Backcountry Notes

Valentine's Day derives from the Feast of St. Valentine, established in 496 by Pope Gelasius I.  Why this feast day was decreed remains obscure and the identity of the specific St. Valentine thus honored is uncertain -- there are several St. Valentines recorded in the early centuries of the Catholic Church.  Neither is it certain how the Feast of St. Valentine came to be associated with cupid, romance, roses, doves, and such.  Some cite English writer Geoffrey Chaucer, who included the following lines in Parlement of Foules (1382):

For this was on seynt Volantynys day
Whan euery bryd comyth there to chese his make.

("For this was on St. Valentine's Day, When every fowl cometh there to choose his mate.")

Whatever its true provenance, Valentine's Day has become a cultural icon and a boon to the purveyors of chocolate, jewelry and greeting cards. According to whatever trade association keeps track of such things, Valentine's Day is second only to Christmas in greeting-card sales, with an estimated one billion sold each year.

The Valentine's Day card industry grew and thrived during the Victorian era.  Pictured here are a few samples of cards from that time.

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