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The History of Valentine's Day
Origin:
We do know, however, that the Romans celebrated the pagan festival of Lupercalia on February 14, commemorating the rural god Faunus, patron of husbandry and guardian of the secrets of nature. It is believed that birds chose their mates for the coming season on this day
EARLY HISTORY:
The earliest known (proven) valentines are poems, composed for the Valentine's Day festivals for the courts of 14th-century England France
It is believed that this is when the custom of drawing lots for valentines began. Girls drew boys' names and boys drew girls' names so everyone had a pair of valentines to choose from. Whether the drawing itself resulted in many love affairs, or the lotteries were fixed in advance (which was not uncommon,) we shall never know.
By the 17th Century, lotteries were less common, and selections more deliberate. It also became customary to present a gift along with the valentine card. These gifts ranged from love-knots of plaited straw to the opulent jewelry showered upon royal mistresses.
The Victorian Era:
Some valentines were so thick with embellishments, they came in presentation boxes. Some unfolded like fans, while mechanical valentines had levers or disks which made figures dance, hands move and birds flutter their wings.
Valentine's Day reached its height of celebration in the Victorian Era.
Valentine cards were more cherished that Christmas cards (which weren't printed commercially until 1846), perhaps because of the sentimentality attached to them. Due to this popularity, designing cards became a highly competitive market, with a vast array of motifs and verses. Suddenly, cards were being produced in tens of thousands, from whimsy and slightly vulgar, to truly sentimental, their designs included lace paper, embossed envelopes, glass or metal mirrors, ribbons, dried ferns and fake advertisements, bank notes and marriage licenses.
Valentine cards were so popular that their production became a flourishing trade amongst cheap jack printers in central London
Yet even though they were mass-produced, they still featured birds with real feathers, posies of dried flowers and spun-glass hearts, all trimmed with ribbons and gold lace.
Some valentines were so thick with embellishments, they came in presentation boxes. Some unfolded like fans, while mechanical valentines had levers or disks which made figures dance, hands move and birds flutter their wings.
The lyrics in these cards were as effusive as the decorations. Whether sent by a steady beau or a secret admirer, these cards were unabashedly sentimental, pleading for affection and pledging undying devotion happily ever after. Even men kept these tokens of affection hidden in their bureau drawers.
But as times changed, so did customs. And as less became more on the advent of World War I, valentine cards became a dying art.
The History Of Cupid
Cupid:
According to some sources, Cupid (as
Eros) arose out of Chaos, along with Tartarus and Earth (making him one of the
oldest Gods), only later becoming associated with Aphrodite as her winged son.
The mingling of Eros (who, in this instance, was considered to have no parents)
with Chaos is said to have created the race of birds. In certain mythological
tales, it is stated that there was no race of immortals before Eros caused all
things to mingle.
Other legends maintain that Eros hatched from an egg laid by Nyx, also known as Night. Cherubs are also believed to be descendants of Cupid. Depicted as lovable little winged creatures devoid of either arrows or quivers, cherubs are typically not mischievous, as is their infamous alleged ancestor.
Cupid, Roman God of Love and perhaps
the most famous of all Valentine symbols, has always played a role in the
celebration of romance.
As the son of Venus, he is often depicted as a
mischievous, winged child whose arrows pierce the hearts of his victims,
causing them to fall in love.
Cupid is derived from the Latin word cupido,
which means "desire." His Greek counterpart is Eros (from whom comes
the word "erotic"), young son of Aphrodite, Goddess of Love and
Beauty, and Ares, God of War. In Greek mythology, Eros has a brother named
Anteros, sometimes represented as the Avenger of Slighted Love and sometimes
depicted as the symbol of Reciprocal Affection.
According to legend, Cupid's arrows
come in two varieties: the Golden Arrow, which generally signifies true love,
and the Leaden Arrow, which represents wanton and sensual passion. He is also
known to sometimes carry a torch with which to inflame desire between men and
women.
Cupid is not always successful in his endeavors, however. Sometimes his
arrows turn people away from those who fall in love with them. In some mythological
tales, Venus was scratched by one of Cupid's arrows while playing with her son,
the result being that the Goddess
fell instantly in love with Adonis...the first man she saw after receiving the
wound.
Other legends maintain that Eros hatched from an egg laid by Nyx, also known as Night. Cherubs are also believed to be descendants of Cupid. Depicted as lovable little winged creatures devoid of either arrows or quivers, cherubs are typically not mischievous, as is their infamous alleged ancestor.
Cupids In The Victorian Era:
But you might be surprised by valentines insulting a dandy for poor fashion sense, chiding a bachelor to marry, teasing a groom, or telling a suitor to butt out: "Don't think yourself so vastly killing/ Little men I quite despise/ And I never shall be willing/ To accept one of your sighs."
In another card, a bride to be teases her groom: "I think you love me, it is true/ And well, perhaps it may be,/ But if we're married, say will you,/ Object to nurse the baby."
Victorians sent novelty valentines from the "Bank of True Love" and a "Map of Matrimony," transforming the pitfalls of Victorian courtship and marital blessings into an actual map with locations, such as the "Isle of Jealousy," the "Quicksands of Censure," and "
Valentine's Day Victorian style is not just "about love" or "about romance." It is about sauciness and sentimentality, scorn and love, contempt and admiration.
Cupids In The Bible:
Although cherubs (and the other plural form of the word, cherubim) are
mentioned in the Bible as being second only to seraphim in the angelic realms;
when they're portrayed in vintage Valentines, their role is a little less
serious.
Usually half or fully naked and surrounded by birds, flowers, hearts and
other symbols of Valentine's Day, you can't help but think of them as cute.
They bear little resemblance to their description in the book of Genesis (Gen.
3:24): angels who guarded the Garden of Eden with "a flaming sword which
turned every way." In the images on this page, they're bearers of romance
armed with love's arrows, not flaming swords.
The Victorians seemed to be obsessed with them, as they appear
not just in Valentine's Day images, but also in many other images they used
year-round. And I'm glad they were obsessed, because they left behind all these
wonderful vintage Valentine’s cards.
VICTORIAN VALENTINES DAY CARD SLIDE SHOW:
