ALT-1 The Truth behind Valentines Day
According the U.S. Census Bureau, more than 192 million Valentine's Daycards are exchanged each year, making it second only to Christmas as the mostpopular greeting card-giving occasion. That number doesn't include the millionsof children's Valentine's Day cards sold in boxed sets, so the numbers may actuallyput it first in popularity.
The origins of Valentine's Day itself are uncertain. Some historians believe itoriginated with Juno, the Roman Goddess of women and marriage. In ancientRome, she was honored on Feb. 14. Others trace the day back to St. Valentine, apriest of the early Christian church who was martyred in Rome on Feb. 14 in theyear 270. Emperor Claudius II had put a ban on marriages and engagements somen had no attachments to keep them from joining the army. Valentine waskilled for secretly marrying couples in violation of this law.
St. Valentine himself is thought to have penned the first valentine in his cell ashe awaited his execution. Legend says he had a secret relationship with theprison guard's daughter and signed his letters, "from your dear Valentine."History shows that Valentine's Day greetings were popular as far back as themiddle ages, when lovers sang or recited their declarations. One of the first writtencards was sent by a Frenchman - Charles, duke of Orleans - who sent several,rhymed love letters to his wife in 1415 from his cell in the Tower of London.
Over the next three hundred years, most people made their own valentinesusing original verse or copied from special booklets of appropriate poems. Bythe early 1800s, they were being made in factories with everything from simplecards to expensive ones made with real lace and ribbons being manufactured.The first American cardmaker was Ester A. Howland of Worcester, Mass., whostarted her business in 1847, making more than $100,000 a year.
Not all valentine's cards are based on love and romance. In the 1800s, a typeof card called the penny dreadful became popular and was used to send insultsinstead of praise. Made of cheap paper and ink, the one-cent cards were usuallysent anonymously and contained verses such as, "Tis all in van your simperinglooks; you never can incline; with all your bustles, stays and curls; to find avalentine."
Over the centuries, valentine icons have included everything from hearts andcupids to popular cartoon characters being used to help couples declare their devotionto one another. Gifts of chocolate, jewelry or other such items have also addedto the holiday's romantic traditions.
Today, valentine cards are a multi-million dollar business with cards of everytype imagined being available. They have even entered the cyber age, with dozen'sValentine's Day card-giving tradition has long history of Internet sites offering electronic valentine cards to eager 21st century patrons. There are even special categories such as cards for people to give to their pets.
So whether you write your own verses or surf the Net for a special cybergreeting, happy Valentine's Day to all!
