Valentine’s Day is the most romantic day of the year, but what’s the story behind it?
The first valentine was sent in the 15th century. day gets its name from a famous saint, but there are several stories of who he was. The popular belief about St Valentine is that he was a priest from Rome in the third century AD. Emperor Claudius II had banned marriage because he thought married men were bad soldiers. Valentine felt this was unfair, so he broke the rules and arranged marriages in secret.
The first valentine was sent in the 15th century.
The oldest record of a valentine being sent, was a poem written by a French medieval duke named Charles to his wife in 1415. Charles penned this sweet note to his lover while he was imprisoned in the Tower of London at just 21 years old. One of the lines in the poem? “I am already sick of love, My very gentle Valentine.” Swoon!
The tradition of giving Valentine’s Day flowers dates back to the 17th century.
Giving red roses may be an obvious romantic gesture today, but it wasn’t until the late 17th century that giving flowers became a popular custom. In fact, the practice can be traced back to when King Charles II of Sweden learned the “language of flowers” — which pairs different flowers with specific meanings — on a trip to Persia, and subsequently introduced the tradition to Europe. The act of giving flowers then became a popular trend during the Victorian Era — including on Valentine’s Day — with red roses symbolizing deep love.
Nearly 6 million couples get engaged on Valentine’s Day.
What better day is there for a marriage proposal than a day literally dedicated to love and romance? Valentine’s Day is one of the popular days to pop the question, with as many as 6 million getting engaged on February 14. In a recent survey, Valentine’s Day was voted the best day of the year to propose than any other day — and of those people who voted, 40% were men!
The Food of Love
If you’re looking for a romantic sweet treat, how about making Champagne & raspberry possets?
Ingredients
140g frozen raspberries , defrosted
2 tbsp champagne (buy a mini bottle and treat yourself to a glass while you prepare dinner!)
200ml Langage Farm double cream
4 tbsp golden caster sugar
2 tsp freeze-dried raspberry pieces
shortbread biscuits , to serve
Method
STEP 1
Put the raspberries and Champagne in a mini food processor or blender (or use a jug and a hand blender). Whizz until the purée is as smooth as you can get it, then use a wooden spoon or spatula to push as much of it through a sieve as you can. Discard the seeds left behind.
STEP 2
Put the cream and sugar in a saucepan and warm gently until the sugar melts. Increase the heat until just boiling, then boil vigorously for 2 1/2 mins, stirring constantly. Turn off the heat and stir in the raspberry-Champagne purée. Cool for 15 mins before dividing between 2 small pots or glasses. Chill for 30 mins, then sprinkle over the freeze-dried raspberry pieces and chill for at least 2 hrs more until set (or overnight if you’re making ahead).
STEP 3
To serve, remove the possets from the fridge and add some shortbread biscuits (shop-bought or find shortbread recipes here on bbcgoodfood.com).