Take a break from trying to find the perfect Valentine's gift and let us tell you about the history of Valentine’s Day gifts and what a certain chosen gift could signify to your loved one.
Let’s start right back at the beginning...
A short history of Valentine's Day
When did Valentine’s Day start?
There are many stories associated with the origins of Valentine’s Day, including the Feast of Lupercalia from Roman times, celebrated from the 13th-15th of February. Part of the festival included a ‘matchmaking lottery’, where young men would be paired with a woman by drawing her name from a jar!
The origin of Valentine's Day itself is often associated with the story of Saint Valentine, unsurprisingly.
Although there are conflicting accounts (and at least three different people who the history books suggest could be him!), many believe Saint Valentine was a Roman priest, who was martyred.
The Encyclopedia Britannica states that:
“According to legend, St Valentine signed a letter “from your Valentine'' to his jailer’s daughter and this is often cited as the first Valentine’s note to be sent.
Another common legend states that he defied the Roman emperor’s orders and secretly married couples to spare the husbands from war.”
It was back in 496 AD that the 14th of February was designated in Christianity as the Feast of Saint Valentine, by Pope Gelasius. So, it has been around for a while!
Moving forward a few centuries, Valentine’s Day and its celebration that we may feel more familiar with started around the 14th Century and is referred to in a poem by Geoffrey Chaucer. By the 1500s, sending romantic messages, verses and poems became popular, both in person and anonymously, and records show that by this time the 14th of February was formally referred to as a ‘festival of love’.
Shakespeare even mentions Saint Valentine’s Day in two of his plays, both A Midsummer Night’s Dream (c.1600) and Hamlet (c.1609).
It is in Samuel Pepys's diaries, from 1661, that we find find mention of actual Valentine's gifts, given by men to women they are trying to impress. Samuel himself refers to a special shopping trip with his wife, where he buys her some nice gloves. Lucky lady!
It wasn’t until the 1700s that the sending of Valentine’s cards became more common. Interestingly, the sentiment of secret love messages and the showering of gifts came well before traditional cards.
As with the Christmas card, it wasn’t until the Victorian times that printed cards became widely available, although handmade cards remained popular, as they do today.
A short history of Valentine's gifts
Why are flowers and chocolates a popular Valentine’s gift?
Flowers and a box of chocolates have a long history as Valentine's gifts. They have been the most traditional (and perhaps the most ‘obvious’!) selection, since the 1900s.
In Victorian times, types of flowers were given different meanings. There was a widely accepted ‘language of flowers’. Therefore, your choice of flowers could add an extra layer of romance, depending on the selection.
The red rose means ‘deep love’. Unsurprisingly, therefore, it is still the most popular flower of choice for Valentine’s Day - with 250 million produced each year. The red rose was also the favourite flower of Aphrodite, the Goddess of Love, according to Greek mythology.
As for Valentine's chocolate gifts, in the lead-up to Valentine’s Day, nearly £300 million is spent on chocolate each year worldwide. However, boxes of chocolates have only been widely available for just over 150 years. Chocolate was a luxury item for a long time following its discovery - expensive and exclusive.
Chocolate beans were first imported to Spain from South America in 1528 and ‘enjoyed’ as a bitter hot drink. It wasn’t commercially available until over 200 years later when the first chocolate bar was introduced by the Fry Company in 1847.
The first box of chocolates was created by Richard Cadbury, (yes that Cadbury...from Cadbury’s). He even designed the first heart-shaped box in the 1860s. They were most sought after, not only for the contents but also because the beautiful boxes were precious keepsakes. (...Now, that sounds familiar - gorgeous gift boxes that can be kept or reused...!).
Did you know?
James Cadbury, the great-great-grandson of Richard Cadbury has developed his exclusive chocolate range, Love Cocoa.
You can taste a bar of his decadent Peruvian 70% Dark chocolate in our Valentine's Red Wine & Dark Chocolate Gift
Chocolate’s association with Valentine’s Day is also linked to the belief it is a powerful aphrodisiac - the perfect gift for your lover! Whilst there is no scientific evidence to prove that chocolate (or any food for that matter) can biologically stimulate feelings of desire - the placebo effect is incredibly powerful. If you feel special, feel spoilt, feel surprised and then taste a delicious array of flavours, then there is no doubt you are going to get an incredible boost of happy hormones.
Why does Valentine’s Day gift-giving remain so popular after all these years?
The rush of serotonin upon receiving a special and thoughtful gift is the whole reason Valentine’s remains a special occasion for many.
The look on someone’s face when they receive a romantic gift
...the feeling of satisfaction when you have chosen something meaningful
...the reaction to a wonderful surprise
...perhaps, even the joy (and nerves) of sending an anonymous present to someone you have secretly admired...and the anticipation of their response
...it is the epitome of taking joy from gifting.
Be part of the history of Valentine's gifts this year
Now you know the history - what are you going to buy this year for Valentine's Day?
We highly recommend you choose a specially curated hamper, laced with romantic meanings and packed with delicious, sensual treats to enjoy together. From Prosecco to gourmet popcorn, to chocolate there is a lot to explore.
Explore our Valentine's Hampers
