Hommel Mangas
It’s been said that our modern Valentine’s Day was named by the Romans in the 3rd century A.D., when Emperor Claudius executed two men on Feb. 14 of different years — both men were named Valentine. The Catholic Church honored their martyrdom with the celebration of St. Valentine’s Day.
An alternate detailed version is that a Roman priest named Valentinus was arrested and put into custody under the rule of Claudius, but under the watch of an aristocrat named Asterius.
After allowing the priest to preach about Christ leading pagans out of darkness into the light of salvation, Asterius bargained: If the priest could cure Asterius’ daughter of blindness, he would convert. Valentinus put his hands over the girl’s eyes and prayed. According to legend the child regained her sight, and Asterius and his family were baptized. It was said that Valentine signed a letter to the girl, whom he had befriended, “from your Valentine.”
Subsequently Emperor Claudius executed him. Hence, St. Valentine’s Day.
History.com noted that Valentine greetings were popular as far back as the Middle Ages. “The oldest known valentine still in existence today was a poem written in 1415 by Charles Duke of Orleans, to his wife while he was imprisoned in the Tower of London following his capture at the Battle of Agincourt.” This greeting is housed in the British Library in London in their manuscript collection.
Records suggest that Americans exchanged hand-made and written Valentines throughout its history, and in the 1840s Esther A. Howland began selling the first mass-produced Valentines in America.
I remember in third grade decorating my little Valentine box — covered with red construction paper affixed with that white lumpy school paste. Every classmate had their own little constructed box prominently displaying their name in crayon. We were given instructions that we were to “love one another” — so my little cramped hand scissored out 18 construction-papered hearts and applied white lace — or whatever we could find in the leftover art box — to the back of them. I’m sure my first hand-made cards had cleverly-written notes like, “Happy Valentine’s Day, Bobby.”
I’m happy that I never lived in the Victorian era when Valentines could be mean and hostile. One such Valentine, circa 1909 and found in the Missouri Historical Society, shows a high-collared, long-red skirted lady receiving or giving a gentleman a huge lemon. The card reads:
“To My Valentine
Tis a lemon that I hand you and bid you now ‘skiddoo,’
Because I love another — and there is no chance for you!”
I had to laugh a bit when I saw how ruthless the card was — these were called “vinegar valentines” and offered a stinging alternative for those not on good terms, or who wanted to fend off an enemy.
I like to think we live in a more loving era now.
