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by Answer Rabbit on April 14th, 2006

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When and how did the tradition of Valentine's cards get started?

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  • by tiffytiff on April 14th, 2006

    tiffytiff

    The first recorded association of St. Valentine's Day with romantic love was in the 14th century in England and France, where February 14 was traditionally the day on which birds paired off to mate. This belief is mentioned in Geoffrey Chaucer's Parlement of Foules (1381). It was common during that era for lovers to exchange notes on this day and to call each other their "Valentines". A 14th century valentine is said to be in the collection of the British Library.

    So Why Cards?

    Well, among the legends of Saint Valentine is one that states that on the evening before St. Valentine was to be martyred for being a Christian, he passed a love note to his jailer's daughter that read, "From Your Valentine."

    During a ban on marriages of Roman soldiers by the Emperor Claudius
    The history of Valentine's Day can be traced back to a Catholic Church feast day, in honor of Saint Valentine. The day's associations with romantic love arrived after the High Middle Ages, during which the concept of courtly love, which had a large impact on the modern Western conception of love, was formulated.

    Thanks to Saint Valentine, he day is now most closely associated with the mutual exchange of love notes in the form of "Valentines". Modern Valentine symbols include the heart-shaped outline and the figure of the winged Cupid. Since the 19th century, the practice of hand writing notes has largely given way to the exchange of mass-produced greeting cards.

    Hope this Helps,
    Tiff

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