The History of Valentine's Day. Why do we send Valentine Cards? and What does it have to do with love? and NO it's NOT Valentimes Day!!!

First off, I want to make sure that everyone knows that Valentine's Day is spelt with an N. There is no M, and it is NOT Valentimes Day! Ok just had to get that out. 

Anyway....I was just reading up on the history of Valentine's Day. I honestly wasn't sure what the real story behind the holiday was, and now I know why. Did you know that even historians don't know for sure?

There a couple of theories behind how it all began. Someone performing marriages when it was illegal? Someone writing love letters to a lover while imprisoned? And as with many modern day holidays, it actually began as one holiday that was transformed into a more appropriate, less pagan one. Seriously, who wants to be slapped with goat skin dipped in blood before dating a stranger for a year? Fascinating things to learn about with this holiday! 

You can read the full history HERE. Don't worry, it's a very short read.

Here are a couple facts I found interesting:
"Typical Valentine's Day Greetings

In addition to the United States, Valentine's Day is celebrated in Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, France and Australia. In Great Britain, Valentine's Day began to be popularly celebrated around the 17th century. By the middle of the 18th, it was common for friends and lovers of all social classes to exchange small tokens of affection or handwritten notes, and by 1900 printed cards began to replace written letters due to improvements in printing technology. 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. Cheaper postage rates also contributed to an increase in the popularity of sending Valentine's Day greetings.

Americans probably began exchanging hand-made valentines in the early 1700s. In the 1840s, Esther A. Howland began selling the first mass-produced valentines in America. Howland, known as the “Mother of the Valentine,” made elaborate creations with real lace, ribbons and colorful pictures known as "scrap." 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. (An estimated 2.6 billion cards are sent for Christmas.) Women purchase approximately 85 percent of all valentines."

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