Quincy 400: Valentine's Day Traditions in Boston

Valentine's Day Traditions in Boston is a fun and interesting way to recall the holiday from the exchange of Valentine cards in day school to the cards, candy, and flowers we sent or received as adults to and from our valentine. From Ancient Rome with the pagan festival of Lupercalia to the worldwide celebration of the holiday, we revel in its history and evolution through the centuries as a day of love. Today, Esther Allen Howland is honored with the nickname "Mother of the American Valentine," with many citing her small card factory as the start of a multi-million-dollar industry. Beginning in 2001, the Greeting Card Association has annually given the "Esther Howland Award for a Greeting Card Visionary," and they estimate that 200 million valentines are sent each year in the United States.

Anthony Sammarco discusses the history of St. Valentine's Day from Lupercalia, an ancient Roman festival celebrated on February 15 to ensure fertility for the people, fields, and flocks to the annual exchange of cards, candy, and flowers. Beginning with Esther Howland who produced delicate and fanciful Valentine's Day cards in the nineteenth century through to major card companies such as Hallmark, Norcross, Gibson, and Rust Craft, Americans exchange millions of cards annually. The book also discusses the more outré Sailor's Valentines, Vinegar Valentines, and Krampus Valentines.

About the author: Referred to as the “Balzac of Boston History” by the Boston Globe, Anthony Mitchell Sammarco is a noted historian and author of over seventy books on the history and development of Boston, and he lectures widely on the history and development of his native city.

This program is made possible by the generous sponsorship of the Friends of the Thomas Crane Public Library.

Host or Publisher Thomas Crane Public Library