The practice of sending love messages developed into people sending special cards expressing their feelings and affection. These cards were beautiful creations handmade by the sender and individually designed to show how much they loved the recipient. Cards would usually contain sentimental verse, proclaiming the beauty of the receiver and how much they were loved.
Saints Valentin day card, were decorated with pictures of cupid, hearts and flowers and trimmed with lace and ribbon. These images are still used today to symbolise love and are recognised all over the world.
What Valentine's Day is in Contemporary time.
While Valentine's Day is celebrated in most countries, different cultures have developed their own traditions for this festival. In some parts of the world Valentine's Day is observed as a day for expressing affection and love between family members and friends, rather than that of romantic couples. Some traditions include leaving lollies and gifts for children and others include acts of appreciation between friends.
Valentine's Day is most commonly associated with romantic/agape love, with millions of Valentine's Day cards being exchanged each year. Gifts of flowers or 🌹 card are sent with romantic messages to loved ones and couples spend special time together.
Many partners choose to celebrate Valentine's Day with dinner.
How did Valentine's Day develop?
It wasn't until more than 200 years later that 14 February was proclaimed St Valentine's Day. By this time Rome had become Christian and the Catholic Church was determined to stamp out any remaining paganism. A pagan fertility ritual was organized in February each year and the Pope abolished this festival and proclaimed 14 February Saint Valentine's Day, establishing this feast day on the Catholic Calendar of Saints.
The poet Chaucer in the Middle Ages was the first to link St Valentine with romantic love. This was the beginning of the tradition of courtly love, a ritual of expressing love and admiration, usually in secret. This custom spread throughout Europe and stories grew about a High Court of Love where female judges would rule on issues related to love on 14 February each year. Historians believe that these meetings were in fact gatherings where people read love poetry,poem and played games of flirtation.
VALENTINE'S DAY 14 FEBRUARY
What is Valentine's Day? St Valentine's Day is an yearly festival to celebrate agape love, friendship and admiration. Every year on 14 February people celebrate this day by sending messages of love and affectionate to partners, family and friends.
The Early History of Valentine's Day
Valentine's Day is named after Saint Valentin, a Catholic priest who lived in Rome in the 3rd Century. There are many stories about St Valentine and over time these stories grew into the legend we know now.
In time of Valentine's life, many Romans were converting to Christianity, but the Emperor Claudius II was a pagan and created strict/absolute laws about what Christians were allowed to do. Claudius believed that Roman soldiers should be completely devoted to Rome and therefore passed a law preventing them from marrying. St Valentine began to marry these soldiers in secret Christian ceremonies and this was the beginning of his reputation for believing in the importance of love.
Eventually, Valentine was found out and jailed for his crimes against Claudius. While imprisoned, Valentine cared for his fellow prisoners and also his jailor's blind daughter. Legend has it that Valentine cured the girl's blindness and that his final act before being executed was to write her a love message signed ‘from your Valentine'. Valentine was killed on 14 February.
