HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY—
The tradition of celebrating this day in the US has had a widely meandering history through the calendars and festivals of antiquity.
The first recorded association of Valentine’s Day with romantic love is in Parlement of Foules by Geoffrey Chaucer in 1382.
For this was on seynt Volantynys day
Whan euery bryd comyth there to chese [choose] his make [mate].
This poem was written to honor the first anniversary of the engagement of King Richard II of England to Anne of Bohemia. Incidently, when they did get married a few months later, he was 13 or 14 and she was 14.
For some reason readers of the poem assumed Chaucer was referring to February 14th as Valentine’s Day. However, mid-February is an unlikely time for birds to be mating in England. *
But, what the heck; So be it! It has been February 14th for as long as I can remember--a memory that does not quite extend to the time of Chaucer by the way.
The US Greeting Card Association estimates approximaely one billion valentines are sent each year worldwide, making the day the second largest card-sending holiday of the year behind Christmas. The association estimates women purchase approximately 85 percent of all valentines. *
PS, Happy 48th wedding anniversary to dear friends Nancy and Jerry Kulka of Mansfield, and, Happy Valentine’s Day to dear friend Ruthie who will have to make do with a slightly used box of candy—it was used as the prop for the above picture.
__________________________________________________
* With compliments from the good folks at Wikipedia on-line.
The tradition of celebrating this day in the US has had a widely meandering history through the calendars and festivals of antiquity.
The first recorded association of Valentine’s Day with romantic love is in Parlement of Foules by Geoffrey Chaucer in 1382.
For this was on seynt Volantynys day
Whan euery bryd comyth there to chese [choose] his make [mate].
This poem was written to honor the first anniversary of the engagement of King Richard II of England to Anne of Bohemia. Incidently, when they did get married a few months later, he was 13 or 14 and she was 14.
For some reason readers of the poem assumed Chaucer was referring to February 14th as Valentine’s Day. However, mid-February is an unlikely time for birds to be mating in England. *
But, what the heck; So be it! It has been February 14th for as long as I can remember--a memory that does not quite extend to the time of Chaucer by the way.
The US Greeting Card Association estimates approximaely one billion valentines are sent each year worldwide, making the day the second largest card-sending holiday of the year behind Christmas. The association estimates women purchase approximately 85 percent of all valentines. *
PS, Happy 48th wedding anniversary to dear friends Nancy and Jerry Kulka of Mansfield, and, Happy Valentine’s Day to dear friend Ruthie who will have to make do with a slightly used box of candy—it was used as the prop for the above picture.
__________________________________________________
* With compliments from the good folks at Wikipedia on-line.
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