Valentine's Day is celebrated on February 14. In the West, it is a traditional day, on which lovers express their love for each other by exchanging cards, flowers, sweets and confectionary and exchanging love notes in the form of Valentines.
In the West, it is a traditional day and a holiday, on which lovers express their love for each other by exchanging cards, flowers, sweets and confectionary. Of late, the day is most closely associated with the mutual exchange of love notes in the form of ‘Valentines’.
The websites inform numerous early Christian martyrs were named Valentine. It is said that until 1969, the Catholic Church formally recognised eleven Valentine’s Days. The Valentines honored on February 14 are Valentine of Rome and Valentine of Terni.
It is also believed that no romantic elements were present in the original early medieval biographies of either of these martyrs. Later on, Saint Valentine became linked to romance in the fourteenth century, distinctions between Valentine of Rome and Valentine of Terni got lost.
Yet another story informs that the day originates from the story of St. Valentine, who upon rejection by his lover was so heartbroken that he took a knife to his chest and sent her his still-beating heart as a token of his undying love for her. Hence, heart-shaped cards are now sent as a tribute to his overwhelming passion and suffering.
Modern Valentine symbols include the heart-shaped outline, doves, and the figure of the winged cupids. Since the 19th century, handwritten notes have largely given way to mass-produced greeting cards.
It was in 1847 that Esther Howland developed a successful business
in her Worcester, Massachusetts home with hand-made Valentine cards based on British models. The popularity of Valentine cards in 19th-century America was a beginning of the future commercialisation of holidays in the United States and in other countries.
Many believe now that the commercialisation of holidays has led to distortion in their celebrations.