Valentine’s Day is celebrated across the world on 14th February each year. Why is this date the universal date for lovers and how significant is it Find out!
What is it that makes Valentine’s Day cards so popular?
Red roses fade and age, chocolates get eaten and vouchers are squandered and then forgotten. The only viable alternative is a lovely Valentine’s gift card that is a symbol of love and unending commitment.
Receiving a greeting card creates an emotional connection and often, cards become valuable keepsakes passed down through generations, often illustrating relationships with people who have passed away.
It is said that the most faithful romantics never sign the cards because they believe that the receiver should be able to tell right away from where it originated. The postmark can be an indication, but some senders of cards test the fidelity of their love ones by travelling miles from home, even overseas, to send their message.
What is the History of Valentine’s Day
The history of early spring romance dates back to the beginning of time, when pagan celebrations were celebrated celebrating the blossoming love. A fertility festival was celebrated on February 15th because this was the day when birds were expected to begin their mating.
The custom of sending tokens of love and notes on the 14th day of February has been practiced for centuries, with the earliest surviving valentines date back to in the early 15th century. In 2019 the World’s oldest recognized Valentine’s Card was sold at auction for P7200, showing the marketable obsession for this romantic tradition. Early Valentines often took the form of poems or notes written by hand however, in the 1800s with the availability of cheap paper and development of new print techniques Valentine’s Day cards became accessible to all including poets and artists.
But it was the brutal Roman emperors, persecuting Christians to death, we are to be grateful for the modern Valentines. One in particular, known by the name of Claudius the Cruel (actually Claudius II) forbade soldiers to marry to each other, in case they thought about their families and wives. A Christian priest called Valentinus defied the order and held secret wedding ceremonies the emperor was shocked to find his out about it, he was taken in prison. There, he met (and most likely was in love with) the daughter who was blind of his prisoner. Some reports claim that his faith helped cure her from suffering. The day before his execution, he wrote her a goodbye note, signing it ‘from your valentine’. The date? February 14th, yes! Click here for funny Valentines cards.
In the following year, the pagan holiday of Lupercalia was declared by Christian priest for”the” Feast of St Valentine; and thus was born a tradition that has become peculiarly British…the mailing of Valentine cards. But it was the lover of love, Henry VIII, who officially declared the day by ratifying A Royal Charter of 1537 established that February 14th was St Valentine’s Day. Some countries do observe the day, but they do not have the enthusiasm and passion of the Britons.
Although the French are lukewarm about Valentine’s Day The earliest Valentine message found at the British Museum was sent in 1450 by a French Aristocrat. Charles the Duke of Orleans, was the “guest” from the British monarchy in the tower of London after the Battle of Agincourt and he sent the Valentine to his wife. It wasn’t until the early 1800s when the gift of lavishly printed cards became fashionable.
If you are in love with me…
The British are one of the most romantic nations in the world and that’s not just in the case of sending the Valentine’s cards. According the annual market report released by the Greeting Card Association PS47m was used to purchase Valentine’s Day cards in 2022.
Traditionally many lovers travelled to the Wiltshire village of Lover to deliver cards to stress their devotion to the other, and sometimes even to mislead, their loved one. Due to the increasing demands, following the closing of the local PO, residents open an unofficial Post Office every year leading up to Valentines to make sure that the Lover post mark lives on.
In the 18th Century an entrepreneur poet released ‘The the young men’s Valentine’, which was a collection of verses that covered every emotion that could help a people with tongues to convey their emotions; it became a hit. There were other similar books which included poems for women to use and some even included poems in which they give the putdown to an unwanted partner.
Nowadays, most people prefer to send an email or a card. Cards with greetings cards have played an increasingly important role in British communication since the first Christmas card was issued in 1843 by Sir Henry Cole. The use of cards in the UK increased dramatically during the 20th century, with cards playing an especially important role in the communication of the two wars. Post-war, sending a card to a friend has become a popular method to mark special occasions, express the condolences and think of You. A study conducted this year through Royal Mail demonstrated the impact of receiving a card with a message. Many of us can remember receiving the first Valentine’s Day card and many have kept the cards!
Today , Valentine’s day cards are given to relatives on their list, especially when they think they require a little romance injected into their lives.
Royal Romance
Some of the best Valentine card makers was Queen Victoria, who delighted in sending perfumed missives to the Royal assistants on February 14th. seeing their reactions when the card arrived during her long rain there was a surge in leap year cards, which was when women were allowed to pop the question. There were hilarious cards made, many showing large women in hot pursuit of small men; but although the customer remains, the sending of cards for the leap year was not a huge success for long.
© All Rights Reserved.