When is the first recorded instance of a Valentine being sent for Valentine's Day? Who came up with the idea of mass production of Valentine's Day cards?

lanfranco

The association of Valentine's Day with romance is centuries old, and lovers have been exchanging sweet notes on that day for a very long time. A poem dating to 1415, written by a Duke of Orleans to his wife, is considered the first recorded valentine. However, the mass production of cards seems to date to the late 1840's, conceived by Esther Howland of Massachusetts: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valentine's_Day Jan 12 07, 8:26 AM

tomaste27

I want to question the 1415 answer that we are all seeing now that Valentines is right around the corner. Just because there is a 300+ year old valentine on display doesn't mean it was the first....also how did the name become "Valentines"? see below. Just before his execution on February 14, 270 AD, the beloved physician, Valentinus, sent a message which brought light into a blind girl's life. It was the first Valentine ever sent in this story of sacrificial, healing love. Feb 09 07, 10:18 AM