Valentine’s Day has always been the day dedicated to lovers. There are many, many stories as to how Valentine’s day started ~ here are some fun facts and fiction.
About Valentine's Day
It is thought that Valentine's Day has its origins in ancient Rome, where in the third century the feast of Lupercalia was held to keep dangerous wolves away from townspeople. An annual festival to honor the Roman god Lupercus was held, in hopes that he would use his powers to influence the marauding wolves. At the festival, the young people took part in a special ritual, whereby girls' names were written on slips of paper and drawn at random by young men; the pairs of young people were then linked as sweethearts.
When Emperor Claudius II rose to power, Christianity was in its infancy. At that time Claudius forbade Roman solders to get engaged or marry, believing that married men would rather stay home than go to war. A priest named Valentine, however, in defiance of Claudius' orders, secretly married young couples. When the emperor found out, Valentine was arrested. Emperor Claudius was impressed with Valentine and apparently tried to persuade him to renounce Christianity for the Roman gods and goddesses; Valentine refused, so he was put into jail. While Valentine was in jail, it is said that he fell in love with the jailer's daughter (some say that he actually restored her sight) and sent her a message before he was executed: the message was signed "From Your Valentine." Valentine was finally beheaded on the eve of the Lupercalia festival and was made a saint posthumously. Legend has it that a pink almond tree, symbolizing enduring love, grew near his grave site.
If a woman sees a robin flying inthe sky on Valentine's Day, she will marry a sailor, as folklore has it. If she sees a sparrow, she will marry a poor man but be very happy; if she sees a goldfinch, she'll marry a millionaire.
The earliest known Valentine card was sent by Charles, Duke of Orleans, to his wife while he was imprisoned in the Tower of London in 1415. The card is now in the British Museum.
According to Charles Panati, author of Panati's Extraordinary Origins of Everyday Things, "By the 17th century, handmade cards were oversized and elaborate, while store-bought ones were smaller and costly. In 1797, a British publisher issued The Young Man's Valentine Writer, which contained scores of suggested sentimental verses for the young lover unable to compose his own. Printers had already begun producing a limited number of cards with verses and sketches, called 'mechanical valentines', and a reduction in postal rates in the next century ushered in the less personal but easier practice of mailing valentines. That, in turn, made it possible for the first time to exchange cards anonymously, which is taken as the reason for the sudden appearance of racy verse in an era othersie prudishly Victorian. The burgeoning number of obscene valentines caused several countries to ban the practice of exchanging cards. In Chicago, for instance, late in the nineteenth century, the post office rejected some 25,000 cards on the grounds that they were not fit to be carried through the U.S. mail".
Panati also writes that the "first American publisher of valentines was printer and artist Esther Howland. Her elaborate lace cards of the 1870's cost from five to ten dollars, with some selling for as much as $35.00. Since that time, the valentine card business has flourished. With the exception of Christmas, Americans exchange more cards on Valentine's Day than at any other time of the year . . ."
To brush up on the gods and goddesses of special note on Valentine's Day:
Aphrodite is the Greek goddess of love
Cupid is the Roman god of love
Venus is the Roman goddess of love
Americans all over the country traditionally purchase flowers and candy for Valentine's Day. In its last report, the U.S. Census Bureau stated that we spent $312.2 million importing cut flowers from Columbia, our leading supplier, and produced our own cut flowers worth $505 million. About 26,728 U.S. florists distributed flowers across the nation.
Chocolate and cocoa manufacturers shipped $3.3 billion worth of sweets in 1996, says the Census Bureau. The Bureau also states that $12.8 billion worth of Candy and confections were produced. Each American consumed 27 pounds of candy in 1997!
Once upon a time, there was an island where all the feelings lived: Happiness, Sadness, Knowledge, and all the others including Love.
One day it was announced to the feelings that the island would sink, so all settled into their boats and left. Love was the only one who stayed. Love wanted to persevere until the last possible moment.
When the island was almost sinking, Love decided to ask for help. Richness was passing by Love in a grand boat. Love said, "Richness, can you take me with you?"
Richness answered, "No, I can't . . . there is a lot of gold and silver in my boat. There is no place for you."
Love decided to ask Vanity who was also passing by in a beautiful vessel. "Vanity! Please help me!"
"I can't help you, Love. You are all wet and might damage my boat," Vanity answered.
Sadness was close by, so Love asked for help. "Sadness, let me go with you."
"Oh . . . Love, I am so sad that I need to be by myself!"
Happiness passed by Love, too, but she was so happy that she didn't hear when Love called to her!
Suddenly, there was a voice. "Come Love, I will take you." It was an elder. Love felt so blessed and overjoyed that she even forgot to ask the elder her name. When they arrived at dry land, the elder went her own way.
Love, realizing how much she owed the elder, asked Knowledge, another elder, "Who helped me?"
"Time", Knowledge answered.
"Time?", asked Love. "But why did Time help me?"
Knowledge smiled with deep wisdom and answered, "Because only Time is capable of understanding how great Love is."
The way we spend our days is, of course, the way we spend our lives.
Thanks Bea!
We wish you a very happy and most romantic Valentine's Day!
And love will come to those who give it.
It is kept in the hearts of others.
the rose appears
by sun and candlelight . . .
I love thee with the breath, smiles, and tears
of all my life.
~ Elizabeth Barrett Browning
For more love, romance, and great Valentine's Day ideas,
please go to our mini-site,
Romance
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