By Pam Dudding Contributor writer
Valentine’s Day is said to be a day meant for those in love or for those who wish to be and are ready to give a hint to that one special person.
Still others feel that the day should be shared to all those you care about, including friends and for some, their pets.
Residents in Craig have a variety of opinions about Valentine’s Day.
- “I think Valentine’s Day is great! My son was born on Valentine’s Day.” Betty Dudding
- “Best day is the day after when there is half priced candy!” Zachary Peters
- “Too commercialized! It’s a day for love and gratitude and giving of yourselves to others we care about! But make your own card and gift!” Sally Godwin
Teresa Oliver suggested people send an encouragement card to our Craig people serving in the military.
One address given – (send exactly as written) was for, Rct. Fisher, Joseph, Delta Co 1st RTBN PLT 1030, PO Box 16155, Parris Island, SC 29905-6115. (Note – Do NOT send packages as he will get in trouble… only a letter.)
Many know that Valentine’s Day was named after a saint, St. Valentine — but there’s actually some confusion surrounding which St. Valentine the holiday technically honors.
According to History.com, there are at least two men named Valentine that could’ve inspired the holiday, including one Valentine who was a priest in third century Rome. This Valentine defied Emperor Claudius II’s ban on marriage (he thought it distracted young soldiers), illegally marrying couples in the spirit of love until he was caught and sentenced to death.
Another legend suggests that Valentine was killed for attempting to help Christians escape prison in Rome, and that he actually sent the first “valentine” message himself while imprisoned, writing a letter signed “From your Valentine.”
It was in the1300s that Valentine Day officially became a holiday associated with “love.”
History states that Roman Pope Gelasius officially declared the date of February 14 “St. Valentine’s Day.” Still, it wasn’t until the Middle Ages, that the holiday became associated with love and romance, a tradition that first started from the common belief in France and England that birds started their mating season on February 14.
Of course, many ask, “Where did the little fella with the arrow come from?”
Cupid, as most know him, can be traced all the way back to 700 B.C., according to Time. They share that a Greek God names Eros, had a special power to make people fall in love. At that time however, he was a “handsome immortal man”. It was the Romans in the 4th century that came up with little Cupid, who seemed to have become more popular.
The oldest record of a valentine being sent, according to History.com, was a poem written by a French medieval duke named Charles to his wife in 1415. At 21 years old, Charles penned a sweet note to his lover while he was imprisoned in the Tower of London. One of the lines in the poem? “I am already sick in love, My very gentle Valentine.”
During the 17th century, people started exchanging cards and handwritten letters to both lovers and friends, though Valentine’s Day cards were not mass-produced in the U.S., until the 1840s.
It is said they were sold by Esther A. Howland, known as the “Mother of the American Valentine,” and is remembered for her elaborate, crafty cards made with lace and ribbons.
Difficult to believe, the giving of red roses did not become popular until the late 17th century. In fact, the practice can be traced back to when King Charles II of Sweden learned the “language of flowers” which pairs different flowers with specific meanings and the red roses symbolized deep love.
Valentine’s Day makes Hallmark happy since they produced their first card in 1913! They stated that a whopping 145 million Valentine’s Day cards are exchanged every February 14 (and that’s not including kids’ valentines).
Fun fact – over 27 million American households gave Valentine’s Day presents to their pet dogs in 2020, and more than 17.1 million picked up gifts for their cats.
Also, though candy and flowers seem to be the most favorable gifts, according to the National Retail Federation, jewelry is where most is spent, and many ladies are happy about that!
In 1861 the first heart-shaped box was created by Richard Cadbury, son of Cadbury founder John Cadbury. They started packaging chocolates in fancy boxes to increase sales (and it is still working!) Today, more than 36 million heart-shaped boxes of chocolates are sold each year which is about 58 million pounds of chocolate!
Fun fact two! The story of conversation hearts first began when a Boston pharmacist named Oliver Chase invented a machine that simplified the way medical lozenges could be made. His result – America’s first candy-making machine! Chase founded the New England Confectionery Company, or Necco as we know it today.
Later in 1866 Oliver’s brother, Daniel Chase, started printing “sweet” messages on the Necco sweethearts. The candies were bigger and had longer phrases. Some of the first messages were, “Married in white you have chosen right” and “How long shall I have to wait? Please be considerate.”
Today’s message might read, “Hit me up if you wanna get down!” or “Be a sweetheart and take me out!”
Another fun fact: Necco starts making the hearts just days after February 14 to have enough in time for the next Valentine’s Day. That’s almost 100,000 pounds per day. Isn’t it good that they have a shelf life of five years!?
And yes, V-Day is a big day for proposals! Facts state that 6 million couples get engaged on February 14.
“XOXO” hasn’t always meant hugs and kisses.
The signature “XOXO” started long ago in the Middle Ages. History explains that the “X” symbolized the Christian cross, and letters ended with the sign of the cross and a kiss to symbolize an oath. Later, it came to mean “sealed with a kiss.”
And did you know that V-Day for singles since 2003 has been called International Quirkyalone Day? It’s said the holiday isn’t an anti-Valentine’s Day event, but rather “a moment to celebrate self-love and platonic relationships”.
Regardless, the special heart day brings joy to many and a great reason to tell someone you really care about them in any of these special ways.
So, have a “love-ly” Valentine’s Day! May your heart be filled with sweet gestures, love and chocolates!