Today I’m going to talk about Valentine’s Day cards, and I have
a link at the end of the post to the most amazing card I’ve seen.
Everyone knows why hearts appear on Valentine cards. Hearts
are the universal symbol of love. But did you know why lace, locks and keys,
and doves are frequently showcased?
Lace is often found on Valentine cards because the Latin
origin of the word means to “snare or net” as in to catch a person’s heart.
Birds, especially doves, are said to be popular because medieval folk lore says
doves choose their mates on February 14. Since doves mate for life what better creature
to state one’s intention with? Besides, they sound so cute when they coo.
Love Knots were very
popular in seventeenth century England and America. The Love Knot Valentines
were a string of words drawn in the shape of an endless knot. Their message
could be read starting from any line and still make sense. Since Valentines
were done by hand at that time, this Valentine took quite a bit of preparation
to create.
Rebuses are
some of oldest handmade Valentines. You probably remember reading rebuses in
Highlights magazine when you were a child. A rebus is created using pictures to
represent words. So a picture of an eye, a heart, and the letter U would read “I
LOVE YOU.
Keys and locks made their way onto cards because in Wales
wooden love spoons were carved and given as gifts on February 14th. Hearts,
keys and keyholes were favorite decorations on the spoons. The decoration
meant, "You unlock my heart!"
Mass marketing of
Valentines
When you think Valentines, or greeting cards in general, you
probably think Hallmark. This greeting card giant, however, was not the first
manufacturer of Valentine cards.
Preprinted Valentines didn’t appear on the scene until
around 1844 when Esther Howland patented a lacy Valentine in 1844. By 1860, her
factory was selling thousands of Valentines, earning over $100,000. Hallmark
didn’t get into the Valentine business until 1913.
Prior to mass manufacturing of Valentines, senders had to design
and make their Valentines, and come up with their own romantic sentiments. In 1823,
a man named Peter Quizumall, began publishing “Valentine Writer” booklets to
help those who couldn’t think up Valentine verses on their own.
Of course long before Valentine cards became popular, love
letters served as a means to tell your Valentine how you felt about her, or him.
St. Valentine, a priest whom the holiday is named after, was, according to
legend, the first one to send a Valentine love letter. He was imprisoned for
marrying Roman soldiers against the Roman emperor’s decree and martyred on Feb
14. Valentine’s love letter is believed to have been sent to a young girl who
visited him during his confinement, whom legend says was the jailor’s daughter.
He signed his letter, “From your Valentine,” hence the classic signature that
is used even today.
The first recorded Valentine is a love letter written in
1415 by the
English duke of Orleans. He sent a love letter to his wife from his jail cell
in the Tower of London after the Battle of Agincourt.
Tomorrow is Valentine’s Day. There’s still plenty of time to
make or buy that extraordinary card for your special someone. If want to create
a unique card, and are short on ideas, just take a spin around the internet to
get some ideas. I found this card and was so fascinated by it that I just had
to share it. True Love Never Ends folding Valentine card template. The download
is free. Be sure to watch the video to see how to construct the card. I’m creating
this Valentine for my hubby today. Precise placement and cutting of the pieces is
important when making this Valentine.
What about you? Do you make or buy your Valentine Cards?
Stitches Thru Time has some great bi-monthly giveaways
scheduled for 2015! To make sure you're entered into the drawings, be sure to
leave a comment. :) Winners are selected at random on the ending Saturday
(after 7pm EST), so make sure you leave a comment each week for your chance
to win! In fairness to all participants, no one may win twice in a row.
Most winners will be announced in the Weekly Wind-up at the beginning of the
week, so be sure to check back!
