Valentine’s Day is celebrated across the globe on February 14th every year. What is the reason this day is considered to be the most loved day for couples and what is its significance? Find out!
What is it that makes Valentine’s Day cards so popular?
The red roses fade and die chocolates are eaten, and vouchers are quickly used up and then forgotten. The only alternative is a gorgeous Valentine’s Day card that expresses affection and a sense of constancy.
A greeting card can create an emotional bond, and often, cards become valuable souvenirs that are passed over generations, frequently illustrating the relationships with people who have passed away.
The history of the world has proven that genuine romantics do not sign their cards believing that the receiver should be able to tell the source of the card. Postmarks can provide an indication, however certain card-senders check the loyalty of their loved ones by traveling distances from their homes, sometimes in other countries, to deliver their message.
History of Valentine’s Day History of Valentine’s Day
The story of springtime romance in the early spring dates back to the beginning of time, where pagan celebrations were held that celebrated the blooming of love. A fertility festival was held on February 15th , as this was the day when birds were believed to begin their mating.
The custom to send love tokens and messages on the 14th of February has been in existence for centuries, with the first surviving Valentine’s Day cards date back to the fifteenth century. In 2019 , the oldest recognized Valentine’s Card was sold at auction for $7,200, which demonstrates the marketable interest for this romantic custom. The first Valentines typically took the form of poems or handwritten notes however, in the 1800s, due to the advent of inexpensive paper and the development of modern methods of printing, Valentine’s Day cards became accessible to all including poets and artists.
But it was the brutal Roman Emperors, who persecuted Christians and Christians, that we need to be grateful for the modern Valentines. One of them, known by the name of Claudius the Cruel (actually Claudius II) prohibited soldiers from marrying in battle, so that they wouldn’t were unable to keep their families and wives. A Christian priest called Valentinus refused to follow the rules and held secret wedding ceremonies for which when the emperor discovered the secret, he got sent into jail. In prison, he stayed with (and likely was in love with) the daughter who was blind of his prisoner. Some reports claim that his faith helped cure her of the ailment. The day before his execution, he wrote her a note of farewell with the words “from your Valentine”. The date? February 14th, naturally!
The pagan celebration of Lupercalia was declared by a Christian priests as an official Feast of St Valentine; and thus started a custom that is now uniquely British…the giving of Valentine cards. It was however, the love of all love, Henry VIII, who officially declared the day by ratifying the Royal Charter of 1537 established that the 14th of February as St Valentine’s Day. Some countries do observe the day, but not with the enthusiasm and passion of the Britons.
While the French are not enthusiastic about Valentine’s Day The earliest Valentine message that is at the British Museum was sent in 1450 by an French Aristocrat. Charles the Duke of Orleans, was an “guest” to the British monarchy at the Tower of London following the Battle of Agincourt and he sent the Valentine to his wife. It wasn’t until the 1800s that sending extravagantly printed cards became popular.
If you are in love with me…
The British are one of the most romantic countries in the world at least in the case of sending Valentine’s Day cards. According to the annual report on market trends conducted by the Greeting Card Association, PS47m was used to purchase Valentine’s Day cards in 2022.
In the past, many lovers traveled to Lover’s village in Wiltshire town of Lover to exchange cards, to show their love for the other, and sometimes even to mislead the person they love. To meet the requests, following the closing of their local PO the village has an unofficial Post Office every year leading through Valentines to make sure that the Lover postmark is preserved.
The 18th Century an entrepreneur poet released “The Young Man’s Valentine Writer’, an assortment of verses that covered every emotion to enable the tongue-tied young man communicate their feelings. It was a huge success and sold out like hot cakes. Similar books were published and included poems written for women and some even included poems that gave the smack to an unwelcome lover.
Nowadays, most people prefer to send cards. Cards for greetings have been a growing part of British communications since first known Christmas cards were issued around 1843, by the Sir Henry Cole. Card-based sending in the UK has increased significantly during the 20th century, and cards played an important part in the communication between the two world wars. Post-war, sending a card to a friend was increasingly the preferred method to commemorate events, show sentiments of sympathy, or simply to say Thank You. You. Research conducted during 2017 from 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!
These days, Valentine’s Day cards are also sent out to other family members on their lists, particularly when they think they require some romance in their lives.
Royal Romance
The most popular Valentine card makers was Queen Victoria who was a fan of sending perfumed letters to her aids on February 14th. seeing their reactions when the mail was delivered during the long rain. there was a surge in leap year cards, which was when women were typically allowed to ask the question. Funny cards were created with many depicting large women who were in pursuit of tiny men. However, while the client is still there, the card-making for the leap year was only a temporary phenomenon.
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