St Valentine's Day

The Regency period was a much more romantic and less cynical time than the present, and the Festival of St Valentine (February 14th) was in consequence a highly significant day in the social calendar. It was an occasion for much dancing and mingling, and eligible bachelors would compete for the honour of being known for having the biggest balls in the neighbourhood.

Exchange of Hearts

The day would begin with unattached men leaving a raw pig's heart on the doorstep of their beloved's cottage. If the feeling was mutual, the object of his affections (also known as his "sweet heart") would use this to make a tasty dish known as Delia's Delight, which she would in turn leave by his door. With mutual affection duly established, this would be followed by an invitation to supper.

If, however, the suit was in vain, the lady was required to hurl the uncooked heart back at the gentleman's front door, with as much force as she could muster. If he happened to be emerging through the door at the time, so much the better. From this point on, the gentleman would traditionally refer to her as a "heartless bitch".

Valentine Cards

Valentine cards were invented by Ebenezer Hallmark in 1802 and were seen as a less risky alternative to the Exchange of Hearts. These cards were often decorated with charming pictures of woodland animals drawn by illustrators from the Community of Forever Friends, with an inspirational poem on the inside. It is believed that Lord Byron began his career by providing such verses, although the only extant example is sadly torn and the rhyme seems incomplete:

One day l hope that you'll be mine,

my fair one, darling Valentine! We'll shelter 'neath the arms of Venus, And marvel at my massive

Pole Dancing

Contrary to popular belief, the tradition of young ladies dancing outside in the marketplace around a pole at the start of May was only introduced in Victorian times. Prior to this, the dancing took place on St Valentine's Day, when the cold weather meant that the dancing was considerably more vigorous and inventive, although in warmer years the ladies would sometimes divest themselves of their outer clothing as the dance went on.

Flashers' Fancy

At the end of the day, any males who were still unattached would gather in the marketplace and expose themselves to passing strangers. If the night was particularly cold, this often ended in the phenomenon known as Littlejohn's Disappointment, or - in extreme cases - frostbite.