Valentine’s Day Greeting cards

The 14-th of February is a holiday, called St.Valentine’s Day. It’s the day when boys and
girls, sweethearts and lovers, husbands and wives, friends and neighbours exchange
greetings of love or satirical comment. And the quick, modern way to do it is with
a Valentine card.
Valentine greetings and verses were popular as far back as the Middle Ages. Lovers
either spoke or sang to their valentines. After 1400 valentines appeared in written form.
Handmade paper valentines were especially popular in England. Early valentines were
made with coloured paper, water, and coloured inks.
During the 17-th century, people made valentines using either original rhymes or
sentimental poetry copied from booklets called ‘valentine writers.’
Valentines as we know them first appeared in the 18-th century, and were cards with
drawings and verses made by the sender. They began to be produced in factories. They
were quite simple – black and white pictures painted by the factory workers.
In the 19-th century shop-made valentines appeared, and became decorated with lace,
satin ribbons, real flowers, feathers, and moss. They had pictures of Cupids, turtledoves,
gold or silver lover’s knots, bow and arrows, and bleeding hearts.
Valentines for kids became popular in the early 1900’s. These cards often reflected
popular sports or fads.*
Valentine-sending has now become less popular, though it does revive from time to
time.
With the Internet, cards have evolved even more. Valentine e-cards are in great
demand nowadays.
*fad – something that is popular or fashionable for only a short time.

I Answer the following questions. III Match the Valentine expression

1. Why do people exchange greetings of love on February 14-th? halves .
2. When did valentines appear in written form?
3. What kinds of valentines did people make in the 17-th century?
4. When did factories begin to produce valentines? 1. always A) chocolates
5. How were valentines decorated in the 19-th century? 2. hugs B) arrow
6. When did valentines for kids become popular? 3. a bouquet C) and forever
7. What valentines are popular nowadays? 4. a bleeding D) of flowers
5. a secret E) and kisses
II Mark the statements T (true) or F (false). 6. head over F) heart
7. Cupid’s G) admirer
1. Valentine greetings and verses only became popular 8. be H) heels in love
in the 17-th century. ______ 9. a box of I) mine
2. Early valentines were decorated with lace, ribbons,
feathers, flowers. ______
3. In the 18-th century factories began to produce simple
valentines. _______
4. 100 years ago some valentine cards had pictures of Cupids,
bleeding hearts, etc. _______
5. Nowadays valentine e-cards are popular because
of the Internet. _______
KEY
Exercise II
1F 2F 3T 4F 5T

Exercise III
1C 2E 3D 4F 5G 6H 7B 8I 9A