The history of chivalry and romance has changed over the centuries according to various cultures. But February 14th still continues to be the most celebrated day for love and romance worldwide.

Valentine’s Day is one of the top ten days of the year to get engaged.

HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY!

Valentine Gift List Ideas

Surprise your sweetheart with one of the Valentine gift list ideas on this page. Show the art of courtly love by creating little joys of surprise for your love. It will make her day.

• a hug
• a box of candy
• dessert and wine
• dinner at a favorite restaurant
• a handmade gift
• reservations at a hotel with dinner, roses, and wine
• a dozen roses (first most popular Valentines flowers)
• a single rose with baby’s breath
• Valentine’s Tulips (second most popular Valentines flowers)
• a romance novel

There is no set of rules that say you must give your wife a dozen red roses. Some ladies prefer other flowers. In fact, not all women like to receive flowers for Valentine’s Day.

Need more ideas?

Click on the “Valentine Gift List” below. Notice the link to sign up for a fun “French Cooking Class” on this gift list.

Valentine Gift List

Romance Novel

Hint: Include Godiva candy with the Barnes and Noble gift card for your sweetheart.

Valentine’s Day History Facts

Robert Lacey & Danny Danziger, authors of The Year 1000: What Life Was Like At The Turn Of The First Millennium, indicate that February 14th celebrations go back to the third-century priest, Valentinus (St. Valentine).

Other Valentine’s Day facts include:

1. Pope Gelasius changed the Lupercalia pagan fertility festival to February 14th as Valentine’s Day.
2. Valentine’s Day candy giving in decorative boxes was made popular by Richard Cadbury, the descendant of an aristocratic British chocolate manufacturing company.
3. During the Middle Ages, people in France and England believed that February 14 was the beginning of birds’ mating season.
4. Charles, Duke of Orleans, wrote the first Valentine, a poem, to his wife while he was in prison.
5. Valentine’s candies with the printed sayings began in 1866 by Daniel Chase.
6. Sweethearts, the heart-shaped conversation candies will not be sold on Valentine’s Day in 2019 because the previous company, Necco, that made the candies went bankrupt. The new owner is Spangler Candy Company, and the candies will be sold again in 2020.

Chivalry

What is chivalry? It refers to morals, standards of behavior, and/or virtuous character.

The ideal of chivalry from the middle ages (thirteenth century – fifteenth century) expected knights to follow a code of honor. A knight in social standing followed chivalric code standards. He honored his lady in a kind, thoughtful, and courteous manner.

Of course, through the ages the themes of romantic love expanded into well-loved fairy tales and further into the romance-novel genre. Today our heroes’ actions reflect changes through the ages of how to please a lady.

Chivalric Literature

Perhaps the most famous examples of chivalric literature knights include Sir Galahad, Gawain, and Lancelot, Knights of the Round Table. They were characters from the medieval romances about King Arthur, a legendary king of Britain whose knights searched for the Holy Grail.

Chivalry and courtship facts and tidbits of information:

1. “Chivalric ethics originated chiefly in France and Spain and spread rapidly to the rest of the Continent and to England. They represented a fusion of Christian and military concepts of morality and still form the basis of gentlemanly conduct.”
2. “The chief chivalric virtues were piety, honor, valor, courtesy, chastity, and loyalty.”
3. In the 17th century, ornately carved spoons became a tradition of a suitor showing affection to his love.

Code of Chivalry

The Code of Chivalry was a code of customs for knights in the late twelfth century. However, the code was not a law. Rather, it was considered as Christian and/or moral virtues expected of knights in the medieval period.

What are the “Ten Commandments of Chivalry”?

The “Ten Commandments of Chivalry” by French literary historian Leon Gautier:

1. Believe the Church’s teachings and observe all the Church’s directions
2. Defend the Church
3. Respect and defend the weak
4. Love your country
5. Do not fear your enemy
6. Show no mercy and do not hesitate to make war with the infidel
7. Perform all your feudal duties as long as they do not conflict with the laws of God
8. Never lie or go back on one’s word
9. Be generous
10. Always and everywhere be right and good against evil and injustice

Chivalry continues in the twenty-first century by gentlemen who show courtesy to ladies in ways such as:

• opening doors for ladies
• standing and offering their seat to a lady
• paying for the meal when taking a lady out to dinner
• pull out a lady’s chair for her when she is ready to sit down

Weddings oftentimes take place on Valentine’s Day.

Origin of Marriage

Origin of the Term “Honeymoon” 

Historical Romance Novel from Elizabeth Pye

“Each chapter written is a step toward the completion of Mon Amour, Friend or Foe.”

                                                        – Quote by Elizabeth Pye, April 2018 (referencing the process of Book 3 of The French Connection series)