Valentine's Day Greetings

Although mystery surrounds the origins of Valentine’s Day and the man the day was named for, it is undeniable that the sharing of Valentine’s greeting cards has become one of the most popular customs of Valentine’s Day in the United States. This custom has developed over the centuries and continues to expand.

The first Valentine’s greeting may date back to Saint Valentine himself. According to one legend, Valentine, while imprisoned and just before his death, sent a note to his jailer’s daughter whom he had fallen in love with and signed it ‘from your Valentine.’ The oldest known valentine still in existence, which dates back to 1415, is a note from Charles, Duke of Orleans to his wife. It is currently in the British Library in London, England.

In the 18th century Valentine greetings became more popular in Great Britain and the United States. By mid-century, in Great Britain it was common for friends and lovers of all social classes to exchange small tokens of affection and hand-written notes. This custom spread to the American colonies where they created hand-made cards with lace ribbons, cupids, and hearts. In Great Britain, due the advancements in printing technology, by the end of the 18th century written letters began to be replaced by printed cards. In a time when it was not seen as proper to directly express emotion, these ready-made cards made the expression of emotions easier.

In the 19th century the sending of Valentine’s greeting cards again gained in popularity and ease. The lowering of the postage rate increased the popularity of sending Valentine’s greetings. In the 1840s, Esther Howland of Worcester, Mass. made and sold the first mass-produced Valentine’s greeting cards in the United States. She was said to be inspired by an English card that she received.

Americans have not slowed down in sharing Valentine’s greeting cards ever since. According to the Greeting Card Association, 25 percent of all cards sent each year are for Valentine’s Day. Regardless of what people know about the origins of the day, both hand-made and mass-produced cards are shared on Valentine’s Day in large amounts.