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Title: History of Valentine’s Day
Source:
History.com
URL Source: http://www.history.com/topics/valen ... -day/history-of-valentines-day
Published: Feb 14, 2015
Author: History
Post Date: 2015-02-14 15:17:43 by X-15
Keywords: Valentine, cupid, Love
Views: 160
Comments: 9
Every February 14, across the United States and in other places around the world, candy, flowers and gifts are exchanged between loved ones, all in the name of St. Valentine. But who is this mysterious saint, and where did these traditions come from? Find out about the history of this centuries-old holiday, from ancient Roman rituals to the customs of Victorian England. The Legend of St. Valentine The history of Valentine’s Day–and the story of its patron saint–is shrouded in mystery. We do know that February has long been celebrated as a month of romance, and that St. Valentine’s Day, as we know it today, contains vestiges of both Christian and ancient Roman tradition. But who was Saint Valentine, and how did he become associated with this ancient rite? The Catholic Church recognizes at least three different saints named Valentine or Valentinus, all of whom were martyred. One legend contends that Valentine was a priest who served during the third century in Rome. When Emperor Claudius II decided that single men made better soldiers than those with wives and families, he outlawed marriage for young men. Valentine, realizing the injustice of the decree, defied Claudius and continued to perform marriages for young lovers in secret. When Valentine’s actions were discovered, Claudius ordered that he be put to death. Other stories suggest that Valentine may have been killed for attempting to help Christians escape harsh Roman prisons, where they were often beaten and tortured. According to one legend, an imprisoned Valentine actually sent the first “valentine” greeting himself after he fell in love with a young girl–possibly his jailor’s daughter–who visited him during his confinement. Before his death, it is alleged that he wrote her a letter signed “From your Valentine,” an expression that is still in use today. Although the truth behind the Valentine legends is murky, the stories all emphasize his appeal as a sympathetic, heroic and–most importantly–romantic figure. By the Middle Ages, perhaps thanks to this reputation, Valentine would become one of the most popular saints in England and France. Origins of Valentine’s Day: A Pagan Festival in February While some believe that Valentine’s Day is celebrated in the middle of February to commemorate the anniversary of Valentine’s death or burial–which probably occurred around A.D. 270–others claim that the Christian church may have decided to place St. Valentine’s feast day in the middle of February in an effort to “Christianize” the pagan celebration of Lupercalia. Celebrated at the ides of February, or February 15, Lupercalia was a fertility festival dedicated to Faunus, the Roman god of agriculture, as well as to the Roman founders Romulus and Remus. To begin the festival, members of the Luperci, an order of Roman priests, would gather at a sacred cave where the infants Romulus and Remus, the founders of Rome, were believed to have been cared for by a she-wolf or lupa. The priests would sacrifice a goat, for fertility, and a dog, for purification. They would then strip the goat’s hide into strips, dip them into the sacrificial blood and take to the streets, gently slapping both women and crop fields with the goat hide. Far from being fearful, Roman women welcomed the touch of the hides because it was believed to make them more fertile in the coming year. Later in the day, according to legend, all the young women in the city would place their names in a big urn. The city’s bachelors would each choose a name and become paired for the year with his chosen woman. These matches often ended in marriage. Valentine’s Day: A Day of Romance Lupercalia survived the initial rise of Christianity and but was outlawed—as it was deemed “un-Christian”–at the end of the 5th century, when Pope Gelasius declared February 14 St. Valentine’s Day. It was not until much later, however, that the day became definitively associated with love. During the Middle Ages, it was commonly believed in France and England that February 14 was the beginning of birds’ mating season, which added to the idea that the middle of Valentine’s Day should be a day for romance. Valentine greetings were popular as far back as the Middle Ages, though written Valentine’s didn’t begin to appear until after 1400. The oldest known valentine still in existence today was a poem written in 1415 by Charles, Duke of Orleans, to his wife while he was imprisoned in the Tower of London following his capture at the Battle of Agincourt. (The greeting is now part of the manuscript collection of the British Library in London, England.) Several years later, it is believed that King Henry V hired a writer named John Lydgate to compose a valentine note to Catherine of Valois. Typical Valentine’s Day Greetings In addition to the United States, Valentine’s Day is celebrated in Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, France and Australia. In Great Britain, Valentine’s Day began to be popularly celebrated around the 17th century. By the middle of the 18th, it was common for friends and lovers of all social classes to exchange small tokens of affection or handwritten notes, and by 1900 printed cards began to replace written letters due to improvements in printing technology. Ready-made cards were an easy way for people to express their emotions in a time when direct expression of one’s feelings was discouraged. Cheaper postage rates also contributed to an increase in the popularity of sending Valentine’s Day greetings. Americans probably began exchanging hand-made valentines in the early 1700s. In the 1840s, Esther A. Howland began selling the first mass-produced valentines in America. Howland, known as the “Mother of the Valentine,” made elaborate creations with real lace, ribbons and colorful pictures known as “scrap.” Today, according to the Greeting Card Association, an estimated 1 billion Valentine’s Day cards are sent each year, making Valentine’s Day the second largest card-sending holiday of the year. (An estimated 2.6 billion cards are sent for Christmas.) Women purchase approximately 85 percent of all valentines. Poster Comment: 
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#1. To: X-15 (#0)
While the exact date that some candy was first produced may be unknown, we take a fun look at some of our favorite Valentine’s sweets and the year they were first marketed. 1861 - The world’s first heart shaped Valentine’s Day candy box was created by Richard Cadbury, co-owner of Cadbury Brothers. 1866 - The Valentine’s Day favorite Sweethearts or Conversation Hearts were invented by Daniel Chase. 1896 - The first Tootsie Roll was made. February 9, 1900 - The Milk Chocolate Hershey bar was first introduced. 1904 - Cadbury’s Dairy Milk Chocolate bar was first produced. July 1, 1907 - Hershey Kisses were first produced. (They received their paper streamer in 1921.) 1908 - The Hershey Bar added almonds! The Toblerone chocolate bar was also introduced this year. 1912 - Whitman’s Samplers were introduced. 1917 - The Clark Bar was first produced. 1920 - The Babe Ruth candy bar was introduced. It was named after President Grover Cleveland’s daughter. 1921 - The Mounds Bar was introduced. 1923 - The popular Butterfinger and Milky Way candy bars were first produced this year. 1925 - Mr. Goodbar, the chocolate and peanut candy bar, was first introduced. 1926 - Milk Duds were introduced. 1928 - The chocolate covered Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups were introduced this year. 1930 - The Snickers Bar is introduced. 1931 - Tootsie Roll Pops were first produced. 1932 - The 3 Musketeers candy bar was first produced. The Heath Bar and Red Hots also made their first appearances this year. September 1935 - Rowntree’s Chocolate Crisp was first introduced. It would later be known as the Kit Kat bar. 1936 - The 5th Avenue candy bar was introduced. The Mars Bar was also first produced this year. 1938 - Hershey’s Krackle bar was introduced this year as was Nestle’s Crunch chocolate bar. 1941 - Plain M&M’s were first introduced. They’ve been “melting in our mouths and not in our hands” ever since. 1945 - Junior Mints were first produced. The chocolate covered mints have been a favorite especially with moviegoers since then. 1947 - The Almond Joy candy bar was introduced. 1949 - The candy known as Smarties was introduced. 1954 - M&M’s with peanuts were introduced. 1963 - Sweetarts were first introduced. 1978 - The peanut butter covered candies Reese’s Pieces were introduced. 1979 - TWIX candy bars were introduced. 1990 - Hershey Kisses with an almond center were introduced.
#2. To: James Deffenbach, Women of Freedom4um (#1)
Today started off as Popery and gradually slid into full-blown capitalist $$$. I treat the day as intended: I hope you find the exact chocolate you need tomorrow!! :p
I love those, but only consume them periodically, otherwise, I'd be toofless. They melt faster than Sweet Tarts.
Top • Page Up • Full Thread • Page Down • Bottom/LatestThe most important thing is you can get Valentine chocolate tomorrow for half price. Wooo, going to get me some chocolate tomorrow!!!
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#8. To: James Deffenbach (#1)
1949 - The candy known as Smarties was introduced.
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