Valentine's Day

The history of Valentine's Day is somewhat murky with no fewer than three separate saints named Valentine or Valentinus, who were martyred, being recognized by the Catholic Church.

One legend is that St. Valentine was a third century priest in Rome. Emperor Claudius II felt that single men made better soldiers than those who had families to worry about so he outlawed marriage. Valentine continued to perform secret marriage ceremonies for young lovers, for which he was condemned to death.

Another story suggests that when St. Valentine was in prison, he fell in love with the jailers daughter. He passed her a note before his execution professing his love to her and signed "from your Valentine."

Other stories say that he was killed helping Christians escape from Roman prisons where they were beaten and tortured.

The first Valentine was sent by Charles, Duke of Orleans, to his wife from his prison in the Tower of London in 1415.

The English practice of sending Valentine's cards appears in Elizabeth Gaskell's "Mr. Harrisons Confessions" (published 1851). In the United States, the first mass-produced Valentines of embossed paper lace were produced and sold shortly after 1847 by Esther Howland (1828-1904) of Worcester Massachusetts. Her father operated a large book and stationery store. She took her inspiration from an English Valentine she had received. Since 2001 the Greeting Card Association has been giving an annual "Esther Howland Award for a Greeting Card Visionary."

In the second half of the twentieth century, the practice of exchanging cards was extended to all manner of gifts in North America, usually from a man to a woman. Such gifts typically include roses and chocolates. In the 1980's, the diamond industry began to promote Valentine's Day as an occasion for giving jewelry.

Quotes:

If music be the food of love, play on.- Shakespeare

Grow old along with me, the best is yet to be.- Robert Browning

Love is the enchanted dawn of every heart.- Lamartine

Never judge someone by who he's in love with; judge him by his friends. People fall in love with the most appalling people. Take a cool, appraising glance at his pals.- Cynthia Heimel

Love is much nicer to be in than an automobile accident, a tight girdle, a higher tax bracket, or a holding pattern over Philadelphia.- Judith Viorst

Love is like the measles; we all have to go through it.- Jerome K. Jerome

Love is like an hourglass, with the heart filling up as the brain empties.- Jules Renard

You have to walk carefully in the beginning of love; the running across fields into your lover's arms can only come later when you're sure they won't laugh if you trip. ~Jonathan Carroll, "Outside the Dog Museum"

We are all a little weird and life's a little weird, and when we find someone whose weirdness is compatible with ours, we join up with them and fall in mutual weirdness and call it love. ~Author Unknown