Love is in the air!
Love is in the air! Happy Valentine’s Day.
February is here! Days will start to get longer and we’ll soon be thinking about Spring and Summer. Love is in the air this month and we thought it would be fun to focus on the origins of St Valentine’s Day and how it has come to be celebrated like we do today.
Traditional gifts for Valentine’s Day include candy, flowers, jewelry and red roses (a symbol of beauty and love). Red symbolizes passion.
If you are looking for a gift for your Valentine we have some beautiful pieces on our website.
I hope you enjoy.
The Origins of Valentine’s Day.
No one is exactly sure where it originated but…..
Story has it that Valentine’s Day is named after a priest who lived in Rome in the 3rd century. In the 3rd century, Romans started converting to Christianity. The emperor at the time, Claudius II, was a pagan and created strict laws regarding what Christians were allowed to do. He believed Roman soldiers should be solely devoted to Rome and thus prevented them from marrying. The priest, Valentine, began to marry these soldiers in secret Christian ceremonies which began his reputation for believing in the importance of love.
Valentine was found out by Emperor Claudius and imprisoned. Valentine cared for his fellow prisoners and his jailer’s blind daughter. Story has it that he cured her blindness and that his final act before execution was to write her a love message signed, “From your Valentine.” He was executed on February 14, 270. 200 years later, Rome had become Christian and the Pope proclaimed February 14th as St. Valentine’s Day.
Who is Cupid and how did he come into play on Valentine’s Day?
Cupid was the Roman god of love, and the son of Venus, the goddess of love and beauty. Story has it that he would shoot arrows at gods and humans, causing them to fall instantly in love with one another.
British poet Geoffrey Chaucer’s influence…
In the Middle Ages, Chaucer linked romantic love with St. Valentine in a couple of his 14th-century works. Thus began a tradition of courtly love, a ritual of expressing love and admiration, usually in secret. Story has it that ritual meetings took place in secret throughout Europe in which people read love poetry and played flirtatious games.
During Chaucer’s time, February 14th was also considered the first day of spring in Britain because it was the beginning of the birds’ mating season. In addition to Cupid and hearts, birds became a symbol of the day.
Formal valentine’s messages appeared in the 1500’s and by the 1700’s commercially printed cards were used. The first commercial cards were printed in the United States in the 1800’s.
Call me, text me, or email me to discuss:
a gift you are interested in purchasing from the Fabio Angri Collection or from the G.B. Clark Collection
a gift you are interested in purchasing for a special occasion
or to simply ask for ideas and guidance on jewelry.
Jewelry is personal. No one ever buys jewelry for a sad occasion.
Together let’s bring joy.