Hallmark Did Not Invent Valentine's Day
The Claim
Hallmark invented Valentine’s Day as a way to sell greeting cards.
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Every year on February 14th, people like to say that Valentine’s Day was invented by Hallmark and other corporations as a way to capitalize off the sales of greeting cards, candy, and flowers. It’s become known as a “Hallmark Holiday,” one that is perceived to exist mostly for commercial purposes, rather than to celebrate historically significant events or traditions.
Several Twitter users have posted a quote from the 2004 movie “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind,” in which the main character says, “Today is a holiday invented by greeting card companies to make people feel like crap.”
Misbar’s Analysis
The first cards exchanged on Valentine’s Day date back to the 1400s. In the mid 19th century, an American woman named Esther Howland sold the first mass-produced cards that featured the characteristic designs of hearts and lace that are common today. She began making them in her father’s stationary shop when she was just 20 years old, and after receiving orders from people all over the country, she opened her own business. After her death in 1904, one newspaper called her the “Mother of the American Valentine.” Hallmark wasn’t founded until 1910.
Valentine’s Day’s true origins are still disputed. There are several saints named Valentine, but the one to most likely credit for the holiday was a 3rd century Roman priest who was imprisoned for allowing Christian soldiers to be married in his church. Grateful couples would secretly bring him flowers and treats in prison, which may have led to the holiday's later traditions of gift giving. Legend says that St. Valentine restored the sight of his jailer’s blind daughter, and wrote her a farewell letter signed, “Your Valentine.” He was executed on February 14th, and his martyrdom was honored by the Catholic Church with the celebration of St. Valentine's Day.
Later, the holiday was combined with a pagan fertility festival called Lupercalia, in an effort to make it more aligned with Christianity. Connections to romance likely developed during the time of courtly love in the 14th and 15th centuries, and when poet Geoffrey Chaucer wrote a poem linking lovebirds and springtime. Even Shakespeare’s Ophelia called herself Hamlet’s Valentine.
While companies like Hallmark are not responsible for inventing the holiday itself, they spend millions on marketing campaigns to maintain consumer awareness and keep the date on our calendars. Those campaigns lead to big profits: Valentine's day shoppers are expected to spend $21.8 billion this year.
