Pope Gelasius declared February 14 St. Valentine's Day around 498 A.D. The Roman 'lottery' system for romantic pairing was deemed un-Christian and outlawed. Later, during the Middle Ages, it was commonly believed in France and England that February 14 was the beginning of birds' mating season, which added to the idea that the middle of February — Valentine's Day — should be a day for romance. The oldest known valentine still in existence today was a poem written by Charles, Duke of Orleans to his wife while he was imprisoned in the Tower of London following his capture at the Battle of Agincourt. The greeting, which was written in 1415, is part of the manuscript collection of the British Library in London, England.
In Great Britain, Valentine's Day began to be popularly celebrated around the seventeenth century. By the middle of the eighteenth century, it was common for friends and lovers in all social classes to exchange small tokens of affection or handwritten notes. By the end of the century, printed cards began to replace written letters due to improvements in printing technology. Ready-made cards were an easy way for people to express their emotions in a time when direct expression of one's feelings was discouraged. Cheaper postage rates also contributed to an increase in the popularity of sending Valentine's Day greetings. Americans probably began exchanging hand-made valentines in the early 1700s.
Esther Howland was a pioneer in the American valentine manufacturing industry. It was after her graduation from Mount Holyoke College, in 1847, that she received her first English valentine. She then became fascinated with the idea of making similar valentines and imported the necessary paper lace and floral decorations from England. Surprised by the demand for them she recruited friends to assist her, and issued her first advertisement in a Worcester paper, The Daily Spy, on Feb 5th, 1850. The assembly line operation that began in her home eventually led to a thriving business grossing $100,000 annually. According to the Greeting Card Association, an estimated one billion valentine cards are sent each year, making Valentine's Day the second largest card-sending holiday of the year. (An estimated 2.6 billion cards are sent for Christmas.) Approximately 85 percent of all Valentines are purchased by women!! Are they trying to say that men aren't romantic are that ladies are perhaps just a little more organised!!
This Valentines Card is rumoured to be the most expensive card around as it is valued at over £4000 stg and held by the British Postal Museum and dated from 1790. The card is a handcrafted puzzle that unfurls to reveal different poems such as:
“My dear the Heart which you behold,
Will break when you the same unfold,
Even so my heart with lovesick pain,
Sure wounded is and breaks in twain.”
How romantic is that. They certainly do not make them like they used to....
Better start shopping for mine!!
Sian x
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