Dictionary

paramour: Meaning "for the sake of love," a term frequently used in the Middle Ages and often referencing a lover outside the realm of marriage or propriety.

penny dreadfuls: Cheap and often comical Valentine cards made of poor quality and meant to insult rather than charm.

penny post: The first affordable method of mailing letters, begun by Londoner William Dockwra in 1680, which made posting Valentine's Day cards available to the masses as opposed to hand delivery.

Pope Gelasius: According to some historical perspectives, this leader was responsible for banning the original lotteries and in 498 made a declaration of the first St. Valentine's Day on Feb. 14.

princess lointaine: A French term meaning "unobtainable princess" and a frequent passion of medieval knights who might have heard of a female with highest qualities and beauty, but never met her.

puzzle purse: A type of once-popular Valentine design comprised of a single piece of paper folded into a maze of multiple panels that can be manipulated to reveal messages on each section.

romantic love: A deeply sensual category of love that involves both the emotions and a strong physical response to being with another person.

roses: Flowers representative of Valentine's Day, with red symbolizing passion and love, yellow roses representing friendship and white roses standing for pure love.

Saint Valentine's Day Massacre: The well-known 1929 Chicago attack on Moran gang members by a designated mob of Al Capone's, which elevated the latter gangster to celebrity status during the Roaring Twenties and beyond.