1. The Real Saint Valentine Is Shrouded In Thriller

Regardless that he lived within the third century AD, virtually nothing is known about this saint or the life he led. It isn't even clear how many holy men named Valentine there were, or which one is honored on Valentine's Day.

Regardless, bits and pieces in regards to the saint have made it into the realm of legends. The consensus is that he was a priest who broke the law doing what he believed in. Some stories say he performed marriages between soldiers and their beloveds. In Rome during that time, this was towards the law. Soldiers weren't allowed to marry. When Valentine was caught, he was imprisoned and put to dying for defying Roman rules.

One other story also entails his imprisonment, however this time for working towards his faith and refusing to worship the emperor. While in prison, he became friends with the jailer's daughter. He prayed for her, and she or he was healed of her maladies. On the night time of his execution, Valentine gave his friend a note to comfort her. It read, quite simply, "From Your Valentine."

2. Matchmaking Was An Ancient Roman Tradition That Preceded Valentine's Day

Lupercalia was a festival that took place every year in ancient Rome between the 13th and 15th of February. Its function was to cleanse and protect the community. A number of the festival traditions have been meant to do away with evil spirits and bless crops.

There was additionally a matchmaking component to the festivities. Women put their names in an urn. Men picked names from the urn. The couples formed by this lottery system were expected to stay together for a year. Surprisingly, many of those random matches resulted in marriages.

Centuries later, this historical celebration merged with the newer tradition of honoring Saint Valentine on February 14. The newer vacation was a lot more subdued, but a number of the festival's romantic elements carried forward.

3. Valentine Cards Became All The Rage In Victorian England

In the Middle Ages, noblemen wrote (or hired others to write for them) impassioned love notes to their pricey ones. But it wasn't until the Victorian Period within the mid-1800s that sending valentine cards turned a well-liked custom.

First it was handmade cards embellished with lace and ribbon. These were fancy cards with intricate designs that included cutouts and pop-ups. The tradition was popularized in England and made its way to the U.S. a number of decades later.

With advances in printing technology, cards began to be mass-produced. At present one hundred eighty million valentine cards are exchanged annually in the U.S. alone. Designs continue to evolve, however coronary heart and floral themes remain as standard as they were in Victorian times.

If you enjoyed this post and you would like to obtain additional details concerning valentines day cards for kids kindly go to our own webpage.