Valentines Day History (we think)

Valentines Day is here! Time to pick up some flowers and chocolates, perhaps a homemade breakfast or delicious dinner from scratch to show how much you care and love the special person and people you care and love.

Question is, how did this Valentines Day start? Of course there are variations of the story.

Valentines Day History (Version 1)

Historians believe the day is named after a Roman saint (or possible more than one), named Valentine. So far, quite clear. One legend says Valentine was a physician who fell in love with one of his patients, the blind daughter of an emperor. Oops. Prior to his execution, he sent a note to his blind love and signed it “Your Valentine.” The story goes on to say that the blind girl was miraculously healed and able to read Valentine’s letter. Unfortunately by then he was fully executed. Somehow this lead to chocolate.

Valentines Day History (Version 2)

Valentine's Day was named after St. Valentine, he was a priest from Rome. In the third century AD, Emperor Claudius II decided to ban marriage because he thought that married men would make bad soldiers, St. Valentine disagreed (bold move) and he thought it was unfair to them, so he broke the rules and arranged marriages secretly.

When the emperor found out about the saint’s deed, Valentine was jailed and sentenced to death. During his imprisonment, Valentine fell in love with the jailer’s daughter, and he was taken for the death sentence on 14th February, that day he sent a love letter to the jailer’s daughter expressing his love for her on the last day of his life. The letter was signed as “From Your Valentine” The day is remembered as an expression of undying love for the lover, and hence, it is observed as lover's day or valentine’s day.

Which ever version you go with, it all ends with chocolate.

Chocolates became a common gift during the Victorian era. Victorians practiced a romanticized version of medieval chivalry and courtly love. Richard Cadbury (sound familiar?), a chocolatier who worked during the mid-1800s, not only developed a recipe for a creamier chocolate, but also dreamed up the special heart-shaped boxes now associated with Valentine’s Day.

And then flowers entered the picture as well and now we shower those we love with all things sweet tasting and smelling.

So there it it, Valentines Day. Most important thing to remember is that you should stop into any Morton Williams for flowers, chocolates and every ingredient you need for that special meal for those special people in your life.