Jer Blog

Valentines Day: History and Symbols

Have you ever wondered where all the different symbols used on Valentine’s day came from? After some research, we have figured a few out.

The heart is one of the most popular symbols associated with the holiday. Although it is not exactly clear when it became the symbol, some scholars speculate that the heart, which today signifies romance or love, came from early attempts of people to draw an organ they have never seen.

Red roses, were said to be the favorite flower of Venus, the Roman Goddess of Love. Also, red is a color that signifies strong feelings.

Cupid, is also another Roman import, as he was the Roman God of Love. At one time Cupid was a muscled, full grown man,  sporting a bow and invisible arrows that he would shoot people with to make them fall in love. Over the years he devolved into a child-like symbol, to make him more ‘user friendly’ for men and woman alike.

Lace,  has long been used to make women’s handkerchiefs. Hundreds of years ago, if a woman dropped her ‘kerchief’, a man might pick it up for her. Sometimes, if a woman had her eye on the right man, she may intentionally drop her handkerchief to encourage him. This may explain the correlation of romance or love when they think of lace.

Love knots, have a series of winding and interlacing loops with no beginning and no end. A symbol of everlasting love, which were made of ribbon, or drawn on paper.

Lovebirds, are colorful birds found in Africa, and are named so because they sit closely in pairs, just like sweethearts do. Doves are a symbol of loyalty and love, because they mate for life, and share and care for their babies.

The letter ‘X’ used to represent a kiss, came from medieval times when the practice of signing an ‘X’ to documents was accepted because so many people could not write. This was done before witnesses, and then the signer would place a ‘kiss’ on the ‘X’ to show sincerity. This is how the kiss has became synonymous with the letter ‘X’, and how the letter ‘X’ came to commonly be used at the end of written letters as kiss symbols.

Money, is still the most synonymous item associated with Valentine’s day. As prices and ideas sore, for this ever-pressuring holiday, for many men out there, cost is the first thing to come to mind. Most people are still recovering from the Christmas holiday, and then Valentine’s day sneaks up on you. Although I can help you with the symbols and their meanings for the holiday, the gift ideas you are on your own for.

Happy Valentine’s Day! ;0)

Leave a Reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.