St. Valentine’s Customs: Cards

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Valentine’s Cards:

Cards called Freundschaftkarten :Friendship Cards are given in Germany on the New Year, Birthdays, and Anniversaries. This custom was imported to England and America in the 1700s where they were then given on Valentine’s Day. By 1800 commerical cards became available. Esther Howland perfected the assembly line method of card design in 1848; paying good wages to factory women and being one of the first women business owners to make business trips alone. (Women worked in factories 12-15 hour days for little pay to create valentines.) She also introduced paper lace.(2)