The Transition
Many years later, the day has undergone evolution and transformation to be what it is today - a day to show and declare love, never mind the commercial aspect. In 1375, the great poet, Geoffrey Chaucer, became the first to link the day to love and romance through his poem Parliament of Fouls. William Shakespeare would follow suit and not long after, the exchanging of handmade cards and tokens became popular in England. Charles, Duke of Orleans was the first to send Valentine's card to his wife while he was imprisoned in the Tower of London in 1415.
Later in the 17th Century, the tradition of giving flowers would enter the scene through King Charles II of Sweden when he popularised "the language of flowers". The traditional type of flower for Valentine's Day became the rose because of its association with the Greek goddess of love, Aphrodite.
Modern Valentine's Day
Celebrations and the commercialisation of Valentine's Day gained popularity through the 19th Century when the greeting card industry entered the industry in full swing, thanks to the Industrial Revolution's printing press. Esther A. Howland, popularly known as "The Mother of the Valentine" introduced the first mass-produced cards in America in the 1840s. The industry and the celebration of Valentine's Day grew enormously with the entry of the Hallmark cards in 1913. Today, Greeting Card Association estimates that loved ones send approximately 145 million cards around the world every year.
Galentine's Day
The evolution of Valentine's Day is a continuous process. Another celebration that is growing and turning to be an extension of Valentine's Day is Galentine's Day which is marked on the 13th of February. The phrase was coined on the TV show Parks and Recreation, but it has turned out to be a real-life extension of Valentine's Day.
Galentine Day gives an opportunity for women to recognise and show their appreciation for platonic female friendships filled with love and support. The day is gaining momentum coming in hot pursuit of the wave of female empowerment and the increased emphasis that younger generations are placing on their friendship in addition to romantic and family relationships.
It looks like the story of Valentine's Day's complete evolvement has not come full circle. Closer home, Kenyan men are bringing another dimension to the globally celebrated day of romantic love. Men's Conference, which took considerable media and social media space last year. It is rumoured that the conference is meant to counter the activities of February 14th where men pay hefty bills (physically and monetary-wise) proving to their spouses and girlfriends how much they love them.
There you have it. Who knows, by the end of the decade probably Valentine's Day will have evolved to yet another version - Malentine's day!