Valentine's Day ❤️ How did it all start?

Valentine's Day is a relatively new custom in Denmark that first appeared in the 1990s. In fact, the florists had already tried to introduce Valentine's Day in Denmark in the 1950s, but without success. In the 1990s, on the other hand, there was a big focus on big romantic weddings, wedding planners and RomComs, and then it became more desirable to display one's love to the outside world than it had been before.

It was Netto that, as the first store in Denmark, introduced the theme of love in the run-up to Valentine's Day. It was precisely at the beginning of the 1990s. The tradition has grown bigger since then, not least because it has been helped forward by the various Social Media platforms.

Here at home, we know about writing nice love letters to each other from the tradition of geek letters, which were originally letters to someone you loved or with whom you just wanted to feel yourself. Since this custom now more or less only belongs to children, Valentine's card might also fit in as a new tradition for love letters.

The first fertility festival in February was called Lupercalia, and was a Roman tradition honoring Faunus, the god of agriculture, and Rome's founders Romulus and Remus. This was celebrated on 15 February. In addition, there are also pagan (Nordic) traditions in February which were about fertility and chasing the darkness away.

It is a bit bizarre, seen with today's eyes, that in both traditions there is something about "hitting" women. In the Roman tradition, a sacrificed goat's skin is supposed to help the women to greater fertility, and with us it has been branches with small sprouting buds, which we recognize in the Mardi Gras rice. However, this does not indicate that it has been unpleasant.

The fact that we call the day Valentine's day today is linked to a Catholic saint.
But there were actually many different Skt. Valentine. A St. Valentin lived in the 300th century and married young couples, even though the young men had otherwise been deprived of their right to marry, as Emperor Claudius had gotten the idea that unmarried young men made better soldiers. St. Valentin defied the emperor, married the young couple and paid with his life.

In total, however, there are 13 different saints with that name, so it is difficult to say exactly who is being referred to.

From medieval Europe, we know that February 14 was considered the start of the birds' mating season, and perhaps it was on this basis that Geoffrey Chaucer wrote the poem "Parliament of Foules" in 1375, which had the text "For this was sent on Seynt Valentyne's day / Whan every foul cometh ther to choose his mate.” (It was sent on Saint Valentine's Day, at the time when every bird comes there to choose its mate)

It seems that the tradition from there slowly crept in among nobles and even Henry V is said to have sent a Valentine's poem to Catherine of Valois.

Valentine's Day is also mentioned in Hamlet (1600) when Ophelia says:

"Tomorrow is Saint Valentine's Day,

in the glow of the morning red,

and I'm the girl standing by your window,

will be your sweetheart.

Then he got up, put on clothes

and opened his chamber door;

and not as a maiden she went thence,

who was otherwise a virgin before.”

In the 17th century, the custom spread with small Valentine letters with drawings and poems, and in the 18th century, the tradition continues throughout society, and people give small gifts and messages on Valentines, even keys, which symbolize keys to the heart, and which we today recognize as the love locks attached to bridges around the world.

The first definite Valentine's cards came into existence already in the 18th century. At that time, you made the cards yourself, and you slowly developed the technique into a kind of collage or 'scrap' technique. You might have collected pictures from magazines or glossy pictures and put them together into nice cards, and later you could buy hearts, lace borders, cards with verses and many similar things, which you could then create a personal Valentine's card. It was the forerunner of the printed Valentine's card.

From the middle of the 19th century, you see the very first printed Valentine's cards, and today it is estimated that in the USA, where the tradition is greatest, approximately 190 million Valentine's cards are sent each year, which is surpassed only by the season for Christmas cards.

In Mondo Kaos, we usually show you the beautiful red dresses that are suitable for the celebration of love in the lead up to Valentine's Day. And then we usually celebrate with a discount code, which is our 'Valentine's gift' to you, so you can dress up in red dresses or other red clothes for Valentine's Day, or however you choose to celebrate the day.

Regardless of whether you are celebrating Valentine's Day at a restaurant or bar and need a nice and festive red dress, perhaps even a cocktail dress , or whether you need a more casual style, e.g. a red A-line dress , we have a large selection of red clothes.

In the store, we are of course ready as always to help you find just your Valentine's day look, and even though tomorrow, the 14th, is officially Valentine's Day, love can be celebrated whenever you feel like it. "Everyday is Valentine's day"...

Happy Valentine's Day,

From Team Mondo Kaos ❤️

Thanks to Katrine @frkcarlsson who is our beautiful Valentine's model