The history of valentines. Valentines: a big story of small cards

In our time, "Valentine" is called a card to your beloved on Valentine's Day. The appearance of "valentines" was preceded by words and songs that lovers spoke or sang to each other in the Middle Ages

The first written "valentines" appeared already in the 15th century. But even here there are different opinions about who wrote the first "Valentine"? According to one version, the creation of the first written "valentine" is attributed to the Duke of Orleans (1415), who at that time was in prison, in solitary confinement, and decided to fight boredom by writing love letters to his wife. This first "valentine" has survived to our time and is exhibited in the British Museum.

According to other sources, the oldest "valentine" was recently discovered in one of the British libraries. This letter was written in 1477. In the message, the girl asks the young man to prove that he really loves her. She says that she will get her mother to increase the dowry, and he must marry her. This letter was purchased by the library from the British family in whose archive it was kept back in the 1930s. And only last year it was discovered by one of the new employees of the library.

Valentines reached their greatest popularity by the eighteenth century. At that time, paper "valentines" were exchanged instead of gifts. They have gained particular popularity in England. They were made from colored paper and signed with colored ink.

But the ingenuity of lovers in creating "valentines" knew no bounds. The most talented wrote "valentines" in the form of an acrostic - this is a poetic meter, when the first letters of each stanza together make up a meaningful word, in this case - the name of a lover. "Valentines" were cut out with small scissors or pierced with small pins in the form of lace, dyed through a stencil, created a "valentine" puzzle or rebus, or imitated a medieval manuscript with color drawings.

And already at the beginning of the 19th century, mass production of "valentines" began. At first, these were black and white drawings, hand-drawn in a factory. But every year "valentines" became more original and more colorful.

Nowadays, "valentines" are presented as greeting cards in the form of hearts, with best wishes, declarations of love, marriage proposals, or just jokes. Traditionally, they are written in altered handwriting or with the left hand and are not signed. The recipient must guess for himself who exactly sent him a "valentine". In addition to "valentines", people give their loved ones roses (because they are believed to symbolize love), heart candies and other objects with images of hearts, kissing birds and, of course, the rightly recognized symbol of Valentine's Day - the little winged angel Cupid.

European valentines

The young Frenchman Charles, Duke of Orleans, is considered one of the earliest creators of valentines, called "poetic or love letters" at the time. During his imprisonment in the Tower in 1415, he sent several poems or rhyming love letters (so-called "valentines") to his wife, who was at that time in France. This was the first Valentine. :)

During the fifteenth century, the valentine looked like a picture of a knight with a lady and cupid sending an arrow to pierce the knight's heart.

During the seventeenth century, people made their own valentines. They wrote in them either poems composed by themselves, or copied poems from special brochures with poems.

The attitude of the English towards Valentine's Day in the middle of the eighteenth century is summed up in this verse, printed in the Almanac "Poor Robin" in 1757:

This month bright Phoebus enters Pisces,
The maids will have a good store of kisses,
For always when the fun comes there
Valentine's Day is drawing near,
And both the men and maids incline
To choose them each a Valentine;
And if a man gets one he loves,
He gives her first a pair of gloves;
And, by the way, remember this,
To seal the favor with a kiss.
This kiss begets more love, and then
That love starts a kiss again
Until this trade the man doth catch,
And then he doth propose the match,
The woman "willing, tho" she "s shy,
She gives the man this soft reply,
"I"ll not resolve one thing or other,
Until I first consult my mother."
When she says so, "tis half a grant,
And may be taken for consent.

Its translation is roughly as follows:
"If the bright Sun enters the constellation Pisces and fun comes, then Valentine's Day is approaching. Everyone: both guys and girls are already ready to choose their Valentine. And now, if the guy has already chosen a pair, first he gives her a pair of gloves. But, girls , remember that you need to seal your favor with the seal of a kiss!This kiss generates more love, and then that love generates a kiss again. :) And this endless game lures the guy into his sweet love nets, and he offers the girl to be his couple for life. And then the girl gives him a soft answer: "I can not answer yes or no until I consult my mother." When she says this, this is already half the agreement. And her answer can be taken as shy " Yes".

Beloved and Love Birds

"Often I have heard both the boy and the girl say,
That on this day the birds choose their mate;
But never by their flight I could not predict
When will I reunite with my Valentine."
Herrick

It was believed that the birds chose their couple for the year exactly on February 14th. Pigeons chose a mate for life and therefore they were considered a symbol of "fidelity".

The first commercial valentine appeared around 1800 and was rather simplistic. But by the 1930s and 1940s, valentines contained polite and sophisticated messages. Valentine cards were made of fine paper and decorated with satin, ribbons or lace and were quite expensive. They were painted with lovers in gold or silver, a bow with arrows, cupids and bleeding hearts. Since then, all these symbols have become associated with love and lovers.

In the 40s of the nineteenth century, the first mechanical valentines were introduced. The figurine or object on the postcard could move. Some valentines were in the form of elaborate cards with designs that rose when opened, or had various other three-dimensional features.

Messages in early valentines were something like this:

"I love"
"I love you tenderly and sincerely"
"The sun goes down with you"
"I love you! Oh! I love you!
You have become more precious to me than life.
I love you! I love you!
Tell me, are you willing to be my wife?"
"Come on now, this Valentine's Day
Let's go to the church; I can not wait any more.
Let me get married, because you promised
That you will be mine if I wait until that day."

american valentines

After 1723, the number of American Valentines began to grow with the importation from England of their "authors" - booklets containing a large number of poems and messages. They could be transcribed onto gold-edged paper or other decorative sheets. One popular booklet contained not only poems for men to send to women, in the style of "be my Valentine", but also "answers" for women to return. For example:

Valentine
A short time since I danc "d with you,
And from that hour lov "d you true;
Your pleasing form, your charming air,
Might with a fabl "d grace compare;
Your accents, so melodic sweet,
still on my ear does seem to beat;
And "tis the first wish of my life,
To win my Delia for a wife;
Deign, my sweet maid, a line to send,
And may love "s saint my plea defend.

Answer
Your Valentine is very kind,
Nor did a cool reception find;
Your company gave me delight
When I danced with you t "other night;
Then mutually we did incline
Our hearts to love, my Valentine.

Translation:

Valentine
Ever since I danced with you
Since I sincerely loved you;
Your pretty outlines
I would compare with the elegance of fairy tales;
Your speech is melodic, pleasant
Still heard in my ear;
And this is the first desire in my life,
To offer you to become my wife;
Please, lovely lady,
A couple of lines to drop me in response,
May an angel help my love,
To not answer "no".

Answer
Your valentine was very cordial,
And I could not give you a cool reception;
Your company has given me pleasure,
When I danced with you yesterday;
And if then our inclination is mutual,
May hearts unite on Valentine's Day!

Since that time, valentines have become less decorated and artistic. During the frivolous 90s, they were decorated with shiny glass, mother-of-pearl artificial gems or silk fringe.

Confirmation of the most unattractive and cheap looking valentine can be seen in the example of "vinegar valentine". John McLaughlin, a typographer in New York, created these comic valentines that were printed on cheap paper in rough colors. His messages ridiculed old maids, teachers, etc.

In 1870, the American cartoonist Charles Howard drew comically designed valentines called "penny dreadfuls" ("cheap tabloid") - exactly the right name for them, because they had a terrible design and were sold for only a penny.

The first valentines made in the USA were designed by Miss Esther Howland, a student at Mount Holyoke College. Her father, a bookseller in Worcestershire, Massachusetts, brought Valentines from England every year. Esther, however, decided to create her own valentines. She brought lace from England, good quality paper and other supplies needed to create valentines.

Her brothers and a few hired assistants helped sell her Worcestershire Valentines. The profit from sales was about one hundred thousand dollars a year - not so bad for the 30s of the nineteenth century. It is Esther Howland who is considered the first American woman to achieve great success in her career.

Now you can see the change in the style of valentines from the "heavy sentimentality" of the nineteenth century to the "light touch" of our day. Nowadays, a Valentine acts as an adjunct to an elaborate gift, such as candy, flowers, perfume, or (who knows? :) a marriage proposal.

Today, valentines are made in huge quantities: from sentimental and romantic to cool and funny. There is a Valentine for everyone - for your lover, spouse, children, parents, teachers, and even pets! In terms of the number of valentines sent, Valentine's Day is only second only to Christmas cards. :)

And recently, virtual "valentines" have become increasingly popular. So you do not forget to send your beloved half a "valentine"!

... I wonder how the first Valentine appeared? And what were valentines like before? Let's try to look into history to answer this question.

european valentine story

The holiday of all lovers is more than sixteen centuries old. And his main "culprit" was the priest Valentine, who lived in 269 in the city of Terni. At that time, Claudius II ruled the Roman Empire, who always lacked bachelor soldiers to replenish the legions. The emperor was firmly convinced that married warriors fought poorly, so he issued a decree forbidding legionnaires to marry. Apparently, Valentine was an incorrigible romantic, for he disobeyed the emperor and secretly married soldiers with their lovers. Upon learning of this, Claudius became angry and sentenced the priest to death.

This is where one of the first versions of the history of the appearance of Valentine begins. Sitting in a dungeon awaiting execution, Valentine fell in love with the warden's daughter. The girl was blind from birth. Valentine managed to heal her illness. His beloved has matured. The day before the execution, Valentine wrote a touching letter to the girl, in which he confessed his feelings to her and said goodbye forever. The message ended with the words "From your Valentine" - "Your Valentine". This letter was read only after the execution of the priest. Subsequently, Valentine was canonized as a Christian martyr who suffered for his faith. It happened on February 14, 496. Since then, Valentine's Day has become a holiday for all lovers.

There is another legend that says that the first creator of valentines in 1415 was the Duke of Orleans. But then they were called love poetic messages. Duke Charles, imprisoned in the Tower, sent romantic love messages to his wife, who was then in France.

Well, the third version, related to the history of Valentine, is documented. A Valentine card dated 1477 was purchased by the British Library from a family back in the thirties, then this historical document was gathering dust in the archive for a long time. Recently, that ancient valentine was discovered by a young librarian. In it, a young British girl wrote an ardent message to her lover, in which she demanded proof of a reciprocal feeling and desire to marry her. In the letter, the girl even promised the guy that she would get a significant increase in the dowry from her mother, if only the unity of the beloved couple took place. Whether the young man was so materialistic that he did not want to marry a girl with a small dowry, whether he loved a young lady, and how this story ended in general, is unknown.

It is difficult to say which of the versions is the most reliable, I like all three. Be that as it may, valentines were not created in vain.

How to decorate valentines

In the fifteenth century, valentines were depicted in the form of drawings, which were always attended by knights, beautiful ladies and cupids with arrows piercing brave knights' hearts.

In the seventeenth century, everyone tried to make their own, unique valentine, where poems about love and unearthly passion fit in.

By the middle of the 18th century, the almanac "Poor Robin" printed poems, the essence of which reveals the attitude of the British to the holiday of all lovers: when the sun enters the constellation Pisces, Valentine's Day is expected. At this time, the guy gives the girl he likes a pair of gloves. The gift must be backed up by a passionate kiss. If the girl replies that she is not against marriage, but she needs to consult with her mother, then she likes the guy.

By the beginning of the nineteenth century, the first, still rather primitive, commercial valentines began to appear. Only by the forties did love messages become exquisite, made of very expensive paper, decorated with satin, lace, and ribbons. At the same time, mechanical valentines appeared, in the form of moving figures on postcards, that is, the first three-dimensional images of passionate feelings.

The advent of the American Valentine

The American history of Valentine began after 1723. This is due to the fact that from England they began to deliver to the United States a large number of booklets with messages and poems dedicated to lovers. Lovers began to copy such messages on sheets of paper with golden edges. Valentines began to decorate less, because the main thing was hidden in the content of the card.

In the nineteenth century, the American artist Charles Howard began to draw the so-called "cheap tabloid" - "penny dreadfuls" on valentines. These were comic postcards with a terrifying design, they were sold for mere pennies.

The first valentines made in the USA were designed in the 1930s by the daughter of a Worcestershire bookseller, Esther Howland. The then student went to England, brought back lace, beautiful paper and became the author and manufacturer of her own valentines, which were an absolute commercial success.

Modern valentines

Modern valentines, having gone a long way from sentimentality to the avant-garde, have become a necessary addition to gifts presented on Valentine's Day. And they can be in a wide variety of media.

Exquisite lacy valentine cookies, created by your favorite girl, will not leave any guy indifferent.

Puff pastry Valentine's baskets filled with raspberries will be a unique addition to a romantic dinner.

And who refuses to have breakfast like a Valentine? And which of the men on Valentine's Day will be able to reproach his wife with the words: "Again scrambled eggs"? After all, this work of art is a morning gastronomic confirmation of a declaration of love.

And even if the beloved serves breakfast in "crystal" shoes ...

... or in a valentine T-shirt, then even without further ado it will become clear to a man: Valentine's Day has come, it's time for confessions of sincerity of feelings.

The funniest valentines

Valentine cards can be not only tasty, but also very interesting, funny, funny.

Valentine kittens in love are an amazing living home decoration. And piglets know how to love in their own way.

Just imagine the picture: early morning. Does your beloved go out onto the balcony and see the valentine pool you built overnight? Do you need any additional declarations of love?

After all, even a stump on that bright day can tell a lot about romantic feelings that happened back in those distant times when he was a young tree.

Valentines can be very diverse. The most important thing about valentines is that they are the most effective way for lovers to tell about their feelings for the first time, to confess their love in an unusually beautiful poetic-romantic form. Don't forget to wish your loved ones Happy Valentine's Day!

A small colorful card cut out in the shape of a heart, simply a “valentine”, is the most important symbol of the favorite holiday of romantics of all times and peoples. According to the calculations of American statistical groups, the total income from sales of valentines is almost equal to the income from sales of Christmas and New Year's cards. It is not known for certain when and where Valentines first appeared, however, like every romantic attribute, these cards, dear to the heart, have their own heart-rending story.

The history of valentines

According to the first version, the tradition of confessing love to each other through valentines appeared thanks to the priest Valentine, who lived in the city of Terni. Since at that time the Roman Empire was actively fighting enemies for its territory, Emperor Claudius II forbade young legionnaires to marry, believing that the martial spirit of the fighters would destroy family life. However, Valentine, being a real romantic, secretly married young people in his church, for which, in fact, he was executed by the emperor. But as the legend says, despite the dignity of the priest, in the life of Valentine himself there was also great and ardent love. On the day of his own execution, Valentine managed to write a message to his beloved, which was completed by the signature - “Your Valentine”.

But other sources say that the world's first Valentine, which is now kept in the walls of the British Museum, was written by the Duke Charles of Orleans in 1415. For the defeat at Eisencourt, the duke was sentenced to 25 years in solitary confinement. And in order not to go crazy with boredom, throughout the entire period of imprisonment, Charles wrote letters to his wife in verse. It is believed that it was thanks to him that it became fashionable for the youth of that time to confess their romantic feelings with the help of poetry.

You, too, can make your loved one pleasant by giving, which is easy to do with your own hands according to our master class.

How Valentines Evolved

Whoever was the creator of valentines, the tradition of giving each other heart-shaped cards on February 14 has been firmly rooted among the inhabitants of European countries since the 17th-18th centuries. At that time, the main decorations of the holiday card were images of brave knights, ladies in magnificent dresses and cupids with arrows soaring above them. According to the etiquette of the 17th century, only men could give valentines, moreover, postcards had to be made by hand and presented anonymously. For better secrecy, the young men, as a rule, wrote their confessions with their left hand in block letters. The height of gallantry and romance were valentines with acrostics of their own composition. Young men who were not endowed with the gift of lyricists could turn to publishing houses, where for them, for a fee, verses were written to order.

Mass production of valentines began during the heyday of the Victorian era. In accordance with the fashion of that time, love cards were decorated with feathers, lace, pearls and even precious stones. Since the cost of such a congratulation was by no means budgetary, for some period of time, valentines became the lot of only very rich romantics.

On the American continent, valentines appeared only in the late 1800s, thanks to the paper merchant Mr. Ovlan, who brought home several colorful heart-shaped cards from a trip to Europe. At first, the Americans tried to exactly repeat the creations of their European colleagues, but since the production of lavishly decorated valentines was too expensive, they decided to change their design at their own discretion. The author of the first available valentines was John McLaughlin, who decided to add a touch of irony to the sublime romance. According to his project, postcards began to be issued depicting comical "old maids" and young lovers. A little later, the famous cartoonist Charles Howard released a whole series of funny valentines called "Cheap Boulevard".

And if you want to conquer your soulmate with an unusual Valentine, then do

On Valentine's Day, which has long been considered Valentine's Day, valentines are given to loved ones - small cards, often in the shape of a heart, because they symbolize love.

There are different opinions about when the first “valentine” cards appeared. However, the fifteenth century is considered the time of their occurrence and distribution. Who wrote the first Valentine? The initiative of the first written Valentine is assigned to the Duke of Orleans (1415), who, sitting in prison, fighting boredom, wrote love letters to his dear wife.

The first Valentine is still on display and is kept in the British Museum.

There is another version. In one of the libraries in England, a Valentine card of 1477 was recently found, according to some, it is the first, the oldest. This love letter is a girl's appeal to a boy with a request to prove his love for her. The library bought this letter from one of the British families. The letter was kept in the library archives for a long time, and only recently was discovered by a new library employee.

Paper valentines were quite popular in the eighteenth century. They served as gifts, they were exchanged. In England, Valentine's Day cards are especially popular. There they were made of multi-colored paper and signed with colorful ink. Since there is no limit to the fantasies of lovers, valentines changed more and more over time, became brighter, more interesting.

The resourcefulness of lovers in creating love letters is truly limitless. Some talented authors wrote valentines in poetic size - an acrostic. From each stanza, the first letters together make up a meaningful word - as a rule, this word is the name of a loved one. Valentine cards were cut out with small scissors, in the form of lace, using tiny pins. Painted through a stencil. Love messages written in valentine were a kind of rebus, puzzle, or an imitation of a manuscript in the style of the Middle Ages with color drawings.

At the beginning of the nineteenth century, valentines began to be mass-produced. At first, the drawings were black and white, hand-painted at the factory. But every year valentines became more colorful and original.

To date, valentines are greeting cards, which are usually red or pink, in the form of a heart. They confess their love, propose a hand and a heart, write just good sincere wishes or jokes.

Valentines are not customary to sign. Sometimes they are signed by changing the handwriting or with the left hand, intriguing the addressee - he must guess for himself who is the author of the love letter.

You can be smart, give free rein to your imagination and make a Valentine yourself. In this case, you can use the most diverse material: velvet, bright shreds of fabric, fur, beads, shells, etc. In addition to valentines, on this day, lovers are given roses, flowers symbolizing love, heart sweets, a heart-shaped cake and other things in the shape of a heart or with a picture of a heart, souvenirs: kissing birds, Cupid - a little angel symbolizing love. By the way, the angel Cupid is the symbol of Valentine's Day.

It has long been believed that the patron saint of all lovers is St. Valentine, a Roman priest-doctor who was executed in 269 exactly on February 14 for his spiritual and religious beliefs. Since then, the planet has been honoring Saint Valentine

You can read more about how this holiday appeared in the article " Valentine's Day". Here I will talk about the invariable attributes of this magnificent holiday.

First Valentine

The first Valentine was created by Duke Charles of Orleans in 1415, who was in prison. the fact is that he missed his wife very much and constantly wrote love letters to her. Valentines became more popular a little later - in the 18th century.

Today, a "valentine" is a small heart-shaped card with wishes or secret declarations of love. the recipient must guess who it is from

When it comes to flowers, the rose certainly takes the first place, as it is considered a symbol of love. Chocolate sweets-hearts, bright romantic figurines-cupids, all kinds of hearts, and many, many things that just might come to mind are also very relevant.

Hearts for the holiday can be sewn, sculpted, painted, knitted and baked

• The official symbols of Valentine's Day are cooing doves and hearts pierced by Cupid's arrows.

Don't part with your loved ones!
Don't part with your loved ones!
Don't part with your loved ones!
Grow in them with all your blood -
And every time forever say goodbye!
And every time forever say goodbye
And say goodbye every time.
When you leave for a moment!

Happy Valentine's Day
Intoxicated, illuminated
wonderful feelings,
The most powerful.
May God keep you apart
Enjoy eternal happiness!