Many historical sources, which are not related to each other, regarding the origin of St. Valentine's Day, agree that it is a holiday that alludes to deep human feelings of love, affection, correspondence and mutual need.1 Some historians trace the origin of St. Valentine's Day back to ancient Rome. In the Julian calendar established by Julius Caesar, the month of February was the last month of the year and, for this reason, they held several purification celebrations. Among them, in the middle of this month, the celebration of Lupercalia was held in honor of the fertility of women and nature. A festival that praised love and encouraged reproduction, and in which flowers were used as a reason for celebration and joy.
Artwork: Lupercalia Festivities
Author: Andrea Camassei
Source: Prado Museo
On the other hand, the story of the Valentine persona, takes us to the 3rd century in Rome. Emperor Claudius II “The Gothic”, promulgated a law prohibiting young people from marrying so that they could enlist in the army.
A young Roman priest named Valentine, started to secretly perform marriages for young couples in love. When he was discovered, he was arrested. Legend has it that he restored sight to his jailer's daughter, named Julia, in the name of God. Despite the miracle, Valentine remained imprisoned, and on February 14, 269, he was beheaded and stoned to death. It is said that during his time in prison, he fell in love with Julia and before his sentence was carried out, he wrote a letter to her which was signed: from your Valentine.
Centuries later, in the course of medieval times, Valentine was proclaimed a Saint and in the year 494, February 14 was declared as Saint Valentine's Day, the day of his martyrdom, and was recognized as the patron saint of lovers. The Gate of Valentine, where he was laid down to rest, became a place of pilgrimage during the Middle Ages. In 1969, St. Valentine's Day was removed from the Catholic calendar because there were uncertainties about the pagan origin of this story.
This connection with romanticism did not take place until the 14th century. As early as 1600, several poets and writers such as Geoffrey Chaucer and Shakespeare, recorded in their writings of the time paragraphs dedicated to St. Valentine as the date to celebrate love.
In the mid-19th century, Esther Howland introduced St. Valentine's Day cards in the United States. She began importing lace paper and flower decorations from the United Kingdom and eventually mass produced them.2 From then on, St. Valentine's Day became popular, with the most common gifts being roses, chocolates, and candles to celebrate love and express affection.
In 1948, journalist Cesar Gonzalez-Ruano wrote an article in which he proposed the idea of importing the celebration of St. Valentine's Day from the Anglo-Saxon world to Spain and, as it could not be otherwise, the first person who supported this initiative was Pepin Fernandez, owner of the legendary Galerias Preciados.3
The businessman promoted the need to give presents to those most closest to your heart. At the beginning of February of that same year, the national press was already publishing advertisements in which department stores encouraged people to celebrate St. Valentine's Day.
Since then, the tradition of presenting flowers as a gift on this day became popular worldwide, now celebrating not only those in love, but also the affection that is present between friends. This, of course, allowed the flower growing industry in entire the world to acquire an important appeal by having a specific date of maximizing sales.
At present, St. Valentine's Day is the most important holiday for all those involved within the global flower industry. It is a date that requires a lot of planning and strategy. It is also the holiday with which the year begins.
For many businesses, St. Valentine's Day sets the tone for how the year will go financially, how the market is going to behave, and allows them to make financial projections for the entire period. It is a season where efficiency is demonstrated in the ability to satisfy the demand of their customers.
This involves carrying out several internal efforts in each company to be able to resolve the increase in production. The increase in working hours, the pressure to meet objectives, deadlines and standards, the management of customer demands and negotiations, all generate an increase in collective stress. Ecuadorian flower growing farms are aware of what this season entails for their people as well. And in spite of the efforts that each worker must make, we can evidence the commitment of people to work harder because they are aware of the fact that a good Valentine's Day will bring a good year for everyone.
Vaccination plans, early medical check-ups, vitamin supplements, optimal nutrition and hydration are some of the measures taken in order to ensure a good health condition of our staff during this season.
Motivation is key as a means to achieving good results. Despite all the burden, we seek to create the best possible environment where the participation and effort of all those involved is what will generate the best results. To this end, we provide training, counseling, team building activities, active breaks and, of course, an increase in staff so as to lighten the load of work.
In general, Valentine's Day sales continue to have its strength in the traditional colors, reds and pinks. In this season, many farms do not consider the use of social networks as a means of promotion and sales as relevant, however, having a presence on social networks and investing in resources that help develop and show creativity promotes the sale of other colors, as well as the positioning that will help consolidate sales with the end clients for the rest of the year.
Today, social networks are considered the most immediate and closest means to communicate about the work that is involved behind the cultivation of each rose.
Traditions, personas, and stories from ancient Rome were the beginning of a tradition that spread throughout the world and is in this day and age the most important date for our business, for our employees and for our families. Beyond what Valentine's Day has become through time worldwide, beyond the commercial power it has gained, we know that our product has been the constant axis of this whole story: a rose that celebrates the deepest of human feelings.
Sources:
Interviews with:
Pablo Begnini - Historian
Marina Proaño – Azaya Gardes
Daniela Lobato – Agrivaldani
Juan Diego Ucros – Roseamor
Hernán Dávila – Hoja Verde
Opmerkingen