The iconic holiday in February is Valentine’s Day. One tradition says the day’s name may be from a Christian priest named Valentine. Legend says the priest signed a letter “from your Valentine” to the jailer’s daughter, whom he’d befriended. Another legend says St. Valentine secretly married couples so the husbands wouldn’t have to go to war.
Formal messages, or valentines, appeared in the 1500s, and valentine cards were printed in the 1700s, though the first commercial valentines in the US weren’t printed until the mid-1800s.
The oldest known valentine we have today is a poem written in 1415 by Charles, Duke of Orleans, to his wife while he was in prison in London after his capture at the Battle of Agincourt.
In the 1840s, Esther Howland, known as the “Mother of the Valentine” made cards with lace, ribbons, and colorful pictures.
Today, Valentine’s Day is the second-largest card-sending occasion after Christmas with 145 million cards sent.
According to alwaystheholidays.com, the main symbols for Valentine’s Day are hearts, love birds, roses, Cupid, love knots, and cards/notes.
And don’t forget the chocolate—whatever shape will work!
Of course, let’s remember the greatest love we have—that of Jesus Christ. As Romans 5:8 says, “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Christ’s death and resurrection enable us to live forever with our Heavenly Father who loves us so.
(Sources: https://www.britannica.com/topic/Valentines-Day and https://www.history.com/topics/valentines-day/history-of-valentines-day-2. Image from Pixabay.)
