According to the Greeting Card Association, almost one billion Valentine's cards are sent every year, making it the second biggest holiday behind Christmas. But how did Valentine's Day get so big?
Valentine greetings date back to the Middle Ages, but really took off in America in the 1840's when Esther A. Howland, known as the Mother of the Valentine, started selling her elaborate creations, made with real lace, ribbons and colorful pictures, commercially, thus beginning the tradition of our mass-produced cards as we know them today.
But where did the idea start? Charles, Duke of Orleans wrote the oldest-known Valentine to his wife while imprisoned in the Tower of London following his capture at the Battle of Agincourt, 1415. Several years later, it is believed that King Henry V hired John Lydgate to write a valentine note to Catherine of Valois.
But why Valentine's Day, and why February 14th?
Valentine the man--and namesake of the holiday--remains a mystery, and is perhaps an amalgam of the three different saints named Valentine or Valentinus, all of whom were martyred, that the Catholic Church recognizes.
One theory is that Valentine's Day is named for Valentine, a priest living in Rome during the third century.
Emperor Claudius II--also called Claudius the Cruel--needed men to serve in his army. But the men refused to leave their wives and families for long stretches, so Claudius banned engagements and marriages.
This did not go over well, and the men continued to marry their loves--only in secret.
Valentine was one of a few priests who would marry these couples in secret, probably by candelight for fear of being found out.
But Valentine was found out and sentenced to death. His supporters came to the jail with flowers and encouraging notes. This group included the daughter of his jailor. On the day he was to die, February 14th, 269, he wrote her a letter thanking her for her kindness and signed it, "From your Valentine."
February 14th/15th is also connected to the pagan holiday Lupercalia, a festival celebrating purification and fertility.
One tradition has it that boys and girls were separated in ancient Rome, but on this day each boy drew a name of a girl from a big urn. These couples became paired for the year, and many married.
Valentine's Day gained in popularity during the Middle Ages, in part because February 14th marks the beginning of birds' mating season. Popular poetry reinforced the connection between the day and love and romance.
In the 1600's, a language of flowers developed, eventually growing into a handbook of 800 floral messages known as the Book Le Langage des Fleurs.
It's interesting how, like most holidays, Valentine's Day evolved from both pagan and Christian forces, from religion and from the seasons/nature.
February 14th is also National Heart to Heart Day and Ferris Wheel Day!
Sometimes love feels like a ferris wheel, doesn't it? Sometimes you're up and sometimes you're done. But where would we be without love? It's also the week of The National Salute to Hospitalized Veterans.
So be a "Valentine" and send a Valentine to a vet!
Have a very Happy Valentine's Day!
Make it a great one!
History of Valentine's Day
Valentine's Day Around The World
Craft Ideas
Wikipedia--Valentine's Day
How to make a pop-up Valentine's Day Card
The Language of Flowers
Valentine's Day in the Middle Ages
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