valentine Special
Strathspey
3C
M & D Keppie
Haliburton SCD Book #7
Valentine Strathspey
Strathspey
4C
Wilitt
Valentine's Strathspey
Strathspey
4C
Baker
Liverpool 40th
Coming Soon

Jan    Feb    Mar    Apr    May    Jun    Jul    Aug    Sep    Oct    Nov    Dec

bottom of page