France and Valentine’s Day go back a long way. Did you know that the very first Valentine’s Day card in the world originated in France? It was sent by a young Frenchman, Charles, Duke of Orleans who had been captured at the Battle of Agincourt in 1415. The young Duke is said to have written a poem or ‘Valentine’ to his wife during his incarceration in the Tower of London.

In France, Valentine’s Day was also marked by a rather unusual custom known as drawing for. This involved unmarried people (both old and young) entering houses that faced each other across the street. They would then start calling out from one window to another, pairing off with the one they had chosen. However, it was not always smooth sailing for if the young man found the chosen valentine unappealing, he would promptly desert her! Later, the rejected girls would light a bonfire where images of the ‘callous’ young man (men) would be burnt, accompanied with many abuses.

Predictably, this custom was done away with by a decree of the French government as it marred the underlying theme of love that was supposed to characterize this day.

In France, elegant greeting cards called cartes d’amities were also exchanged between lovers. These contained tender love messages.

Today, Valentine’s Day is celebrated in much the same way as the rest of the world – flowers, gifts, cards and the spirit of love.