Valentine’s Day Then and Now: How Times Have Changed

In England, lovers have been giving each other Valentine’s Day cards since as far back as the 18th Century.

From the ancient days of Rome, when the priest Valentinus was put to death and subsequently became St. Valentine – the patron saint of lovers, to the digital age where marriage proposals are made on the big screen at Piccadilly Circus, today we’re looking at how times have changed for lovers.

These old Valentines cards from the 1930’s and 1940’s reflect a different mood between sweethearts than we have now.

We had very different ways of meeting back then, might you or your parents have sent one another cards such as these?

Another reflection of the changing times is how hard it would be to find these kind of gender stereotype cards in Hallmark today.

Nowadays, it’s often animals and pets that get all the attention…

And as these slightly less traditional cards suggest, maybe we’re a little more cynical now than we used to be.

But ultimately, the tradition continues – and we still love to show how we feel by buying our loved one gifts on 14th February each year.

How will you show your other half how much you care? Have a look at Red Letter Days’ special section for Valentine’s to get some inspiration.

IMAGES BY KOSHYK, MARK GSTOHL, CHICKS57, FRANCE 1978, Found Animals, kthypryn, photophilde, FreedomHouse, tengrrl