St Valentine's Day

A 1909 Valentine's Card (en.wikipedia.org)

This year we are going back in time to commemorate Valentine's Day. Above we have a card To My Valentine from 1909 and below (thanks to Caroline's research) is a wonderful wood engraving by John David titled St Valentine's Day. It was published by David Syme and Company in 1883 in The Illustrated Australian News. The delighted young lady living in the bush is receiving a special parcel obviously from someone who loves her.

State Library of Victoria/search.slv.vic.gov.au

Valentine’s Day, also called St. Valentine’s Day, holiday (February 14) when lovers express their affection with greetings and gifts. The holiday has origins in the Roman festival of Lupercalia, held in mid-February. The festival, which celebrated the coming of spring, included fertility rites and the pairing off of women with men by lottery. At the end of the 5th century, Pope Gelasius I replaced Lupercalia with St. Valentine’s Day. It came to be celebrated as a day of romance from about the 14th century.(britannica.com)

Caroline also found a wonderful request from the Australian Red Cross for Valentine Gifts to be sent to the sick and wounded soldiers who had been in service as part of World War l.

(State Library of Victoria)

Make today a day you share some part of it with someone else: a loved one (furry, feathered and scaley ones are definitely included), a neighbour, a moment to say hello to a perfect stranger.

Wishing all our subscribers:

A Very Happy Valentine's Day 2020

from Anne, Jane, Caroline and Julie.