With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, I started wondering how people celebrated during the Regency. So, I set out on a mission to find answers, and there were many. The internet is filled with authors and enthusiasts who have already blogged about Valentine’s Day during the Regency. So, instead of rehashing information, I’ve decided to direct you to a few of these blogs.
The first is Donna Hatch’s Valentine’s Day in Regency England. Donna talks about exchanging cards and how people of all classes celebrated. She also provides a link to an interesting blog post she wrote about the history of Valentine’s Day.
Donna Hatch also posted her Valentine’s Day in Regency England on Historical Hussies. On this one, there are pictures of Regency Valentine’s cards. I included both locations in my post because, on my screen, the text is cut off. I tried using a different browser and had the same problem. I’m not sure what the issue is because it’s the only post on Historical Hussies with that problem.
The next is A Regency Round-Up on Valentine’s Day by Kristen Koster. Kristen’s post is from 2012, and I guess there wasn’t as much information available ten years ago because she states this at the beginning of her post. However, she has some beautiful pictures of cards from the late eighteenth century, and they are similar to what people in the Regency would have given to their Valentine.
The last one is Regency Valentines by Sabrina Jeffries. What I like most about Sabrina’s post is she has a link to making your own Regency valentines. I love this! I explored the link, which took me to Pinterest, and discovered that Sabrina has several boards like this, including one on letter writing. If you love all things Regency, then I suggest following Ms. Jeffries on Pinterest.
How do you plan to spend Valentine’s Day this year? Are you giving handmade gifts like they did during the Regency?
Meredith Lamonica 