Every year on February 14th, we commemorate romantic love, friendship, and appreciation. People send messages of love and affection to partners, family, and friends on February 14th in observance of this day.
People started sending personalized cards to express their emotions instead of just sending love notes.
The sender handcrafted each of these exquisite cards by hand and individually customized them to express their affection for the recipient.
The heartfelt verse that would typically be included in cards would extol the recipient’s attractiveness and how much they were loved.
Cards for Saint Valentine’s Day were embellished with illustrations of Cupid, hearts, and flowers and finished with lace and ribbon. These images, which continue to be recognized worldwide as symbols of love, are still in use today.
How Valentine’s Day Began
Saint Valentine, a Catholic priest who lived in Rome in the third century, is the inspiration behind Valentine’s Day. St. Valentine is the subject of numerous legends that developed over time to become what we now know as fact.
Many Romans were turning to Christianity during Valentine’s lifetime, but the pagan Emperor Claudius II imposed stringent regulations on what Christians could and could not do. Claudius forbade Roman soldiers from getting married because he thought they should be wholly loyal to Rome.
This marked the beginning of St. Valentine’s reputation as a person who valued love by having him wed these soldiers in covert Christian rituals.
Valentine was ultimately apprehended and imprisoned for his crimes against Claudius.
Valentine provided care for his fellow inmates as well as the blind daughter of his jailer while he was incarcerated.
According to legend, Valentine healed the girl of her blindness, and his last act before being put to death was to send her a love letter inscribed “from your Valentine.” Valentine was put to death on February 14th, 270.
What inspired Valentine’s Day?
St. Valentine’s Day wasn’t declared on February 14 until more than 200 years later.
Rome had already converted to Christianity at this point, and the Catholic Church was adamant about eradicating any remaining pagan practices.
Every year, a pagan fertility ritual took place in February. The Pope banned this celebration and declared February 14 to be Saint Valentine’s Day, adding this feast day to the Catholic Calendar of Saints.
The first person to associate St. Valentine with passionate love was the medieval poet Chaucer.
This was the start of the custom of courtly love, an often-secret ritual of expressing love and appreciation.
The legend of a High Court of Love, where female judges would render judgments on matters of love on February 14 each year, evolved as this habit spread throughout Europe.
According to historians, these events were actually get-togethers when individuals read love poems and played flirtatious games.
Signs for Valentine’s Day
People started sending personalized cards as an extension of the practice of sending love messages. These lovely handmade cards were prepared by the giver specifically for the recipient to express their affection.
Typically, cards would include a poetic verse that extolled the recipient’s beauty and how much they were loved.
Valentine’s Day cards included cupid, hearts, and flower illustrations, and they were adorned with lace and ribbon.
These symbols of love are still in use today and are well-known all across the world.
The Modern Valentine’s Day
Most nations commemorate Valentine’s Day, but several cultures have created their own customs to mark the day. Valentine’s Day is celebrated in certain cultures as a day to celebrate love among friends and family members rather than romantic partners. Some customs involve leaving candy and gifts for kids, while others involve people showing each other thanks.
With millions of Valentine’s Day cards being exchanged each year, Valentine’s Day is most frequently linked with romantic love. Couples spend special time together, and gifts of flowers or a solitary red rose are delivered along with romantic words to loved ones.
A picnic, special home-cooked meal, or dinner are popular ways for couples to commemorate Valentine’s Day.
The meal is frequently presented with romantic symbols like hearts and flowers, and many restaurants have special Valentine’s Day dinner deals. A luxurious hotel stays in a picturesque setting is another common Valentine’s Day activity that enables a couple to unplug and spend quality time together.
Valentine’s Day is frequently picked as the ideal day to declare love and commitment because marriage proposals are also very common on this day.
Some marriage proposals are made in quite original ways, such as after reaching the summit of a mountain or by displaying a message on a billboard. Anyway, it is done, Valentine’s Day marriage proposals are often sweet and special.
Content courtesy of NFH & Oscar Alochi
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