For many Americans, love makes the world go ‘round, which is why we usually see signs of Valentine’s Day creeping on to store shelves before Christmas is even over! It’s certainly a revenue-generating holiday for many businesses… In fact, Valentine’s Day was a $20 billion industry last year alone!
The origins of how we came to celebrate Valentine’s Day are somewhat shrouded in mystery and not necessarily romantic at all. Historians agree that there were at least a couple different “Saint Valentines” who died on February 14th during the third century. As the story goes, one of these saints broke the law by arranging secret marriages. He also apparently cured his jailor’s daughter of blindness and left a love letter to her signed “Your Valentine.” Though historians can’t verify these accounts, we do know that the first person to ever declare Valentine’s Day as a lovers’ holiday was English poet Geoffrey Chaucer, in his 1375 poem “Parliament of Fowls.”
It wasn’t until the 17th century in Great Britain that the sentiment-sharing aspect of the holiday really took flight. Three centuries later in 1913, a small company now known as Hallmark created the first commercially printed greeting cards. Today, more than 1 billion Valentine’s Day cards are expected to be exchanged
While the truth behind the origins of Valentine’s Day may be murky, the opportunity it represents to make personal connections is crystal clear. That doesn’t mean you have to profess your love to someone – instead, it can be a chance to tell the special people in your life, whether family, friends, clients or coworkers, that you care about and appreciate them.
We certainly appreciate YOU, and we’re wishing you and yours a Happy Valentine’s Day. As always, please give us a call if you need anything.