Today, I'm exploring Valentine's Day traditions in Tudor times.
In Tudor times, Valentine's Day was a significant holiday, with many unique traditions. One of the most popular was the "love lottery." Men would draw names from a hat, and the woman they picked would be their Valentine. This tradition was so popular that it even inspired the famous Shakespearean play, "Twelfth Night”.
Another interesting custom was the exchange of love tokens, often made of paper or fabric. These tokens were then worn as a symbol of love, and many of them have been preserved to this day.
Another Tudor tradition was the Valentine's Day feast which began at 5 o'clock in the morning with a procession of masked dancers. The first woman to remove her mask was the lady.
And the lord would present her with a bunch of white roses, which symbolized purity and innocence. After that, it was customary for the lord to give a long speech about how much he loved his lady. Everyone would feast, there would be more dancing and games and more drinking. And the whole celebration would last for days.
So, there you have it! A glimpse into the fascinating Valentine's Day traditions of Tudor times.
Today Valentine's Day is a more intimate affair between couples, and quite probably a lot less exhausting.
I hope you enjoyed this little taste of history.
Don't forget to like, share, and subscribe for more fascinating facts and hidden histories.
Visit my Derbyshire Hearts Gallery
Framed Hearts and Hearts on canvas are available as prints from Derbyshire Hearts Collection
Share this post