Why we give gifts on Valentine's Day

 Giving a Hallmark card to your beloved has become a time-honored ritual with origins in paganism.

NC CHARLOTTE — Valentine's Day, on which we honor romance and love, comes on Tuesday. But if you believe that giving gifts is a recent fad, reconsider.

Why then do we send cards on Valentine's Day, and how did this beloved custom begin? Let's make the connections.

About 145 million Valentine's Day cards are exchanged annually, according to Hallmark. And even while Hallmark has established themselves as the industry standard for unique presents, they didn't invent the trend.

Since paganism, mid-February has been observed with fertility-related traditions and rites, according to the American Folk Art Museum. Giving out pairs of gloves was standard procedure in the 1600s.

It wasn't until the 18th century that cards became popular. The first Valentine's Day cards that we know of date back to the 1700s.

A century later, Valentine's Day cards gained even greater popularity as DIY instructions were published in well-known ladies' publications.

In the early 1900s, Hallmark truly set Valentine's Day into motion. In 1913, the business began selling Valentine's Day cards.

Even now, the festival is changing, with less emphasis placed on romantic love. Now, sending cards to friends, family, and coworkers as a good gesture is more about letting them know they are thought about.