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Valentine's Day And It's History
Valentine's day is a booming industry with millions
of cards sent each year -- second in number only to Christmas cards,
according to the Greeting Card Association (The happy day is also
celebrated in Canada, Mexico, the United States, France and Australia.)
Who are the lucky recipients of all these cards? Experts say parents
are the most popular recipients of seasonal cards, receiving about
one out every five. Teachers, children, wives and sweethearts are
also at the top of the list. Around 85 percent of all valentines
are purchased by women. In addition to cards, there are millions
of boxes of chocolates and bouquets of roses purchased (mostly by
men) for the Feb. 14 holiday. When did the Valentine's Day frenzy
begin? As is true of much of history, scholars tell slightly different
versions of the history of this popular holiday so we'll take a
look that history, with its Roman and Christian roots, as well as
holiday traditions that have developed over the years. Read on --
you're sure to find a terrific way to tell your loved ones how you
feel this Valentine's Day!
Valentine's Day Origins
Everybody knows about Valentine's Day but its origins
are shrouded in mystery. According to University of Notre Dame Professor
Lawrence Cunninghame., scholars have two main theories to explain
how Feb. 14 became synonymous with romance:
Roman Feast of Lupercalia -- This ancient pagan fertility
celebration, which honored Juno, queen of the Roman gods and goddesses
and goddess of women and marriage, was held on Feb. 14, the day
before the feast began. During festival time, women would write
love letters, also known as billets, and leave them in a large urn.
The men of Rome would then draw a note from the urn and ardently
pursue the woman who wrote the message they had chosen. (Apparently,
the custom of lottery drawings to select valentines continued into
the 18th century, coming to an end when people decided they'd rather
choose -- sight seen! -- their valentines.)
The Birds and the Bees? -- In the Middle Ages, people began to send
love letters on Valentine's Day. Medieval Europeans believed that
birds began to mate on Feb. 14.
Who Was St. Valentine?
There's also some controversy regarding Saint Valentine,
for whom the famous day is named. Archaeologists, who unearthed
a Roman catacomb and an ancient church dedicated to St. Valentine,
are not sure if there was one Valentine or more! Today, the Catholic
Church recognises at least three different saints named Valentine
or Valentinus, all of whom were martyred on Feb. 14 -- at least
two of those in Italy during the 3rd century.) The most popular
candidate for St. Valentine was a 3rd century Roman priest who practised
Christianity and performed secret marriages against direct orders
from Emperor Claudius II, who believed single soldiers were more
likely to join his army. Legend has it that Valentine sent a friend
(the jailer's daughter) a note signed "From Your Valentine" before
he was executed on Feb. 14 in 270 A.D. (That phrase is still used
prominently on today's cards!)
Early Christians were happier with the idea of a holiday
honouring the saint of romantic causes than with one recognising
a pagan festival. In 496 A.D., Pope Gelasius named Feb. 14 in honour
of St. Valentine as the patron saint of lovers. In 1969, Pope Paul
VI dropped it from the calendar. However, the blend of Roman festival
and Christian martyrdom had caught on and Valentine's Day was here
to stay!
Verbal and singing valentines began to be replaced
by written missives in Europe in the 15th century. The first written
valentine is usually attributed to the imprisoned Charles, Duke
of Orleans, in 1415. He reportedly passed the time by writing romantic
verses for his wife. By the 16th century, written valentines were
commonplace.
Early valentines were made by hand, using coloured
paper, watercolours and coloured inks. These valentine styles, some
still made today, included:
Pinprick valentines, made by pricking tiny holes in paper with a
pin to resemble the look of lace Cutout valentines, lace-look cards
made by folding paper several times and cutting out a lace design
with small, sharp scissors.
Acrostic valentines, which had verses in which the
first letters in the lines spelled out the beloved's name Rebus
valentines, verses in which small pictures took the place of some
of the words (For example, an eye instead of I)
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Valentine's Cards
Cards decorated with black and white pictures painted
by factory workers began to be created in the early 1800s; by the
end of the century, valentines were being made entirely by machine.
Sociologists theorise that printed cards began to take the place
of letters, particularly in Great Britain, because they were an
easy way for people to express their feelings in a time when direct
expression of emotions was not fashionable. Manufactured cards notwithstanding,
increasingly beautiful handmade Valentines were often small works
of art, richly decorated with silk, satin or lace, flowers or feathers
and even gold leaf. And many featured Cupid, the cherubic, be-winged
son of Venus, and a natural Valentine's Day "mascot." Some of the
more unusual valentines were created by lonely sailors during the
Victorian era -- they used seashells of various sizes to create
hearts, flowers and other designs or to cover heart-shaped boxes.
It's not difficult to figure out the connection between
the heart and Valentine's Day. The heart, after all, was thought
in ancient times to be the source of all emotions. It later came
to be associated only with the emotion of love. (Today, we know
that the heart is, basically, the pump that keeps blood flowing
through our bodies!) It's not clear when the valentine heart shape
became the symbol for the heart (we all know the heart isn't really
shaped like that). Some scholars speculate that the heart symbol
as we use it to signify romance or love came from early attempts
by people to draw an organ they'd never seen. Anyway, here are some
of the other valentine symbols and their origins:
Valentine's Day Roses
Red roses were said to be the favourite flower of
Venus, the Roman goddess of love; also, red is a colour that signifies
strong feelings.
Lace has long been used to make women's handkerchiefs. Hundreds
of years ago, if a woman dropped her handkerchief, a man might pick
it up for her. Sometimes, if she had her eye on the right man, a
woman might intentionally drop her handkerchief to encourage him.
So, people began to think of romance when they thought of lace.
Love knots have series of winding and interlacing loops with no
beginning and no end. A symbol of everlasting love, love knots were
made from ribbon or drawn on paper.
Valentine's Kisses Xxx
Lovebirds, colourful birds found in Africa, are so
named because they sit closely together in pairs -- like sweethearts
do! Doves are symbols of loyalty and love, because they mate for
life and share the care of their babies. How about the "X" sign
representing the kiss? This tradition started with the Medieval
practice of allowing those who could not write to sign documents
with an "X". This was done before witnesses, and the signer placed
a kiss upon the "X" to show sincerity. This is how the kiss came
to be synonymous with the letter "X", and how the "X" came to be
commonly used at the end of letters as kiss symbols. (Some believed
"X" was chosen as a variation on the cross symbol, while others
believe it might have been a pledge in the name of Christ, since
the "X" or Chi symbol, is the second letter of the Greek alphabet
and has been used in church history to represent Christ.) It became
easier to mail valentines in the mid 1800s, when the modern postal
service implemented the penny post. Until then, postage was so pricey
that most cards were delivered by hand.
Valentine's Traditions
A variety of interesting Valentine's Day traditions
developed over time. For example, hundreds of years ago in England,
children dressed up as adults on Valentine's Day and went singing
holiday verses from door to door. In Wales, wooden love spoons,
carved with key, keyhole and heart designs, were given as gifts.
The gift of flowers on Valentine's Day -- along with Mother's Day,
the busiest floral holiday of the year -- probably dates to the
early 1700s when Charles II of Sweden brought the Persian poetical
art called "the language of flowers" to Europe. The rose, representing
love, is probably the only flower with a meaning that is universally
understood. The red rose remains the most popular flower bought
by men for their sweethearts. In more recent years, people have
sent their sweethearts their favourite flowers, rather than automatically
opting for roses. Also making the list of valentine favourites are
tulips, lilies, daisies and carnations.
Valentine's Gifts
Among early valentine gifts were sweets, usually chocolates,
in heart-shaped boxes. Apparently, gifts of chocolates and flowers
haven't replaced carefully chosen cards on Valentine's Day. The
modern valentine card has become increasingly sophisticated, keeping
pace with popular technological advances. For example, there are
cards that let you record a romantic message, "scratch-and-sniff"
cards (chocolate smells would be nice!) and cards that play romantic
music. And of course, you can send e-mail valentines. Some sites
even offer free personal use of their illustrations or cards. Other
technology allows you to send a romantic fax or videotape with a
personal valentine message. But choose your valentine carefully
-- some people find fax and e-mail missives too impersonal -- and
not private enough -- for this holiday of love! Sometimes the best
ideas are the simplest!
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