As I covered in my two previous posts on this subject, Valentine’s Day as a holiday to celebrate romantic love and lovers was well established by the mid-14oos. If you missed those posts, either scroll down or click the links–

Will the Real Saint Valentine Speak Up?

Valentine Day Origins

February 14 as Saint Valentine’s Day was connected, never to waver. In England, most of Europe, the exchange of hand-written poems and love notes, and small gifts, became more and more common as the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries advanced. During the early 1700s, Charles II of Sweden brought the Persian poetical art known as the “language of flowers” to Europe. Floral dictionaries were published, permitting the exchange of romantic secrets via a lily or lilac, for example, culminating in entire conversations taking place within a bouquet of flowers. The red rose, believed to be the favored flower of Venus, Roman Goddess of Love, became universally accepted to represent romantic love and quickly gained popularity.

Victorian Era “Valentine Writer”

Around this same time, England saw the creation of “writers.” A “writer” was a booklet comprised of verses and messages which could be copied onto gilt-edged paper or decorative sheets. One popular “writer” contained not only “be my valentine” types of verses for the men to send to their sweethearts, but also acceptances or “answers” which the ladies could then return. By 1723 these “writers” crossed the pond to America, starting the valentine craze here. Late 18th century to early 19th century valentines were often religious in nature, and it is suspected that the “Sacred Heart” and Angels often depicted on these cards evolved into the “Valentine Heart” and accompanying Cupid.

1850 Valentine created by Esther Howland

1862 Valentine

Cards hand crafted by the giver were very common, but by the latter decades of the 1700s manufactured cards were gaining popularity. These quantity produced cards were miniature works of art, usually hand painted, and lavishly decorated with laces, silk or satin, flowers (made from the feathers of tropical birds), glass filigrees, gold-leaf or even perfumed sachets! Machine, factory produced valentines appeared in the early 1800s, but they were simplistic, usually black and white only, and not as popular until much later when advanced techniques in printing design were possible. Lovers much preferred the fancy variety, especially those wildly passionate Victorians!

Interestingly enough, it was during the reputed period of sexual repression after 1840 that romantic notions of all kind burst forth. Valentine cards became even more widespread thanks to the “penny post” mailing service created by Sir Henry Cole making it cheaper to mail written valentines. During this time, it was also considered “proper” to collect and display collections of postcards. Friends gathered in Victorian and Edwardian parlors would sit for hours leafing through albums. Photographers, studios, printers, and businesses continually strived for new and exciting subjects to satisfy a public anxious for innovative items to impress their acquaintances. To make their cards stand out, people often sought for real photographic postcards. As opposed to mass-produced lithographs, these were actual photographs made with a postcard-printed back. The photography studios employed women to hand-tint the black-and-white images. Preferred subjects were women, children, flowers, and couples, posed and arranged in an effort to portray the idealized virtues of the Era. Some of these cards contained tiny mirrors with the message “Look at my Beloved,” while others were called “Cobweb Valentines” because the center could be lifted by a tassel to reveal a cobweb effect of paper with a picture of a couple or a romantic message underneath.

Sadly, the vast majority of these valentines are lost. Few exist from before 1850. The oldest valentine known to exist is from 1790, the original safely stowed at the British Postal Museum. It can be seen here, and is a handcrafted puzzle that unfurls to expose poetic letters. The face of the card reads:

“My dear the Heart which you behold,?
Will break when you the same unfold,?
Even so my heart with lovesick pain,
?Sure wounded is and breaks in twain.”  

Oldest Valentine Card – 1790, British

The highly romantic sensibilities of the Regency and Victorian Eras lifted Valentine’s Day to a whole other level. Gradually over the years such delicacies as chocolates, jewels, candlelit dinners, and champagne would be added to the flowers and cards.

For more information, very detailed, just on Valentine Card history alone, visit this link: http://www.novareinna.com/festive/valcard.html

Tomorrow is the BIG day! Are you ready? 

Trying to identify the “real” Saint Valentine isn’t as easy as you might think. There are several claims to the title of Saint Valentine, and so many legends swirling about that even the Roman Catholic Church could not decide, so ended up removing his feast day from their official calendar in 1969. Apparently the name “Valentine,” or derivatives thereof, were fairly common. The root valens means “worthy” and was therefore a fitting name for one who gained sainthood. Even more surprising is that the historical facts dubiously support any romantic attachments to the actual persons who bore the name!

There are three men amongst the many, who legends and archeological artifacts support strongest as THE Valentine.

St. Valentine of Terni and his Disciples

The first was a holy priest or Bishop in Rome, who assisted the escape of imprisoned Christian martyrs in the persecution under Claudius II. He also persisted in marrying couples, this an act forbidden to young men by Claudius because he wanted to keep his potential soldier stock unencumbered. Valentine was eventually apprehended for his “crimes” and sent to the Emperor of Rome, who was ineffectual in making him renounce his faith. The emperor commanded Valentine be beaten with clubs, stoned, and then beheaded. His execution occurred on February 14, 269. Since miracles must surround one who is named a Saint, there is a legend of questionable and much later dating that says Valentine restored sight to his jailor’s blind daughter, and on the eve of his death penned a note to the daughter saying, ‘From your Valentine.’

Another Valentine was a Bishop of Terni, consecrated by Pope Victor I in 197. A reputed evangelist, miracle worker and healer, he was imprisoned, tortured, and beheaded at night to avoid a riot by the Terni people who loved him. This occurred during the persecution of Aurelius, and also on February 14.

The Catholic Encyclopedia also speaks of a third saint named Valentine who was mentioned in early martyrologies under the date of February 14. He was martyred in Africa, with a number of companions, but nothing more is known about him. There are literally dozens of other listed Valentines scattered throughout the various ancient annuls of the church, with many dates given besides February 14.

The first two are the top candidates for the position, and there are some scholars who lean toward the idea that these men were the same fella. However, that does not appear to be the most popular belief. There are enough ancient inscriptions, notes among the Acta of the Catholic Church written by both men and written by others about them, as well as the legends, to support the probability of them being different people. In both these cases it was love for their Christian faith that drove them to martyrdom and led to their honoring. Archeologists have found a number of ancient catacombs that bear the name Valentine. There are also several churches bearing the name Valentine. In the Middle Ages, two Roman churches were dedicated to Saint Valentine. One was the tenth-century church Sancti Valentini de Balneo Miccine or de Piscina, which was rededicated by Pope Urban III in 1186. The other, on the Via Flaminia, was the ancient basilica S. Valentini extra Portam.

St. Valentine Baptizing St. Lucila by Jacopo Bassano

The feast of St. Valentine was first established in 496 by Pope Gelasius I, who included Valentine among those “… whose names are justly reverenced among men, but whose acts are known only to God.” As Gelasius implied, nothing definitive was known, even then, about the lives of any of these martyrs. The legends and facts were so intermingled, and impossible to adequately decipher, that the official commemoration for universal liturgical veneration for Saint Valentine was removed from the Roman Catholic Calendar of Saints in 1969. Nevertheless, many areas where specific remains or inscriptions to Saint Valentine are found still laud his day with religious observances.

So, as fascinating as all this has been, how did we get from a lesser known saint amongst the thousands to this Day of lovers and romance that is celebrated practically everywhere? Bet you are dying to know! Tune in on Monday for the Rest of the Story.