|
Valentine's Day
Always observed on
February
14
|
Facts |
|
Approximately 190
million Valentine’s
Day cards are
exchanged
industry-wide (not
including packaged
kids’ valentines for
classroom exchanges),
making Valentine’s Day
the second-largest
holiday for giving
greeting cards. |
| In
addition to the U.S.,
Valentine’s Day is
celebrated in Canada,
Mexico, United
Kingdom, France,
Australia, Denmark,
and Italy. |
|
Hallmark first offered
Valentine’s Day cards
in 1913 and began
producing them in
1916. |
Holiday History
According to Roman legend,
during the third century
Valentinus was imprisoned for
his Christian beliefs and
sentenced to death. While
jailed, according to legend,
Valentinus restored the sight of
his jailer’s blind daughter. The
night before he died, Valentinus
wrote a farewell note to the
girl, which he signed, “From
Your Valentine.” His sentence
was carried out the next day,
Feb. 14, 269 A.D.
Hundreds of years later in
fifth century Rome, people
honored Juno, the pagan goddess
of love and marriage, on Feb.
14. During the celebration, men
would draw women’s names and
court them for marriage.
 Around 498 A.D., Pope
Gelasius declared Feb. 14 as St.
Valentine’s Day to honor the
martyr Valentinus and to end the
pagan celebration.
In 1849 Esther Howland of
Worcester, Mass., published the
first American valentine.
Courtesy
Hallmark |
Help keep our pages free
to readers and visitor by supporting our 