But have you ever thought about how this day has come so
celebrated all over the world?!!
The answer is shrouded in complete mystery there are NO
definitive answers and yet this day is so popular and let us be honest it would
be such a boring world without it!
Every February 14th across the world chocolates,
flowers lingerie and other gifts are exchanged between lovers as well as secret
‘want to be’ lovers all in the name of ‘you know who’ yes St Valentine. But who
is this mysterious Saint that we gladly celebrate but don’t know anything
about?!!
Some say it started out as a Pagan celebration in the
ancient Roman festival of Lupercalia which was a fertility celebration.
It is said that young unattached men would sacrifice a goat
for fertility and then a dog for purification. They would cut the goats skin
into strips dip them in the sacrificial blood and gently spank young single
women and crop fields!
Before you scream and protest (as I certainly would) these
women were not frightened or angry, no they actually stood in line in the
streets eagerly to have their derrieres spanked (form an orderly queue please
ladies) ha ha!
They would line up excitedly and positively look forward to
it because ( I know what you are thinking you cannot think for the life of you
why anyone would want to put themselves through such purgatory not to mention
embarrassment!!)
Well you may not believe this but this strange ritual was
considered to make the young women more fertile in the coming spring months. Old
wives tales doesn’t even begin to cover it).
So basically it was to aid fertility – Imagine an early
IVF!
According to legend all the unmarried young women in the
city would then put their names in a large urn and the bachelors would then
take it in turns to pick a name out of it. He would pair up with the woman that
he had chosen.
In the UK Valentine’s Day became popular in the 17th
century and by the 1800s it was commonplace for lovers to exchange small
mementos and letters. However in the 1900s cards began to replace the letter as
it was easier to write a card than a letter to a would be lover. It was
certainly considered extremely unladylike to express emotions and men were
considered rude and discouraged to be so forward to a woman. Don’t forget we
were still in the era of ‘Good Morning Miss Jones’ and the tipping of the hat
and that was from someone who fancied you!
Today at least 1 Billion Valentines Cards are sent each year
from lovers and hopeful beaus and it is the second most card sending time of
the Year after Xmas.
SO WE WISH EVERYONE A VERY EXCITING AND HAPPY VALENTINE’S
DAY!!
Click here to view our website for valentines day ideas!
