Esther Howland , the woman who produce the first commercial-grade American valentine in the 1840s , sell a then creative thinker - boggling $ 5,000 in card during her first year of business . The valentine industry in the United States has been flourish ever since . Today , 145 million Valentine ’s cards are sent in this country each class , according to Hallmark . The twenty-four hour period is also celebrate in Canada , Mexico , the United Kingdom and other country .
Around 85 percentage of all Valentine are purchase by women . In accession to cards , there are zillion of box ofchocolatesand fragrance of pink wine buy ( mostly by human ) for the February 14 holiday . Yet there are sign that the holiday could be losing steam . In 2023 , 52 percent of Americans enounce they plan to take note Valentine ’s Day , according to the National Retail Federation . That ’s a big drop from 2007 , when 63 percent said they planned to respect the day . Still , the amount of money spent on the vacation continues to increase . It now stands at almost $ 200 , according to the National Retail Federation , compared with $ 150 in 2007 .
The inception of Valentine ’s Day are shrouded in mystery . According to History.com , scholars have two primary hypothesis to explain how February 14 became synonymous with romance :
There ’s also some controversy regardingSt . Valentine , for whom the illustrious twenty-four hour period is diagnose . Archaeologists , who unearthed a Roman catacomb and an ancient church dedicate to St. Valentine , are not certain if there was one Valentine or more . Today , the Catholic Church acknowledge at least three different saints named Valentine or Valentinus , all of whom were martyred on February 14 — at least two of those in Italy during the third century . The most popular prospect for St. Valentine was a third - century papistical non-Christian priest who practiced Christianity and performed secret marriages against direct parliamentary procedure from Emperor Claudius II , who think single soldiers were more likely to join his army . Legend has it that Valentine sent a booster ( the jailer ’s daughter ) a banknote sign " From Your Valentine " before he was put to death on February 14 in 270 C.E. ( That phrase is still used prominently on today ’s cards ! )
Early Christians were happier with the idea of a holiday honoring the saint of romanticistic causes than with one recognizing a heathenish fete . In 496 C.E. , Pope Gelasius named February 14 in honor of St. Valentine as the patron ideal 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 .
The First Written Valentines
Verbal and telling valentines began to be put back by write missive in Europe in the 15th one C . The first written valentine is normally attribute to the immure Charles , Duke of Orleans , in 1415 . He reportedly go along the time by write quixotic verse for his married woman . By the sixteenth century , written valentines were commonplace .
What Were Early Valentines Like?
Early valentine were made by hand , using colored paper , watercolor and colored inks . Thesevalentine styles , some still made today , admit :
card decorated with smuggled and lily-white pictures painted by factory proletarian start to be created in the early 1800s ; by the oddment of the hundred , valentines were being made entirely by machine . Sociologists hypothecate that printed cards start to take the place of letters , particularly in Great Britain , because they were an easy manner for people to express their flavor in a time when direct expression of emotions was not fashionable .
fabricate plug-in notwithstanding , increasingly beautiful handmade Valentines were often humble work of art , richly decorated with silk , satin or lace , flowers or plume and even gilded leafage . And many featuredCupid , the cherubic , be - winged son ofVenus , and a raw Valentine ’s Day " mascot . "
Some of the more strange valentines were created by lonesome straw hat during the Victorian epoch — they used seashells of various sizes to create hearts , flowers and other designs or to cover nitty-gritty - shape boxes .
Valentine Symbols
It ’s not difficult to figure out the connection between the kernel and Valentine ’s Day . The middle , after all , was thought in ancient times to be the source of all emotions . It later come in to be associated only with the emotion of love . ( Today , we know that theheartis , essentially , the pump that keepsbloodflowing through our body . )
It ’s not clear when the valentine heart shape became the symbol for the nub . Some scholars speculate that the heart symbol as we use it to mean romance or love came from early attempts by masses to take out an organ they ’d never seen . Anyway , here are some of the other valentine symbols and their origins :
How about the " X " signaling representing a kiss ? This tradition commence with the Medieval recitation of allow those who could not save to ratify document with an " X " . This was done before witnesses , and the signer place a osculation upon the " XTC " to show sincerity . This is how the osculation came to be synonymous with the letter of the alphabet " X " , and how the " X " came to be commonly used at the end of letter of the alphabet as kiss symbols . ( Some believed " X " was choose as a mutant on the cross symbolisation , while others believe it might have been a assurance in the name of Christ , since the " X " — or Chi symbolic representation — is the twenty - second letter of the alphabet of theGreek alphabetand has been used in Christian church history to represent Christ . )
It became comfortable to send Valentine in the mid 1800s , when the advanced postal service implemented the cent C. W. Post . Until then , postage was so costly that most cards were rescue by hand .
Other Valentine Traditions
A kind of interesting Valentine ’s Day traditions developed over time . For object lesson , hundreds of years ago in England , tyke dressed up as grownup on Valentine ’s Day and go singing vacation verses from door to door .
In Wales , wooden love spoon , carved with key , keyhole and heart innovation , were given as gifts .
The natural endowment of flowers on Valentine ’s Day in all probability dates to the early 1700s when Charles II of Sweden brought the Iranian poetical art called " the spoken language of flower " to Europe . Throughout the 18th one C , floral lexicon were issue , allowing secret to be exchanged with a lily or lilac , and entire conversations to take shoes in a bouquet of flowers . The more popular the flower , the more custom and meanings have been associated with it .
Therose , represent love , is belike the only flower with a meaning that is universally read . The blood-red rose remains the most pop blossom buy by men in the United States for their sweethearts . In more recent years , people have sent their sweethearts their favorite flowers , rather than automatically opting for rose . Also making the list of valentine favorite are tulips , lilies , daisy and carnations .
Among early valentine gift were candies , usuallychocolates , in spunk - shaped boxes . company like Godiva Chocolatiers have made high - caliber cocoa in artistic intention and graceful wrapper a traditional Valentine ’s talent .
Today , just about anything goes for a Valentine ’s Day talent , depending on the recipient ’s tastes . If you ’re trying to move away from the traditional flowers and candy , you’re able to always look at pay anything from stuffed animal to the latest widget .
What’s New with Valentines?
patently , gifts of chocolates and flowers have n’t replaced cautiously chosen cards on Valentine ’s Day . Since 1915,Hallmark , the unquestioned leader of the greeting card industry , has construct wag to be mailed in envelope . Founder Joyce Hall started trade greeting postcards from two brake shoe box as early on as 1910 . The Norfolk , Nebraska , teenager with the big ideas built a Kansas City business and orbicular empire . Today , Hallmark make a tremendously divers mountain chain of lineup in 30 languages and sells them in more than 100 res publica .
Some mass still make their own valentine . Most parents suppose these are the best kind .
The modern valentine board has become increasingly advanced , hold back footstep with popular technical advances . For example , there are cards that permit you commemorate a romantic message , " lolly - and - sniff " cards and wag that trifle romantic music .
And of course , you’re able to sende - mailvalentines . Some sites even bid spare use of their well - plan example or card . Valentine - themed gifs post over textbook message are cunning and fun for casual friendship . But for real romance , go with a paper card .
