Valentine’s Day is regarded as a day of love, and it started with Saint Valentine. There are three versions of the saint, and the Catholic Church identifies them all. This makes the true origin of the holiday difficult to decipher. In one version, Emperor Claudius II outlawed marriage for young men. Saint Valentine continued to marry young lovers in secret and was put to death for his crimes. The second version has Saint Valentine of Terni, a bishop who was beheaded outside of Rome, as the holiday’s origin. The third possible story details the sending of the first “valentine.” The tale goes like this: Valentine fell in love with his jailor’s daughter and sent her a letter before his execution that read “From your Valentine,”
Valentines’ Day’s origin is foggy, but that never stopped people from celebrating. Here is a look at how the holiday was celebrated through the years!
1920 was a bustling time! The League of Nations was established, women gained the right to vote, American literature was transformed, Prohibition was ongoing and jazz was more popular than ever. Valentine’s wasn’t boozy (unless at a speakeasy), and it was popular for couples to see a movie. A popular romance movie in the 1920s was “Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans” directed by F.W. Murnau. Before the date, Valentine’s would’ve been exchanged. Valentine’s cards back then were more intricate and detailed, with lace and trim added to them. Interestingly, some Valentine’s were shaped like tomatoes. Tomatoes only grew in flower gardens and were considered “love apples.”
The 1930s were a little promiscuous with its Valentine’s dates. This was the very first year that it was socially acceptable for men and women to go out to eat on a date alone. Gasp! Previously, this was a risqué move. This being normalized meant that most couples enjoyed a meal together with fancy courses, alcohol and desert. Valentine’s from this decade echoed the style of 1920s cards, but there was more mass production of them at this time. It’s important to note that the Great Depression occurred in the 1930’s, and many couples would’ve been unable to celebrate the holiday.
In the 1940s, many couples separated due to World War II. If Valentine’s Day was celebrated, it was by women sending their partner’s cards and photos on the frontlines. Many women had valentines with pictures of themselves on them, and cats were a major theme of Valentine’s art in the 40s.
The 1950s was the height of swing dancing! Drive-in theaters were also popular during this time. The lace trim has started being depicted in pictures on the cards instead of added after printing. Pretty much every Valentine had depictions of animated children on them with cute blushing faces. Children would be excited to bring their Valentine’s into school and pass them out to the class.
The 1960s was the rise of modern day V-Day gifts like chocolate hearts and stuffed animals. It would’ve been customary for couples to go dancing, see a movie, eat dinner, or stay inside and watch a Valentine’s special. These were a new phenomenon, including “The Addams Family” Valentine’s special or First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy’s tour of the White House Valentine’s special! Valentine’s cards in the 60s were majorly mass printed, and continued to depict children.
The 1970s meant disco! It was commonplace to go dancing on dates. This included roller discos as well! Valentine’s in the 1970’s shifted to mostly girls depicted on the cards. The reason for this is hard to identify, but it could be because many popular cartoons in the 1970’s featured women. One example is “Sabrina and the Groovie Goolies” from 1970. The 1970’s also seems to be the first instance of jumbo Valentine’s Day cards!
There is no better decade to go for dinner and a movie than the 80s! Many romantic movies came out this decade, so the most common date was to the theater. Valentine’s cards were bright and mostly depicted animals. Heart-shaped chocolate boxes were all the rage!
The 1990’s were a bit more crafty than any previous decade. Valentine’s cards started to depict characters from pop culture like Spider-Man, but many made their own cards with scrapbooking or collaging materials. It wasn’t super common to make your crush a mixtape, but it did happen!
Valentine’s cards in the 2000’s were similar to the 90’s. However, this decade relates to the 1980’s, too! The 2000’s were the height of Rom-Coms, and couples flocked to theaters to see the new releases. The giant stuffed animals we see in stores became an ongoing trend in the 2000’s, too!
The 2010’s had a shift in store for V-Day. This decade, the holiday became more extravagant than ever. Social media led to the expensive, luxurious, and blingy gifts being displayed to the entire world. Gifts like romantic vacations, jewelry, and pets were more usual. Whether this be for better or for worse, the threshold for a good Valentine’s Day gift has risen exponentially due to social media.
2020 was an odd year for Valentine’s Day. Many people neglected celebrating in restaurants or parties because it was unsafe to do so. At the beginning of the decade, many lovers spent V-Day together, inside and alone. Although this seems like a sad shift from the glamor of the 2010’s, the 2020 holiday was likely to be a bit more romantic than in years past. This is due to the privacy of the celebrations and the intimacy involved with being at home.
Valentine’s day has changed a lot over the years! From its murky history to quarantined lovers, the holiday has always focused on love. As we near Valentine’s Day in 2022, the idea of gifts and celebrations is presented. Although these gifts hold significance, the holiday is about the feeling of love, not any material gift. An action item for this Valentine’s Day? Love sincerely on February 14th.
Charles M. Schulz said it best: “All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn’t hurt.”