 The Origin of
St. Valentine's Day
by
Flora M. Brown, Ph.D.
Every February 14th, candy, roses, gifts and cards are exchanged in the name of St. Valentine, one of history’s most mysterious figures. There are at least six different versions of the origin of Valentine’s Day, but the most popular story is that St. Valentine was a priest in Rome during the third century. Claudius, Emperor of Rome, wanted men to volunteer to join the army. The men preferred to stay with their wives and families rather than fight wars. This angered Claudius so much that he banned marriages, thinking that if men couldn’t marry they would join his army.
Valentine resented this new law and continued to marry couples secretly, often in a candlelit room where they had to whisper the vows for fear of being heard. One night he was caught conducting a wedding ceremony, thrown in jail and sentenced to death.
Many well-wishers came to the jail to offer support, and threw flowers and notes to his window to let him know that they still believed in love and marriage. One of those visitors was the jailer’s daughter. On the day of his death he wrote a note to the girl, thanking her for her visits and her friendship. He signed it, Love from your Valentine. Since that day, Feb. 14, 269 A.D., lovers and friends have continued to exchange greetings and gifts to show that they, too, still believe in love.
In modern times the celebration of Valentine’s Day has grown far beyond flowers, candy, cards and jewelry. Although Valentine expressions are still mainly personal, they are often exchanged in business settings as well.
Now is the time to send postcards or mailers to your general consumer and corporate clients offering Valentine gifts and gift baskets.
Need ideas for Valentine gift basket themes? Get Love It!, our directory of over 20 wholesale sources for Valentine gift and gourmet ideas plus 15 themes for your Valentine themes.
To learn how to make a Valentine design step by step, see A Lovely Design, a photo story.
Get more design ideas at Easy Gift Basket Ideas |
