A Day of Love. . . Valentine's Day

                                                                            

  Valentine's Day

Every year on February 14th millions of people exchange cards, gifts, flowers, and/or candy with someone they love ~ their "Valentine".  This fun day of romance, "Valentine's Day," is believed to be named for a Christian martyr dating back to the 5th century, as well as origins in a Roman holiday called Lupercalia.

The actual story of the patron saint Valentine is quite mysterious.  The Catholic Church actually recognizes at least 3 different saints named Valentine or Valentnus.  All three were martyred.
In the third century. Valentine was a priest who defied the Emperor's decree and performed marriages of young lovers in secret.  This act of compassion resulted in Valentine being put to death.  According to yet another legend an imprisoned Valentine sent the first "valentine" greeting himself after he fell in love with a young girl (some believe she was the jailer's daughter).  It is alleged that he wrote a letter that was signed "from your Valentine".  By the middle ages, due in part to these romantic legends, Valentine had become one of the most popular saints in England and France.

At the end of the 5th century Pope Gelasius declared February 14th St. Valentine's Day.
It was much later that this day became associated with love.  It's believed that one possible
influence was the belief that mid February was the mating season for birds - and should be
considered a day for romance.  However, written Valentine greetings did not begin to appear until after the 1400s. The widespread popularity of Valentine's Day celebration began around the 17th
century; by the middle of the 18th century it became common to exchange gifts, small
tokens of affection or handwritten notes. It is believed Americans began exchanging cards and hand-made valentines in the early 1700s.  In the 1840s an American named Esther A. Howland began selling the first massed produced Valentine's Day cards in America.  She is known as the "Mother of Valentine".  She made beautiful elaborately embellished cards.  Printed Valentine's Day cards emerged in the 1900s.

                                                     



Interesting Valentine's Day facts:

• Today the Greeting Card Association estimates 1 billion Valentine's Day Cards are sent out each year.
• The United States, Canada, Mexico, The United Kingdom, France, and Australia celebrate Valentine's Day.
• Valentine's Day is the second largest gift card holiday (with Christmas as number one).
• Women purchase approximately 85 percent of all Valentine's Day cards.

                                                               

Vintage Valentine's Day by vintageimagine featuring Red

Vintage Valentine's Day by vintageimagine featuring a pink