1. The Real Saint Valentine Is Shrouded In Mystery

Although he lived within the third century AD, nearly nothing is known about this saint or the life he led. It’s not even clear how many holy men named Valentine there have been, or which one is honored on Valentine’s Day.

Regardless, bits and items in regards to the saint have made it into the realm of legends. The consensus is that he was a priest who broke the law doing what he believed in. Some tales say he carried out marriages between soldiers and their beloveds. In Rome throughout that point, this was against the law. Soldiers were not allowed to marry. When Valentine was caught, he was imprisoned and put to death for defying Roman rules.

One other story also includes his imprisonment, but this time for practicing his faith and refusing to worship the emperor. While in jail, he grew to become friends with the jailer’s daughter. He prayed for her, and he or she was healed of her maladies. On the evening of his execution, Valentine gave his friend a note to comfort her. It read, quite merely, “From Your Valentine.”

2. Matchmaking Was An Historic Roman Tradition That Preceded Valentine’s Day

Lupercalia was a festival that took place annually in historic Rome between the thirteenth and 15th of February. Its objective was to cleanse and protect the community. Some of the festival traditions have been meant to get rid of evil spirits and bless crops.

There was also a matchmaking element to the festivities. Women put their names in an urn. Men picked names from the urn. The couples formed by this lottery system were anticipated to remain collectively for a year. Surprisingly, many of those random matches resulted in marriages.

Centuries later, this historical celebration merged with the newer tradition of honoring Saint Valentine on February 14. The newer holiday was a lot more subdued, however some of the festival’s romantic points carried forward.

3. Valentine Cards Grew to become All The Rage In Victorian England

Within the Middle Ages, noblemen wrote (or hired others to write for them) impassioned love notes to their dear ones. However it wasn’t until the Victorian Era in the mid-1800s that sending valentine cards turned a popular custom.

First it was handmade cards embellished with lace and ribbon. These have been fancy cards with intricate designs that included cutouts and pop-ups. The tradition was popularized in England and made its way to the U.S. several decades later.

With advances in printing technology, cards began to be mass-produced. In the present day 180 million valentine cards are exchanged each year in the U.S. alone. Designs proceed to evolve, however coronary heart and floral themes remain as well-liked as they were in Victorian times.

If you have any concerns with regards to wherever and how to use kids valentines cards, you can speak to us at the web site.

Tania Waterhouse