Lessons on Giving (and Getting) Valentine's Day Cards

Do we all remember the story of how the first Valentine for Valentine's Day (a $14 billion industry, the title of a major motion picture, not too mention, a major source or either exuberance or loathing) began?

We have the Duke of Orleans in Franceto thank for it. (Oui, but of course, those romantic French). As the story goes, the Duke was imprisoned in the Tower of London in 1415 after the Battle of Agincourt and sent his wife a love note.

Now, nearly 600 years later, the tradition still holds as 190 million cards for the Feb. 14 holiday are exchanged (excluding the ones given to classmates in schools across America), according to National Geographic.

Hallmark, actually didn't get into the game of selling them until 1913, but are hugely responsible for perpetuating the exchange of these written sentiments, and the target of much grumbling from those who cannot forgive the corporation for infringement of such coerced nostalgia.

This is what professional matchmaker, Samantha Daniels, wrote on the Huffington Post about how to execute the perfect card maneuver:

"You need to give gifts and cards that are commensurate with the level of your relationship. This means that if you have only been out a few times, you need to pick a Shoebox Greeting card that is more playful, sarcastic and funny rather than mushy gushy. In this instance, mushy gushy will make things awkward and give off the wrong message. Just the same, if you have been dating a long time, you can't get away with a funny card or an impersonal card and you can't get away with just signing your name. If you have been together for awhile, your beau is going to expect a sentimental card, a Hallmark card that has script font and with a handwritten message in it from you."

If you have forgotten to pick up your special someone something special, here's a link to make your own VDay cards (they're for children, so...). But hey, better something juvenile than nothing at all.

(I mean, if a prisoner in a tower in the 15th century got something in the mail, well, there's no excuses, then, buddy.)

But, really,Cupid probably doesn't care!

Whether you are with the one you love, or just loving the one you're with, like Chet Baker once sang, "each day is Valentine's Day."

Photo courtesy Karen Horton@Flickr