40396 Valentine Panda

40396 Valentine Panda is a Monthly Mini Model Build set that was released between February 1 and 28, 2020.
==Background==
Valentine's Day, also called Saint Valentine's Day or the Feast of Saint Valentine, is celebrated annually on February 14. It originated as a Western Christian feast day honoring one or two early Christian martyrs named Saint Valentine and is recognized as a significant cultural, religious, and commercial celebration of romance and love in many regions of the world.
There are a number of martyrdom stories associated with various Valentines connected to February 14, including an account of the imprisonment of Saint Valentine of Rome for ministering to Christians persecuted under the Roman Empire in the third century. According to an early tradition, Saint Valentine restored sight to the blind daughter of his jailer. Numerous later additions to the legend have better related it to the theme of love: an 18th-century embellishment to the legend claims he wrote the jailer's daughter a letter signed "Your Valentine" as a farewell before his execution; another addition posits that Saint Valentine performed weddings for Christian soldiers who were forbidden to marry.
The Feast of Saint Valentine was established by Pope Gelasius I in AD 496 to be celebrated on February 14 in honor of Saint Valentine of Rome, who died on that date in AD 269. The day became associated with romantic love in the 14th and 15th centuries when notions of courtly love flourished, apparently by association with the "lovebirds" of early spring. In 18th-century England, it grew into an occasion in which couples expressed their love for each other by presenting flowers, offering confectionery, and sending greeting cards (known as "valentines"). Valentine's Day symbols that are used today include the heart-shaped outline, doves, and the figure of the winged Cupid. Since the 19th century, handwritten valentines have given way to mass-produced greeting cards. In Italy, Saint Valentine's Keys are given to lovers "as a romantic symbol and an invitation to unlock the giver's heart", as well as to children to ward off epilepsy (called Saint Valentine's Malady).
==Description==
The small build has 53 pieces used to build a panda and its baseplate. The baseplate is a 4 x 4 Bright Yellowish Green plate with a 1 x 2 Black plate at one end, 2 x 2 White plate next to that, and one more 1 x 2 Black plate on the other side. Horizontally on top of that is a 1 x 4 White brick, with two 1 x 1 Black plates on the second half of the two 1 x 2 Black plates. Between those is a 1 x 2 White brick. Two 1 x 1 x 1 1/3 Black bricks with arches are attached to the two plates on the corner, forming a leg of sorts. Two 1 x 1 White plates are put on top of those, which levels out the top. On top of that is a 2 x 4 White plate, with a 1 x 2 Bright Red brick with knobs pointing outwards in the middle-back of that and with two 1 x 1 Black plates next to that. Another 1 x 2 Bright Red brick with knobs is placed in front of the previous Bright Red brick, whose knobs point the other direction. Two 1 x 1 Black angular plates are next to that, pointing outwards to the side. Four of the Black bricks with arches are placed on top of the structure, covering the top of the Red bricks. A Black 2 x 2 plate is placed on top of those, and four 1 x 1 White bricks with knobs are on top of that, with the knobs pointing outwards on two different sides. A 2 x 2 x 2/3 Black plate with knob is on top of that, with knobs pointing forward. A 1 x 2 Bright Purple plate goes behind it, levelling it out. A 2 x 2 White plate is on top of that, with two White lamp holders on the back of that, pointing outwards on both sides. Two Black 1 x 2 x 2/3 plates with bows are put on the side, sticking sideways towards the front. A 1 x 2 White plate with knob is attached to the white knobs on the panda's "head," and another one is attached to the Red knobs on the panda's "chest." A 1 x 2 White plate with knob is attached to the top of the 2 x 2 White plate, with a 2 x 2 x 2/3 White plate with bow extending outwards from it. This build is attached to the back of the panda, and a Black stud tile is placed on that knob. Three builds are made from a 1 x 2 White plate with a 2 x 2 White plate with bow connected to it, placed on the sides and back of the head. Two more Black stud tiles are placed on the front lamp holders, with one more stud tile placed on the "mouth." Two googly eyes are attached to the knobs above, and a 3 x 3 Bright Purple heart plate is attached to the front.
==Gallery==
40396-1.jpg|Set overview
==External links==
Category:Promotional sets
Category:Polybag Sets
Category:Pre-order Promotional Polybags
Category:40000 sets
Category:2020 sets
Category:Monthly Mini Model Build
Category:Seasonal
Category:Exclusives
Category:LEGO Store