Did Your Boyfriend Spoil You This Valentine’s Day?

We all think of Valentine’s day as a time when our boyfriends or our lovers give us diamonds, flowers and chocolates. Well we all live in hope anyway. But many of us miss out and feel let down and get nothing! Is romance is dead for us?  But then again why has Valentine’s day become so associated with commerce particularly in the western world? When I owned my café in the QVB, the flower shop next to us were frenziedly busy on that day with flowers lined up the isles waiting for some starry-eyed lover to claim them for his girlfriend.

Valentine's Day is also known Saint Valentine's Day or the Feast of Saint Valentine which has only recently been celebrated as the day of love. In some countries is an annual holiday celebrated on February 14^th. But in point of fact, it originated as a western Christian liturgical feast day honouring early saints named Valentinus or (Valentine). In fact, several early Christian martyrs were named Valentine. Two significant martyrs linked with February 14^th are Valentine of Rome (Valentinus presb. m. Romae) and Valentine of Terni (Valentinus ep. Interamnensis m. Romae).

Saint Valentine’s day did not really have any romantic implications until the 14th century which was a time when the tradition of courtly love prospered. Under the inspiration of Chaucer’s poetry about "Valentines" romance began to be associated with this day. Chaucer wrote the first recorded connotation of Valentine's Day with romantic love in “Parlement of Foules” (1382) which when understood says: "For this was on St. Valentine's Day, when every bird cometh there to choose his mate." This poem was written to honor the first anniversary of the engagement of King Richard the II of England to Anne of Bohemia.

But it wasn’t until the 18^th century, in England, that Valentine’s day developed into an event where lovers revealed their love for each other by exchanging gifts.  This introduced commerce into Valentine’s day, pretty much the same as Xmas day and Easter. It was at this moment in time that lovers began to give flowers, chocolates and sweets, and the custom of giving valentine cards started. In the beginning the cards were handwritten, but since the 19th century, handwritten valentines have given way to mass-produced greeting cards.

The custom of signing cards with the phrase “your Valentine” is believed to date back to the legend of Saint Valentine of Rome. He was imprisoned for carrying out weddings for soldiers who were prohibited from marrying and for ministering to Christians, who were persecuted under roman rule.  The legend has it that while he was imprisoned, St Valentine healed the daughter of his jailer, Asterius, and before his execution, he wrote her a letter signed "Your Valentine" as a parting.

St Valentine’s day is still celebrated by various Christian denominations. It is a feast day celebrated by the Anglican church and the Lutheran Church. The Eastern Orthodox church celebrate St Valentine’s day but in July. It is also accepted as a important cultural celebration in many areas around the world, and now also seen as a commercial occasion by many.

There is also a suggestion that Valentine’s day was celebrated as the advent of spring and the fertility associated with it. In Ancient Rome, the festival of Lupercalia was celebrated between February 13–15, and was an ancient rite linked to fertility. There is some belief that the men and women in Lupercalia drew names from a jar to make couples, and anonymity associated with modern Valentine's letters originated from this custom. In Slovenia there is a proverb which says that "Saint Valentine’s day brings the keys of roots". Plants and flowers begin to grow on this day and birds begin to mate, which is probably why the giving of flower is so treasured even in these modern times.

In Europe, valentine keys are given to lovers as a romantic symbol and as an invitation to unlock the giver’s heart. Other symbols related with Valentine's day include heart shaped products, doves, and the figure of the winged Cupid.  

Valentine poetry and verses have been written since the 15^th century and even Shakespeare spoke of it in Hamlet (1600-1601) when Ophelia sorrowfully said:

To-morrow is Saint Valentine's day,
All in the morning betime,
And I a maid at your window,
To be your Valentine.
Then up he rose, and donn'd his clothes,
And dupp'd the chamber-door;
Let in the maid, that out a maid
Never departed more.

— William Shakespeare, Hamlet, Act IV, Scene 5

The modern Valentine's Day poem can be found in the collection of English nursery rhymes Gammer Gurton's Garland (1784):

The rose is red, the violet's blue,

The honey's sweet, and so are you.
Thou art my love and I am thine;
I drew thee to my Valentine:
The lot was cast and then I drew,

And Fortune said it shou'd be you

In 1797, a British publisher issued The Young Man's Valentine Writer,  where sentimental verses were written for the young lover unable to compose his own. This was the commencement of the commercialisation of cards and by the early 19^th century, paper Valentine’s day cards made with lace and ribbons, had become so popular in England, that they were assembled in factories.

Valentine’s day customs have now spread worldwide and it is probable that about £1.5 billion is spent in the UK alone on flowers, chocolates and cards each year. In the US Valentine's day sales hit a new record in 2016, with people showering attention on their loved ones. They spent much more than the previous year. In 2016, Valentine's Day is likely to contribute $19.7 billion to the economy, according to the National Retail Federation. That's even better than last year's record of $18.9 billion. In 2014, only $17.3 billion was spent, which was even lower than the $18.6 billion spent in 2013.

More than half of the US residents celebrated Valentine’s day this year. This is comparable to 2015 but lower than the previous record of 60% in 2013. That means less people are partaking, but they are each spending more. Those who celebrated spent around $150 each. And as usual, men spend nearly twice as much as women: Around $200 per guy vs $100 per gal.

Young people, who are still trying to court potential lovers, participate more than older, more established people. Almost 70% of those between 25-34, and 60% of those between 18-24 will give on Valentine’s day. While less than half of those between 55-64 will celebrate it, and only 45% of those 65 and older.

It is interesting to note that more people give less expensive gifts, believing that it's the thought that counts. The top five gifts sent on Valentine/s day are candy/chocolates, greeting cards (often anomalously sent), dinner out, flowers, jewellery. I myself was spoilt with a massage which was great.

This year more shoppers went to department stores (35%) than discount stores (31%). Nearly 20% will go to greeting card stores or florists while only 11% will go to jewellers. But more and more Valentine’s day shoppers are now buying online each year. In 2016, nearly 28% shopped online, compared to 25% in 2015 and 16% in 2014. The use of mobile phones for online shopping is also on the rise with 7 out of 10 people shopping on their mobile devices sharing the love as they run.

So did your lover, boyfriend, partner, husband or the boy next door spoil you this Valentine’s day? If not, tell him to make up for it with a new handbag and send him to www.largepurseshop.com. A racy Italian made purse is a definite sign of true love and lasts a lot longer than chocolates or flowers.

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 [ME1]