by Estim20, HSM Editor

Quick question for readers: when you think of February, what is the first mental image that pops into your head?

Chances are three Februarian features percolate through our mental membrane. First, we have winter. As much as it can be painful to admit, winter isn’t dead yet. Snow still covers most of the country that receives snow on a regular basis, and those of us without it may still suffer the wrath of Father Winter in the upcoming weeks. The South, especially, received a polar wave that reminded us that Murphy’s Law still affects temperature, streets, and driving capacity.

And we have the second part to wonder whether this will continue into March. Groundhog’s Day is a celebration of a subterranean rodent’s ability to predict continued winter by seeing his shadow – and Home has seen it before, via an adorably squat companion. Companions used to be the glimmer in our collective conscious, weren’t they? We couldn’t get enough of them, and now we’re making good use of LMOs instead – sunrise, sunset.

The third factor is the one that still beguiles people to this day: Valentine’s Day.

We recognize it as a holiday revolving around love, chocolates, and romance today, though as with many customs, this hasn’t been the case since antiquity. It began as a liturgical observation honoring (no shock) St. Valentine, who earned sainthood on February 14^th. He was associated with courtly love, something considered chivalrous and kept in secret between nobility, which eventually mutated into the modern concept of love and romance.

February 14^th is, according to tradition, Valentine’s feast day – and depending on where you live you may be celebrating it a variety of ways. Japan, for example, compliments it with White Day the following month. Women give men chocolate in February (with the type of chocolate giving a message about the relationship they have with the person) and men give in return in March.  In Taiwan, the set-up is reversed. Many Western countries practice sending Valentine’s Day cards and, much like in the rest of the world, chocolate is a common gift.

As a result, Valentine’s Day isn’t quite what it once was during the High Middle Ages; instead it focuses on a more informal celebration  – at least as far as the general public in the West is concerned. Many users on Home may eschew (or even be unaware of) the original religious and noble connotations, desiring a far more social, secular form of the holiday. Dates are typical, as are more modern ideas of entertainment, such as film and (unsurprisingly) video gaming.

Home hasn’t forgotten the tradition and has, since its inception, offered Valentine’s Day content – ranging from events with free rewards to purchasable content. KOVOK has joined the celebration with its first Valentine’s Day offerings in 2014, showing off its new Altamar line (first featured last week).

From KOVOK’s copy: “This Valentine´s day KOVOK wants you to fall in love! So we bring you the most exclusive line of Altamar. Harmony, warmth and beauty are the main elements in this collection. A unique design marked with a passion for the color red, a fruit of our love for luxury and quality. With ´Loving Altamar´ it is impossible to go unnoticed; you will shine like a star. Let yourself fall in love.”

Altamar promises – and delivers – a sense of sophistication and elegance that earns a following here on Home. Its Valentine’s Day showcase is no different; men receive a tuxedo with rose in pocket and women received an appropriately red dress for the occasion. It is a holiday built around love so everything is designed for the right romantic angle without sacrificing the high class style that Altamar’s first pieces of content established.

Naturally, this being a holiday about giving as much as it is about love, there are more items to behold. Two additional items, in fact, make an appearance in this line. First, we have a walking heart companion, complete with wings. The heart has, of course, been used as common iconography for the holiday, along with flowers. It is a cute little companion, with the hopes of keeping the holiday’s atmosphere intact.

Speaking of flowers, the second item is a flower ornament: a red rose displayed in a glass container and faintly glowing as petals fall. Anyone familiar with Beauty and the Beast may have flashbacks to the story – in fact, it would help machinima artists recreate the tale if so motivated. It is a must for a good romantic evening and is definitely welcome for the occasion.

Expect these to hit stores this coming week!

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