History and Legend
February has long been associated with romance and courtship, containing both Christian and Roman traditions. The roots of St. Valentine's Day can be traced back to the Roman fertility festival of Lupercalia. On Lupercalia, a young man would draw the name of a young woman in a lottery and would then keep the woman as a sexual companion for the year (!) The Catholic Church recognizes at least three different saints named Valentine, all of whom are martyred. One particular Valentine was imprisoned and according to legend, shortly before his death sent the first greeting to a girl he fell in love with and signed it ‘from your Valentine’ an expression that is still in use today. Although this version is not verified, it makes for romantic history.
Valentine’s Day became popular in the Middle Ages in the times of Geoffrey Chaucer when courtly love flourished. There is a legend that during this time, young men and women drew names from a bowl to see who their valentines would be. They would wear these names on their sleeves for one week, hence the saying ‘to wear your heart on your sleeve’ meaning being transparent with your affections. The sending of handwritten notes was popular in the 19th Century and as far back as 1847, hand-made Valentine cards were a booming business. The oldest known Valentines is on display at the British Museum.
The Greeting Card Association estimates that around one billion Valentines are sent each year worldwide making it the second largest card sending holiday of the year after Christmas. Approximately 85 percent of all Valentine cards are sent by women although men spend twice as much as women.
Trivia
Famous Birthdays
Kevin Keegan – Pioneer of the perm
Dean Gaffney – Star of Daz commercial, looks like Jordan’s twin brother
Rhydian Roberts – Bleach blonde scary looking Welsh warbler
Simon Pegg – Ginger actor, writer, comedian