Transcript HISTORY OF VALENTINE DAY

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HISTORY OF VALENTINE
DAY
Every February, across the country,
candy, flowers, and gifts are
exchanged between loved ones, all in
the name of St. Valentine. But who is
this mysterious saint and why do we
celebrate this holiday?
• So, who was Saint Valentine? Today, 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 families, he
outlawed marriage for young men -- his crop of potential soldiers.
•
Valentine 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, Valentine actually sent the first
'valentine' greeting himself. While in prison, it is believed
that Valentine fell in love with a young girl -- who may
have been his jailor's daughter -- who visited him during
his confinement.
•
Before his death he wrote her a letter, which he signed
'From your Valentine,' an expression that is still in use
today. Although the truth behind the Valentine legends is
murky, the stories show him as a sympathetic, heroic,
and, most importantly, romantic figure. It's no surprise
that by the Middle Ages, Valentine was one of the most
popular saints in England and France.
• Who was Valentine?
• Why was he killed?
• Who sent the first Valentine greeting?
Why?
• How do the stories show Valentine?
Other Valentine Traditions
• A variety of interesting Valentine's Day traditions
developed over time. For example, hundreds of years
ago in England, children dressed up as adults on
Valentine's Day and went singing holiday verses from
door to door. In Wales, wooden love spoons, carved with
key, keyhole and heart designs, were given as gifts.
• The gift of flowers on Valentine's Day probably dates to
the early 1700s when Charles II of Sweden brought the
Persian poetical art called "the language of flowers" to
Europe. Valentine cards were exchanged with a lily or
lilac, or a bouquet of flowers. The more popular the
flower, the more traditions and meanings have been
associated with it.
• The rose, representing love, is probably
the only flower with a meaning that is
universally understood. The red rose
remains the most popular flower bought by
men in the United States for their
sweethearts. In more recent years, people
have sent their sweethearts their favorite
flowers, rather than for roses. Also making
the list of valentine favorites are tulips,
lilies, daisies and carnations.
• Among early valentine gifts were candies,
usually chocolates, in heart-shaped boxes.
Companies like Godiva Chocolatiers have made
high quality chocolate in artistic designs and
elegant wrappings a traditional Valentine's gift.
• Today, just about anything goes for a Valentine's
Day gift, depending on the recepient's tastes. If
you're trying to move away from the flowers and
candy, you can choose anything from stuffed
animals to the latest gadgets.
• What are the valentine traditions?
• What flowers do people send their
sweetheart on St. Valentine day?
• What other gifts are used on this day?
The First Written Valentines
• Verbal and singing valentines began to be
replaced by written cards in Europe in the
15th century. The first written valentine is
usually attributed to the imprisoned
Charles, Duke of Orleans, in 1415. He
passed the time by writing romantic verses
for his wife. By the 16th century, written
valentines were commonplace.
What were early valentines like?
• Early valentines were made by hand, using colored paper,
watercolors and colored inks. These valentine styles, some still
made today, included:
• Pinprick valentines - Made by pricking tiny holes in paper with a
pin to resemble the look of lace
• Cutout valentines- Lace-look cards made by folding paper several
times and cutting out a lace design with small, sharp scissors
• Acrostic valentines - Verses in which the first letters in the lines
spelled out the beloved's name
• Rebus valentines - Verses in which small pictures took the place of
some of the words (for example, an eye instead of I)
• Cards decorated with black and white pictures painted
by factory workers began to be created in the early
1800s; by the end of the century, valentines were being
made entirely by machine, they were an easy way for
people to express their feelings in a time when direct
expression of emotions was not fashionable.
Manufactured cards were often small works of art, richly
decorated with silk, satin or lace, flowers or feathers and
even gold leaf. And many featured Cupid, the son of
Venus.
• Some of the more unusual valentines were created by
lonely sailors during the Victorian era -- they used
seashells of various sizes to create hearts, flowers and
other designs or to cover heart-shaped boxes.
Valentine Symbols
• It's not difficult to figure out the connection
between the heart and Valentine's Day. The
heart, after all, was thought in ancient times to
be the source of all emotions. It later came to be
associated only with the emotion of love.
• It's not clear when the valentine heart shape
became the symbol for the heart. Some scholars
speculate that the heart symbol as we use it to
signify romance or love came from early
attempts by people to draw an organ they'd
never seen. Anyway, here are some of the other
valentine symbols and their origins:
• Red roses were said to be the favorite flower of Venus, the Roman
goddess of love. Also, red is a color that signifies strong feelings.
• Lace has long been used to make women's handkerchiefs.
Hundreds of years ago, if a woman dropped her handkerchief, a
man might pick it up for her. Sometimes, if she had her eye on the
right man, a woman might intentionally drop her handkerchief to
encourage him. So, people began to think of romance when they
thought of lace.
• Love knots have series of winding and interlacing loops with no
beginning and no end. A symbol of everlasting love, love knots were
made from ribbon or drawn on paper.
• Lovebirds, colorful birds found in Africa, are so named because
they sit closely together in pairs -- like sweethearts do. Doves are
symbols of loyalty and love, because they mate for life and share the
care of their babies.
• How about the "X" sign representing a kiss? This
tradition started with the Medieval practice of allowing
those who could not write to sign documents with an "X".
This was done before witnesses, and the signer placed a
kiss upon the "X" to show sincerity. This is how the kiss
came to be synonymous with the letter "X", and how the
"X" came to be commonly used at the end of letters as
kiss symbols.
• It became easier to mail valentines in the mid 1800s,
until then, postage was so pricey that most cards were
delivered by hand.
• Esther Howland struck gold with the first commercial
American valentines. Today, there are nearly 2,000
greeting card publishers in the United States.
• What are the Valentine symbols?
• What is the connection of heart with
Valentine’s day?
• How were the Valentines made?
• For your homework write a composition:
The history of Valentine day.