Winter Happenings in the Hamptons 2020

So you always thought of the Hamptons as a summer resort for the beautiful people – maybe if you came out here, some of it might rub off on you…

But don’t worry – You are beautiful (and so is the East End) – any time of year!

Let’s take a look at what’s happening on the East End of Long Island in February and March.

Valentines Day

What would February be without Valentine’s Day? And this year it falls on the Friday of President’s Day Weekend.  So take some extra time to celebrate love (and our visionary forefathers!)

• Valentine’s Day is the second most popular card-sending holiday after Christmas. Approximately 150 million Valentine’s Day cards are exchanged annually – all around the world. February has long been celebrated as a month of romance, and St. Valentine’s Day, as we know it today, contains vestiges of both Christian and ancient Roman tradition.
• The Catholic Church recognizes at least three different saints named Valentine or Valentinus, all of whom were martyred. Tradition has it that one of these young men, held in a Roman prison, fell in love with his captor’s daughter. Before his death, it is alleged that he wrote her a letter signed, “From your Valentine,” an expression that is still used today. This sounds (to me) dubious – at best – but then many traditions are crafted around wishful thinking and calculated manipulation of existing traditions.

It seems more likely (to me) that the Christian church decided to place St. Valentine’s feast day in the middle of February in an effort to “Christianize” the pagan celebration of Lupercalia:

• ‘Celebrated at the ides of February, or February 15, Lupercalia was a fertility festival dedicated to Faunus, the Roman god of agriculture, as well as to the Roman founders Romulus and Remus. To begin the festival, members of the Luperci, an order of Roman priests, would gather at a sacred cave where the infants Romulus and Remus, the founders of Rome, were believed to have been cared for by a she-wolf or lupa. The priests would sacrifice a goat, for fertility, and a dog, for purification. They would then strip the goat’s hide into strips, dip them into the sacrificial blood and take to the streets, gently slapping both women and crop fields with the goat hide. Roman women welcomed the touch of the hides because it was believed to make them more fertile in the coming year. Later in the day, according to legend, all the young women in the city would place their names in a big urn. The city’s bachelors would each choose a name and become paired for the year with his chosen woman. These matches often ended in marriage.’

Check out the Huffington Post’s Blog for 10 Valentine’s Day Traditions All Around the World and Travel Triangle’s 15 Valentine’s Day Traditions Around The World That Make The Day Of Love Special , or 5 Valentine’s Day Traditions From All Over The World That Will Make Single People Feel Less Alone from YourTango for more…

• “Pigs have a beautiful personality and are blessed with good fortune in life.” – Chinese Folklore

• “Love will find a way through paths where wolves fear to prey.” – Lord Byron

• “All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn’t hurt.” – Charles M. Schulz

And remember: 

• The 7 Proven Health Benefits of Dark Chocolates – I am all for Dark Chocolate!

• Ask our Personal Assistants for restaurants we recommend to spice up your Valentine’s Dinner! 
• Or just hang out in your suite with the one you love and eat Dark Chocolate… (It’s good for you!)

Long Island Winterfest 2020

13th Annual Long Island Winterfest February 7 – March 8, 2020

Experience the magic of the East End in the Winter! From Wine Tastings to Vineyard Performances to Theatrical Performances and more… Meet the Farmers, the Bakers, the Makers, the Performers, the Artists, the Musicians and the Chefs without traffic or crowds. Sit by fireplaces sipping wine, enjoy winter sunsets and live entertainment across the North Fork and in the Hamptons.

• Winery Tours & Tastings
• Brewery Tours & Tastings
• Food Trucks
• Cocktails
• Chocolate Pairings
• Coffee Tastings
• Cider Tastings
• Galleries
• Live Music
• Comedy
• Book Signings
• Farmers Markets
• Parties
• Line Dancing
• Karaoke
• Theaters
  • Bay Street Theater Sag Harbor NY
  • Guild Hall, East Hampton NY
  • Southampton Cultural Center
  • Suffolk Theater Riverhead, NY
• Stay Tuned – event schedules and participating venues will continue to be updated.

Hamptons Arts Thaw Fest

Hamptons Arts Network Thaw Fest March 6 – 29 2020 

Hamptons Arts Network (HAN) is a consortium of not-for-profit organizations working together to create a unified arts community of the Hamptons. Their goal is to promote collaboration, partnerships, and shared programming among its members. They also advocate for the arts in the area of economic development, tourism, and education.

• Cocktails
• Parties
• Dancing
• Garden Tours
• Chamber Music
• Decorative Arts Tour
• Film Screenings

Saint Patrick’s Day Parade

• Montauk is the place to be Sunday March 22nd, 2020! The second biggest parade in New York State (after NYC), with Marching Bands, Bagpipes, Floats, Clam Chowder, and more. The official end of winter in the Hamptons.  The Clam Bar opens for the season. Not to be missed… Stay tuned for more!

But even if you just want to escape, that’s fine with us – maybe it will snow… But not on Saint Patty’s Day, please. 

Sylvia