Every year February 14th is celebrated as a day for love,
exchange of gifts, promises of eternal passion, and more. The
inspired pen poems inspired by their love and admiration for the
women of their dreams while others just go to shops and buy
commercially available verses.
Valentines means candy, chocolates, perfume, red hearts,
balloons, and more. Have you ever wondered when the celebration
first originated? Well in ancient Rome, February heralded the
coming to spring a time for rejuvenation, fertility, and growth.
In ancient times, Romans celebrated in February a festival to
honor the god of fertility who provided them with progeny and
ensured a god crop. In Rome February 15th was celebrated as the
feast of Lupercalla and Feb 14th as a holiday in honor of Juno
the queen of Roman gods and goddesses. On the eve of Lupercalla
a glass jar was filled to the brim with chits on which were
penned the names of all eligible girls. Then young men would
draw a chit each from the jar and the girl whose name was on the
chit would be his partner for the celebration. This was a method
by which ancient Romans introduced eligible boys and girls to
one another.
Much later in the 3rd century BCE when Emperor Claudius II ruled
Rome there lived a priest called Valentine. And when Claudius
passed a decree that young men in his empire were not to marry,
Valentine defied him and used to consecrate marriages secretly.
He was sentenced to death and thrown into prison. While awaiting
his execution Valentine penned a letter to his love and signed
it "from your Valentine." After his death Valentine became a
martyr and saint and was popularly known as St Valentine.
Wonderful legends are woven around Valentine's Day. In Wales
young people exchanged as gifts wooden spoons which were hand
carved with decorations of hearts and key holes. The decorations
conveyed "you hold the key to my heart or you unlock my heart."
In other places women were given gifts of clothes and if they
accepted the gift then it conveyed that they were wiling to
marry the man who has sent the gift.
In 1415, Charles, the Duke of Orleans is known to have penned,
from his prison in the tower of London, what were known as
"poetical amorous addresses" to his wife in France, he is
believed to be one of the earliest creators of valentines.
Just as companies like Hallmark sell cards for Valentines Day in
the 15th century people bought little booklets with verse in
them ---they then made their own valentines using the verse to
express their thoughts. For example, a valentine could have the
hand drawn illustration of a knight and his lady with Cupid the
god of love shooting arrows into the knight's heart. In the US
it was after 1723, that popularity of the celebration grew.
People imported the "booklets of verse" all the way from England
and copied the verses on to gilt edged papers. Then a Ms. Ester
Howard in around 1830 decided to be original and create American
Valentines that were marketed as Worcester Valentines.
Since then with changing centuries and tastes the celebration
has taken on new hues with young men and women, children, as
well as older couples creating newer ways to celebrate and
declare their undying love.
About the Author: Paul Wilson is a freelance writer for
http://www.1888PressRelease.com/Lifestyle-0-24.html, the premier
website to Submit Free Press Release for any announcements
including launching of new product or services, new website,
announcing new hires, sponsoring a special event or seminar and
more. He also freelances for
http://www.1888Articles.com/love-articles-178_19.html
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