The Rose

Roses as the queen of flowers symbolize both peace and war, love and forgiveness. Valentine's Day is a time to send flowers and gifts to your loved ones but beware! Some of these beautiful messengers may transmit wrong messages. If you rearrange the letters of the word rose you get Eros, the god of Love. Take the most common flowers, roses for instance. There are formal meanings of different coloured roses in some cultures. Each of these meanings is still used in society today, so they are still valid.

Ribbons, Laces and Frills

Ribbons and frills have been associated with romance since the days of knighthood when a knight rode into battle with a ribbon or scarf given him by his lady fair. The dictionary states that the word "Lace" comes from a Latin word meaning to "snare" or "noose".

Hearts

To a beloved, there is no symbol as important as the heart. To give someone one's heart means to give to him or her one's whole being, for the heart is at the center of one's existence. The heart stands for the most profound and noblest of human emotions - that of love. Through ages, it has inspired millions to rise above the mundane cares and to get lost in the thought of their beloved. Thus a heart, pierced by the cupid's arrow, has become the most famous of the valentine's symbols.  

Hands

A lady's hands was a favorite decoration that depicted "femininity." Its beauty was enhanced by adding a frilly cuff and a jeweled ring on the third finger. Clasped hands represent those of Queen Victoria and prince Albert and were symbols of the friendship between their countries of Germany and England.

Turtle Doves and Love Birds

"Oft have I heard both youth and virgin say
Birds choose their mates, and couples too, this day;
But by their flight I never can divine,
When I shall couple with my Valentine."

Herrick

It was believed that on this romantic day, birds found their mates. This belief is still cherished by love struck people all over the world. The sweet little blue coloured lovebirds have come to signify that belief. It is said that the lovebirds can't live without their mates. Dove, in the Christian belief signifies purity, meekness and innocence. Besides that doves and pigeons mate for life and therefore were used as a symbol of "fidelity." Hence, these two birds have become the most endearing symbols of the spirit of valentine day.

Puzzik-circa 1840. A puzzik is a quaint sort of homemade valentine which was a sort of puzzle that the receiver had to solve. Not only did she have to decipher the message but also to figure how to refold the paper once it was opened. The order of the verses was usually numbered, and the recipient had to twist the folds to determine what was being said.

Daguerreotype-popular from 1840 to the Civil War. An old-time tintype was found in the center of a card surrounded by an ornamented wreath. Another type was a "Mirror Valentine" which had a small mirror placed in the center to reflect the happy face of the receiver.

Rebus. Although it had many forms, a rebus usually was a romantic verse written in ink with certain words omitted and illustrated with a picture. Meant to be a riddle, they were not always easy to decipher.

Watch Papers. Popular when men carried pocket watches, these were made to fit the back or front of a pocket watch.

Valentine's Day Gift from Twilight Bridge
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