Vintage Valentine’s Day with Superman

Geoffrey Chaucer penned Parliament of Fowls in 1382. The poem was a dream vision of birds searching for their mates:

In modern English:

“For this was on Saint Valentine’s Day

When every bird comes to choose his match

Of every kind that men may think of

And that so huge a noise they began to make

That the Earth and air and tree and every lake

Was so full, that not easily was there space

For me to stand – so full was all the place.”

The earliest reference to February 14 as a celebration of love is in the Charter of Court of Love. Issued in 1400 by Charles VI of France at Mantes-la-Jolie was to host a feast, love songs, poetry competitions, jousting and dancing for members of the royal court. Included would be a portion of the festivities where lovers disputes would be heard and ruled upon.

1940 Superman Valentine

Jumping ahead a few centuries, The Young Man’s Valentine Writer was released by a British publisher. The volume was a primer for young lovers to compose amorous verses. By this time a limited number of cards were pre-printed to be sent to loved ones. In 1835, 60,000 Valentine cards were mailed within the United Kingdom.

That number would increase to 400,000 when postage rates dropped in 1840.

Valentine’s Day has only found more traction with the passage of time until it celebrant spent in excess of $25 billion dollars in 2024. That breaks down to over $181 per person.

The Superman card representing the continued countdown came from an era where much less was spent on sappy salutations, but the point came across anyway.