Valentine's Day Traditions in Boston is a fun and interesting way to
recall the holiday from the exchange of Valentine cards in day school to
the cards, candy, and flowers we sent or received as adults to and from
our valentine. From Ancient Rome with the pagan festival of Lupercalia
to the worldwide celebration of the holiday, we revel in its history and
evolution through the centuries as a day of love. Today, Esther Allen
Howland is honored with the nickname Mother of the American Valentine,
with many citing her small card factory as the start of a
multi-million-dollar industry. Beginning in 2001, the Greeting Card
Association has annually given the Esther Howland Award for a Greeting
Card Visionary, and they estimate that 200 million valentines are sent
each year in the United States.
Anthony Sammarco discusses the history of St. Valentine's Day from
Lupercalia, an ancient Roman festival celebrated on February 15 to
ensure fertility for the people, fields, and flocks to the annual
exchange of cards, candy, and flowers. Beginning with Esther Howland who
produced delicate and fanciful Valentine's Day cards in the nineteenth
century through to major card companies such as Hallmark, Norcross,
Gibson, and Rust Craft, Americans exchange millions of cards annually.
The book also discusses the more outré Sailor's Valentines, Vinegar
Valentines, and Krampus Valentines.
