A (very) brief history of Valentine’s Day

Coming up to the 14th February every year, there is an influx of pink and red almost everywhere to the point where you could be forgiven for thinking that Barbie and her evil twin moved into the neighbourhood.

It is a day for people to show their love, to tell someone that they care, and...let’s be honest…spend a few dollars for the privilege.

But where did it all start? Was is always like this? Well, it all comes down to one man - Saint Valentine. The 14 February is his day. And just what did he do to deserve his own day? Popular belief is that Saint Valentine, a Christian martyr and Roman priest, would marry couples in secret defying a ban by Emperor Claudius II who didn’t want young men to marry as he believed that single men made better soldiers. Naturally he was caught and sentenced to death. However, before his execution, he reportedly sent a note to the jailer's daughter, whom he had befriended, signed "from your Valentine." This phrase is said to have inspired the modern tradition of exchanging love notes on Valentine's Day.

While the connection between Valentine's Day and Saint Valentine is not universally agreed upon, the association with love and romance gradually became more prominent over the centuries. In the Middle Ages, the day was commonly believed to be the beginning of birds' mating season, which added to its romantic associations.

By the 18th century, exchanging handwritten notes and small tokens of affection on Valentine's Day had become a popular tradition in England. The tradition spread to the United States, and in the 19th century, mass-produced Valentine's Day cards became available. - this is looking more like what we know today….

Today, Valentine's Day is celebrated around the world as a day to express love and affection to anyone you deem worthy, with cards, flowers, and gifts of any variety - which is why it is absolutely everywhere!

We are not immune to Valentine’s Day here at Drifters End, we believe that our Australian Pink Gin makes a beautiful gift for the one you love, and what’s even better is it is a gift you can have too! wink wink