When were the first Valentine’s cards? The first Valentine’s cards were sent in the 18th century. Initially these were handmade efforts, as pre-made cards were not yet available. Lovers would decorate paper with romantic symbols including flowers and love knots, often including puzzles and lines of poetry. The first Valentine’s greeting: While the practice of sending love messages dates back centuries, the oldest known Valentine’s greeting still in existence today is a poem written in 1415 by Charles, Duke of Orleans, to his wife while he was imprisoned in the Tower of London. Today, according to the Greeting Card Association, Valentine’s Day is the second most popular holiday for Americans to send greeting cards. The U.S. trade association counts an estimated 145 million cards sold each year for the holiday, compared to 1.6 billion cards for the first place winner: Christmas. The first known Valentine’s Day card was sent by Charles, Duke of Orleans, to his wife while he was imprisoned in the Tower of London in the early 15th century. However, the tradition of exchanging cards became more widespread in the 18th century. When did Valentine’s Day cards become commercially produced? Valentine’s Day cards started ” During the Victorian era in Britain, pre-made Valentine’s Day cards took off as printing became more affordable. In 1840, over 400,000 Valentine’s Day cards were mailed in Britain. In the early 1900s, the practice of trading Valentine’s Day cards in the classroom began; just like today, some were homemade while others were purchased. With advances in printing, the 19th century brought printed Valentine’s Day cards and in 1913, Hallmark Cards printed their first cards, and Valentine’s Day was forever changed. Here are a few cards from 1913 – 1918 available for viewing at the Eagle Historical Society Museum. By 1916, the very first Hallmark Valentine’s Day cards appeared on store shelves. The oldest known valentine in existence The first written valentines did not appear until after 1400. The first Valentine's Day card was sent in 1415 from France's Duke of Orléans to his wife when he was a prisoner in the Tower of London following the Battle of Agincourt, according to the The first Valentine’s Day cards were sent in the 18th century. They were handmade since pre-printed cards were not yet available. An early hand-made puzzle purse valentine, from around 1790. (Private Collection/Bridgeman Images) The York Castle Museum holds what may be the first printed Valentine’s Day card. Hallmark, which began offering Valentine's Day cards in 1913, estimates that today, 145 million Valentine’s Day cards are exchanged annually, not including the kids’ valentines popular for The enterprising Howland is credited with starting the Valentine’s Day card industry in the United States, growing what started out as a small, homemade card business into a thriving enterprise The English poet Geoffrey Chaucer was the first to record St. Valentine’s Day as a day of romantic celebration in his 1375 poem an estimated 145 million Valentine’s Day cards are sent each So if you are alone this Valentine’s day, buy yourself a box of chocolates and a romance novel. Every time you see the word “cleave” eat a delicious bon-bon and think about the man who sent the first Valentine card who was without a lover for 25 years! Maybe you should buy two boxes Photo credit – Wikimedia. Happy Valentine’s Day! The first Valentine’s card that was decorated and poetic is attributed to the imprisoned Charles, Duke of Orleans, in 1415. He eased the pain of incarceration by writing love verses to his wife. By the 1700s, manufactured cards became the most popular way to declare love. The cards were elaborately hand-painted and decorated with gold [] But then came Hallmark cards for Valentine's Day. By 1913, a company by the name of Hallmark moved into the Valentine's Day card business and the rest is history. In a 1981 academic article, the late University of Kansas English professor Jack B. Oruch argued that Chaucer's 1375 poem “Parlement of Foules” was the first to record St. Valentine's Day as a While the first known Valentine’s Day card was printed in 1849 in Worcester, Massachusetts, the first commercially printed Valentine was released in 1913. Because of this, and to limit the scope of the history a bit to keep this short and sweet, I’ll be focusing on how Americans may have celebrated Valentine’s Day for the past 100 years.* While Valentine's Day is commonly celebrated by lovers spending time together, one of the first Valentine's messages was sent by a solitary 15th-century prisoner. The origins of Valentine’s Day trace back to the ancient Roman celebration of Lupercalia. Held on February 15, Lupercalia honored the gods Lupercus and Faunus, as well as the legendary founders of Rome, Romulus and Remus. For 800 years the Romans had dedicated this day to the god Lupercus. In addition to a bountiful feast, Lupercalia festivities are purported to have included the pairing of The first valentine was sent from St. Valentine himself in 270 AD. He had made friends with the daughter of his jailer during his imprisonment, and on the night before he was executed, he sent her
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