History of Valentine's Day and Valentine Cards

I am a romantic. I believe Valentine's Day is the most romantic day of the year. Most women believe that Valentine's Day is one of the most important day of the year.

Men simply cannot, or refuse to, comprehend the enormity of the significance of Valentine's Day to a woman. But to their defence, "Gawd woman, it's football season." And Super Bowl Sunday comes before Valentine's Day. There is no way whatsoever that men could possibly crowd their minds with anything else other than watching football and drinking beer. So if your birthday or your anniversary happens to be between now and Super Bowl Sunday, put the gun away. Everything will be ok after Super Bowl Sunday, I promise. You can then steer their thinking to Valentine's Day. They have a few days to prepare for Valentine's Day, which for men is lovingly called "Holy chit, is it that time of the year again?" day.

When is Valentine's Day?

For the guys, Valentine's Day is February 14th. This year, Valentine's Day falls on Tuesday, February 14, 2012. Guys, please pay attention because your happiness, or even your life, might depend on this.

When is Super Bowl Sunday?

For the ladies (guys already know the dates by heart), Super Bowl Sunday (Super Bowl XLVI) next year is on February 5, 2012 (Sunday, of course) and will be held at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana. Now listen here, ladies. No matter what your guy says, it is NOT compulsory for ALL men to watch the game in Indianapolis.

History Of Valentine's day

February has long been a month of romance. It is the month associated with Valentine's Day and from time to time, we have heard the name St. Valentine being mentioned during this season of love. But just who is this St. Valentine? Why is this month associated with love and romance?

Well, it seems that the origin of this lovers day goes back as early as 270 A.D and started with the clash between a kindly priest named Valentine, and a Roman emperor. The Roman Emperor decreed a ban in marriage because he believed married men were more emotionally attached to their families and, therefore, would not be good soldiers. Seeing the utter despair in lovers' faces, Valentine decided to defy the Emperor and married the lovers in secret and the priest became known as "friend of lovers." But you know how secret goes. The mighty ruler found out about it and had the priest executed. Valentine is believed to have been executed on February 14, 270 AD. Before his death, he wrote a letter to his friend who happened to be a woman and signed it "From your Valentine."

Thus 14th of February became a day for all lovers and Valentine became its Patron Saint. It began to be annually observed by young Romans who offered handwritten greetings of affection, known as Valentines, on this day to the women they admired. With the coming of Christianity, the day came to be known as St. Valentine's Day.

The holiday evolved over the centuries. By the 18th century, gift-giving and exchanging hand-made cards on Valentine's Day had become common in England. Hand-made valentine cards made of lace, ribbons, and featuring cupids and hearts began to be created on this day and handed over to the man or woman one loved. This tradition eventually spread to the American colonies.

The first American Valentine's Day greeting cards were created by Esther A. Howland, a graduate and native of Worcester. Mass. Howland, known as the Mother of the Valentine, made elaborate creations with real lace, ribbons and colorful pictures known as "scrap". It was when Howland began Valentine's cards in a large scale that the tradition really caught on in the United States.

Today, Valentine's Day is one of the major holidays in the U.S. and has become a booming commercial success. According to the U.S. Greeting Card Association, 25% of all cards sent each year are "valentines". The "valentines", better known as Valentine's Day cards, are often designed with hearts to symbolize love. The Valentine's Day card spread with Christianity, and is now celebrated all over the world.

Did you know?  by Rosie2010

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