When going through the contents of my childhood home I came across so many things. This dusty bag in the attic contained a slew of Valentine's Day cards from, I believe, my first grade classmates.
I love the kitschy look and the sweet sayings on the front. A far cry from the elaborate dates, roses and chocolates that is now the expected norm. I'm not knocking lovely gifts and fine dining, but it made me wonder about this holiday. I did some Internet exploring and found it was not a holiday created by marketers, though they have taken full advantage of it. There wasn't a smoke-filled boardroom of "Mad Men" inventing a Saint Valentine in hopes of cashing in on love, or lust, or greed.
There are a few variations of this Valentine fellow and on how and when this holiday got it's start. It has gone through several changes throughout it's ancient history. I quite like the old-old school style of writing a simple note or letter to your sweetheart. Somewhere around the 1820s papers especially for a Valentine note were marketed and used widely in Britain and the United States.
And I was impressed with the DIY gumption and entrepreneurial savvy of Esther Howland! Her family had a prestigious lineage and a thriving stationary business. When Esther got a look at some fancy Valentine card she knew she could make even finer ones. They were detailed and incorporated lace, a brightly colored wafer of paper used under the white lace to add contrast and even a sort of shadow box. It didn't take long for her to have a thriving business she named The New England Valentine Company.
All of that just to say that regardless of how you feel about Valentine's Day, enjoy the history of it and, as with other holidays, make it your own.
