The origin of Valentines goes way back into the Middle Ages, and the first recorded link with romantic love may have been written by Chaucer in 1382. There were several Christian martyrs by the name Valentinus.
Chaucer wrote a poem to honor the first anniversary of the engagement of King Richard II of England to Anne of Bohemia.
For this way on seynt Volantyns day
Whan every bryd comyth there the chese his make
“For this was Saint Valentine’s Day, when every bird cometh there to choose his mate.”
Paper Valentines were very popular in England by the early 1800’s. In the United States, Esther Howland (1828-1904) is given credit for making the first Valentines. She was a graduate of Mt Holyoke seminary, and lived in Worchester, Mass. Her father had a large book and stationary store, and Esther was inspired to make Valentines by an English Valentine she had received from a business associate of her father. She started ordering supplies (paper lace and floral decoration) from England. She made some samples and gave them to her brother to take out on his business trips to show customers. Orders started coming in and she had to call in her friends for assistance to meet the large demand for Valentines. This was the beginning of a Valentine manufacturing plant. In a few years they were selling more than $100,000 worth of Valentines each year.
Since 2001, The Greeting Card Association has been giving an annual “Esther Howland Award for a Greeting Card Visionary”.
It is now estimated by the Greeting Card Association that approximately 190 million Valentines are sent out each year in the U.S. In addition, e-Valentines were estimated to be about 15 Million in 2010.