Valentines Day is waiting for us all around the corner! Soon men, women and children of all ages will be striving to find the perfect card for their loved one.
I don’t know about you, but I feel the romantic edge of this special day has been somewhat lost over the last few decades. The prospect of a now over-commercialised day just doesn’t seem so exciting. What’s happened to the world? Where has the sentiment gone?
Originally Valentines were sung or spoken! This verbal tradition dates back as far as the Middle Ages. Although Valentines cards don’t go quite so far back, I was still quite surprised to find that the oldest written card actually dates back to the 1400’s - when Henry VI was on the throne. This card can now be seen in the British Museum, London. The idea of the paper Valentine overtook the original traditions of songs and gifts and continued to become more and more popular.
By the early 1800’s factories began production of cards. Workers would paint the card designs and then assemble them by hand. The majority of workers were women due to their dexterity in the fine work. By the mid 1800’s designs started to be embellished with lace
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and ribbon and towards the end of the century all cards were manufactured by machine. This major development was mainly down to a fast-growing progression in new capabilities such as embossing and also the widespread evolution of printing techniques.
As the century turned and machine production took off, the big names stepped in. The by now established company ‘Hallmark Cards’ - which you may be familiar with - started to manufacture their first Valentines cards. From herein Valentines Day goes from romanticism to commercialism in one fell swoop! The twentieth century saw Valentines cards grow evermore popular. After years of post-war recession the eighties saw people encouraged to spend. The increased use of credit cards saw Valentine traditions change yet again. People lavished money on flowers, chocolates and even diamonds! What ever happened to the simple sonnet? Expectations ever since have been high! In fact Valentines Day is reported as now being the second most profitable occasion after Christmas for the greetings card industry.
So on that note, just try and bear in mind the real sentiment behind Valentines Day. Luckily for me, I am
now a happily married Mother of one; content and settled in a loving relationship. Safe in the knowledge that come February 14th, I no longer have an anxious wait for the postman to arrive. Years of hopeful visions flashing through my head are no more; the postman struggling to contain hundreds of cards in his satchel. No, wait! Better still! Thoughts of the postman knocking on the door, bearing a huge bouquet of flowers! Luckily for me, I no longer have that worry; that dreaded disappointment. Not now I have a husband. Now I have a husband, my life is full of certainty; I now know for sure I won’t be getting anything!
Here’s hoping that the true Valentines day spirit reaches you and that February 14th puts a smile on your face. May you share a romantic moment with the one you love and remember; it isn’t ALL about the cards and chocolates!
WHY NOT CHECK OUT ‘FOR SOMETHING DIFFERENT’ ON PAGE 16 AND PICK UP A FEW HINTS AND TIPS FOR WAYS TO SPEND YOUR VALENTINES DAY. VENUES, RECIPES AND PLAYLISTS.
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