The Valentine Card's* historical background
The reason why people nowadays send sweets, flowers or greeting cards to a cherished person on the 14th February - a custom which is still kept up in some, mainly Anglo-Saxon countries - remains unclarified.
Valentine's Day has been known as the Roman festival of "Lupercalia" since the 3rd century. In those days young men drew cards with young girl's names on, whom they then courted for duration of the following year.
A lovers' festive occasion on which written greetings were exchanged was first mentioned in the 15th century. A love letter smuggled out of the Tower of London in 1445 is said to be the very first (Valentine) Card.**
In the middle of the 17th century men used to make their promises of marriage on hand-made Valentine Cards.
The first printed Valentine Cards were published by Esther Howland in the United States of America in the 1840s.
Saint Valentine is the name given to several legendary martyrs:
Valentinus, a Roman priest and doctor was executed during the persecution of Christians by Emperor Claudius II Gothicus on 14th February 270 A.D. and was buried in Via Flamina. Pope Julius I is reported to have built a basilica above his grave, which sadly however, no longer exists. Legend has it that whilst in prison Valentinus returned the sight to the jailkeeper's blind daughter. Before he was executed he sent her a last message bearing the inscription: From your Valentinus.
The Bishop of Terni was also another martyr by the name of Valentinus. He too was killed in Rome. His mortal remains were later taken to Terni. Loving couples had been allowed to secretly meet in his garden.
The third martyr, Valentinus, a priest in Rome, once helped a loving couple who had been prevented from getting married by Emperor Claudius II. He secretly solemnized the marriage prior to their hiding-place being discovered whereupon Valentinus was arrested and executed.
All three legends may possibly be based on one and the same event and person. A direct link between the Saint and modern tradition cannot be proven.
*Encyclpedia Britannica 98
** Fink, Joanne <Greeting Card Design> PBC INTERNATIONAL,
Glen Cove, NY., 1992
The Valentine Card's
The historical background
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