MENU

Introduction
Welcome

History
Pre 1400AD
1400AD-1800AD
1800AD to now
Pre-Christian mythology

Other facts
The Saints
Cards
Valentines around the world

References

History (1800AD-to date)

The industrial revolution had a marked effect on St Valentine’s Day: paper became increasingly cheap, the printing press had arrived and there was a standardised postal system with fixed postal costs. And by the end of the 1700s it was becoming common for hand-made valentine’s to be replaced by printed cards. It may be that with the increase of social pressure not to show emotion the use of printed cards was more acceptable.

It was in the 1840s that Esther Howland began to sell mass-produced, lacy valentine’s in the USA. Although she had the idea she had not realised how popular the idea would become – even in her first year the sales were at least 5 times what she predicted.

The rest, as they say, is history and, since that time, little has changed, only the quantity and type of cards, flowers and chocolates has changed.