Valentines Day History
There are a lot of opinions about how Valentine’s Day got started, and some are nicer ideas than others. One of the most common opinions is that Valentine was a priest. When marriage was outlawed because the Emperor thought that single men made better soldiers than those with wives and families, Valentine went ahead and kept performing marriages in secret because he cared about people who were in love. He was put to death for this, according to the legend.
Whether that’s true or not is really not known, because the origins of the holiday are, for the most part, a mystery. Other legends say that he helped people escape harsh treatment by the Romans or that he fell in love with the jailor’s daughter while in prison and wrote her a letter, which is how the sending of valentines got started.
No matter how the legend began, Valentine’s Day is big business today with cards and flowers and candy. Some men also buy their girlfriends jewelry for the day, and it’s a popular time to get engaged as well. This tradition of love will continue well into the future.
I also wanted to share the Valentines Tradition 100 years ago
Hundreds of years ago in England, many children dressed up as adults on Valentine's Day. They went singing from home to home. One verse they sang was:
Good morning to you, valentine;
Curl your locks as I do mine ---
Two before and three behind.
Good morning to you, valentine.
In Wales wooden love spoons were carved and given as gifts on February 14th. Hearts, keys and keyholes were favourite decorations on the spoons. The decoration meant, "You unlock my heart!"
In the Middle Ages, young men and women drew names from a bowl to see who their valentines would be. They would wear these names on their sleeves for one week. To wear your heart on your sleeve now means that it is easy for other people to know how you are feeling.
In some countries, a young woman may receive a gift of clothing from a young man. If she keeps the gift, it means she will marry him.
Some people used to believe that if a woman saw a robin flying overhead on Valentine's Day, it meant she would marry a sailor. If she saw a sparrow, she would marry a poor man and be very happy. If she saw a goldfinch, she would marry a millionaire.
A love seat is a wide chair. It was first made to seat one woman and her wide dress. Later, the love seat or courting seat had two sections, often in an S-shape. In this way, a couple could sit together -- but not too closely!
Think of five or six names of boys or girls you might marry, As you twist the stem of an apple, recite the names until the stem comes off. You will marry the person whose name you were saying when the stem fell off.
Pick a dandelion that has gone to seed. Take a deep breath and blow the seeds into the wind. Count the seeds that remain on the stem. That is the number of children you will have.
If you cut an apple in half and count how many seeds are inside, you will also know how many children you will have.
If this is true or not, i don't know, I was curious to know how Valentines day came about.
xoxo
griselle