My family is a history buff. We love turning any holiday into a history lesson. So today I’m doing that to you! This is different for my blog but I understand if you don’t like! I just wanted to do something different for Valentine’s day! So let’s get started!
Who is St. Valentine?
The story of its patron saint–is shrouded in mystery. 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. Other stories suggest that Valentine may have been killed for attempting to help Christians escape harsh Roman prisons. One legend states, an imprisoned Valentine actually sent the first “valentine” greeting himself after he fell in love with a young girl–possibly his jailor’s daughter. Where he signed the letter “from your Valentine,”.
Valentine’s Day: A Day of Romance
Valentine greetings were popular as far back as the Middle Ages, though written Valentine’s didn’t begin to appear until after 1400. The first known Valentines poem was written in 1415 by Charles, Duke of Orleans, to his wife while he was imprisoned in the Tower of London. A few years later King Henry V hired a writer named John Lydgate to compose a valentine note to Catherine of Valois.
Typical Valentine’s Day Greetings
Ready-made cards were an easy way for people to express their emotions in a time when direct expression of one’s feelings was discouraged. Americans probably began exchanging hand-made valentines in the early 1700s. Today, according to the Greeting Card Association, an estimated 1 billion Valentine’s Day cards are sent each year, making Valentine’s Day the second largest card-sending holiday of the year.
I hope you guys enjoyed this post! This is usually not what I would post on my blog but I’ve always loved history and want3ed to d something that most bloggers aren’t doing! Let me know in the comments what you thought about and What are you doing for valentines day? As always I love you guys, thank you for everything, and I’ll see you in the next post!
