Valentine’s Day entry from Hone’s Every-Day Book, originally published in 1825-26:
Two hundred thousand letters beyond the usual daily average, annually pass through the twopenny post-office in London on St. Valentine's Day. “Two hundred thousand twopences,” said an old gentleman as he read this in a March newspaper, “are four hundred thousand pence,” and he was going to cast up the amount—"Why, papa," said his daughter, "that's just the number of young folks there must be in love with each other that's the way to reckon." "Ah, my child, that's not the way to reckon; you have taken something into the account that has no business there: all Valentine-writers are not in love, nor are all lovers Valentine-writers; and remember, my dear girl, that as smiles on the face sometimes conceal cruel dispositions, so there are some who write Valentines, and trifle with hearts for the mere pleasure of inflicting pain."
Well, Papa isn’t wrong. And his remarks hold plot potential for a romance novel. Reading one, I believe, is a fine way to celebrate Valentine’s Day.
The exchange of notes or cards goes back to the Romans. This article from the American Antiquarian Society briefly summarizes the history. You can also click on the links to see examples of early Valentines, and discover Esther Howland, a 19th century entrepreneur from my hometown. The 1914 card I’ve used for this blog post was the front of a post card. You can read the card if you follow this link.
In other romance news, the Ashland (Massachusetts) Public Library will hold its annual Romance Festival (formerly RomCon) on 16 May. I will be there. I wouldn’t miss it for anything except a month in London, which kept me away last year. For details, please follow this link. The event is free, but you are asked to register, so that planners can make sure there’s room for everybody. You can register directly via this link.