Happy Valentine's Day!

History of Valentine’s Day Cards

As you’re browsing the shelves looking for the perfect card that expresses in words just how much your loved one means to you, have you ever thought about when the first Valentines card was sent, what it may have looked like and how they have the changed over the years?

From Emotionscards.com, here is the history of Valentines cards: Valentine’s greetings were popular as far back as the Middle Ages, when lovers said or sung their Valentines. Written Valentines began to appear after 1400. The oldest Valentine in existence was made in the 1400’s and is in the British Museum. Paper Valentines were exchanged in Europe where they were given in place of Valentine gifts. Paper Valentines were especially popular in England. In the early 1800’s, Valentines began to be assembled in factories. Early valentines were black and white pictures painted by workers in a factory. Fancy Valentines were made with real lace and ribbons, with paper lace introduced in the late 1800’s. By the end of the 1800’s, Valentines wee being made entirely by machine. In 1850, Esther Howland, an American printer and artist was among the first to publish and sell Valentines in the United States. In the early 1900’s a card company named Norcross became one of the first companies to manufacture Valentines. With the exception of Christmas, Americans exchange more cards on Valentine’s Day than any other time of the year.

Whether it’s the paper heart your kindergartener brings home or the intricate lace card from your loved one, Valentine’s Day cards continue to warm our hearts with love. So don’t forget to get your loved ones a Valentines card and keep the tradition going strong.