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Paper Hands |
| By
the 19th Century another
symbol of love became
the paper hand. It was
considered a symbol of
courtship because of the
custom of a man "asking
for a lady's hand" in
marriage. The hands of a
lady have been a
favorite valentine
decoration for many
years and are thought to
depict desirable
feminine qualities. The
beauty of the image is
often enhanced by the
addition of a frilled
cuff and/or a jeweled
ring on the third
finger. Clasped hands
are said to represent
those of Queen Victoria
and her consort, Prince
Albert...the symbol of
friendship between their
respective countries of
England and Germany.And
eventually tiny paper
gloves became a
valentine card symbol as
well.... evolving into
gloves (esp. silk)
becoming a popular gift
for a man to give his
sweetheart. Eventually,
a woman sort of expected
a pair of good gloves as
a gift. Later a man
would also give
shoestrings, silk
stockings, garters and
jewelry to his
sweetheart for
Valentines. In some
countries, a young woman
may receive a gift of
clothing from a young
man. If she keeps the
gift, it means she will
marry him. |
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