Truly, madly, deeply…

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 11/02/2016 (2994 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

As the universally acknowledged day of love nears, some may struggle to think of the perfect gift for their partner. Flowers, chocolates or a nice dinner out are all valid and classic options, but those who look for a little something special for their sweetheart should keep in mind the romantic capabilities of the most time-honoured gift of all — the Valentine’s Day card.

The origins of written valentines date back as far as the 1400s — in an article written by cultural historian Anna Maria Barry, she notes the earliest valentine greeting put on paper was written by the Duke of Orleans while he was trapped in the Tower of London following the Battle of Agincourt in 1415. He wrote: “Je suis desja d’amour tanné / Ma tres doulce Valentinée.”

Loosely translated, the phrase means, “I am already sick of love, my very sweet Valentine.” Amazingly, the paper remains intact at the British Library in London. 

It wasn’t until the 18th century, though, that valentines as we know them would become a common gift — from handmade efforts featuring puzzles and drawings, to the first pre-printed cards in the late 1700s, to a sudden rise in popularity during the Victorian era thanks to Britain’s industrialization. According to Barry’s article, by the mid-1820s, it is estimated about 200,000 valentines were circulated in London alone.

The cards made their way into the lives of North Americans in the mid-1800s, with Hallmark printing its first valentine in 1913.

And, as we all know, the centuries-old tradition has continued to sustain its popularity to this day. According to the Greeting Card Association, 190 million valentines are exchanged annually, making it the second-most popular greeting-card occasion, after Christmas. 

While those at Tiny Feast, a Winnipeg stationery and supply store, aren’t expecting millions of cards to be purchased during the valentine season, owner Danika Bock says they always see an increase in card buyers around this time of year.

“Cards in general are a top seller at our shop. Valentine’s Day always sees an influx in card purchases, and the numbers increase each year,” she says. “Written correspondence is not dead.”

Tiny Feast carries a wide range of love-related cards, and Bock notes the sentiments displayed on those cards vary from “sassy to sappy, from cynical to romantic.”

“The bestsellers so far this year have been ones with cheeky sayings and witty puns, but many people are favouring simple graphics and timeless themes of florals and hearts,” Bock says.

One of this year’s sassier top sellers features the line, “Your Ass is Mine, Valentine” scrawled in cursive writing on a black background dotted with little pink hearts, created by California-based designer Emily McDowell.

McDowell, who has her greeting cards in 1,800 stores around the world, started her career three years ago with a valentine she designed to broach a potentially awkward moment in a new relationship.

“It was the ‘awkward dating’ card, which is the card you give a person you’re kinda dating but kinda not dating on Valentine’s Day,” she says.

“My idea was that normally when you’re dating someone, sort of, on Valentine’s Day, it’s really awkward. You either give them a normal card and a speech at the same time, like, ‘Oh, this is not a big deal, don’t read too much into this, but I wanted to get you a thing.’ Or, you don’t get them anything, and then that is awkward. So I thought it would be really fun to give a card that was basically that speech.

“That was a huge seller online. I made it because that’s the truth about so many relationships and, at the time, there was just nothing that addressed that situation for Valentine’s Day,” she says. “I sold 1,700 (cards) in a week from my Etsy shop, and then I thought, ‘OK, I think I have a thing here that’s filling a need in this market. There’s a place for what I want to do in the world of greeting cards.’”

The evolution of valentines parallels the evolution of relationships — as modern life and technology begin to change the way people meet, the way they date and the way they feel about each other, a simple “I love you” scratched out in pink and red just doesn’t cut it. McDowell puts a tremendous amount of thought into the few words and images she uses to summarize the most complicated aspects of romantic love, and it shows in the way she is able to tap into the complicated mechanisms of what makes modern relationships tick.

“My whole line is based on universal human truths; they’re the cards for the relationships we actually have and not the ones we wish we had,” McDowell says. “When I start thinking about things to put on cards, I go to truth about human behaviour and I start to think about relationships and what is going to resonate with someone. How are people going to feel like this card understands them and connects with them? I start there and think about different ways of saying something that’s been said a million times —’I love you’ — but how do I say that in a way that has never been done before, and that people are going to see it and say, ‘Yes, that’s me, that’s us, I need to buy that.’”

Even though the sentiments have become more convoluted, the reason for giving someone a valentine is unchanged — its purpose is to show someone you care about them in a way that’s palpable. That root of the tradition is something both Bock and McDowell credit as the reason valentines have remained as popular as they are, especially now, when everything is digital and more or less disposable.

“You can save a text message on your phone, but you can’t put it up on the wall and look at it. It’s not tangible; you don’t hold it in your hands. I think that has made actual, physical cards even more special in the digital age,” says McDowell. “Love as an emotion — we want tangible evidence of it. It feels good to have tangible evidence that someone cares about me and someone loves me, and I think that’s why the tradition has stayed alive so long.”

Bock agrees now, more than ever, receiving a carefully crafted card with handwritten note inside feels meaningful; it’s something people value and cherish.

“Most communication these days happens via emails, texts and social media. When people take the time to write a heartfelt message — whether showing affection, gratitude or simply saying something sincere — many want to put pen to paper,” says Bock. “A unique, thoughtful card is a great place to start. The simple act of writing by hand is an opportunity to slow down and thoughtfully connect… Sending and receiving snail mail has become a luxury.”

erin.lebar@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @NireRabel