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Heart History: Symbol Of Romance

There are few things more romantic than watching the newly-married couple walking together as friends and family hold a distinctive heart-shaped wedding sparkler.

A Sign Of Love

No one knows for sure when heart-shaped objects became a symbol of romance. Some historians believe the popular heart-shaped symbol is inspired by the shape of ivy leaves, which in ancient times was a symbol of fidelity. Others believe the symbol is meant to suggest a part of a woman’s body, from hips to buttocks to breasts. But that theory doesn’t seem to quite romantic enough.

And then there are the much less romantic theories. A few historians have put forward the theory the heart-shaped symbol is a representation of Silphium, a giant ancient form of Fennel that was once plentiful on the Northern coasts of Africa.

Silphium has the rounded top and pointy end of the heart shape. This plant, which is sometimes called “the best-tasting plant you’ve never eaten was actually eaten into extinction by the Romans.  It was also used by both the Romans and Greeks for a variety of medicinal purposes.

WHERE DID THE HEART SHAPE COME FROM?

But most historians believe the popularity of the heart-shaped symbol probably came into being, thanks to the writings of the philosopher Aristotle who described a human heart as three chambers with a dent in the middle and his early drawings resemble our modern-day symbol.

The theory from historians is that later writers and doctors who were illustrating Aristotle’s work integrated his heart-shaped drawings into their works and the symbol spread through society. It didn’t take long for people to associate a heart-shaped symbol with their real-life examples.

The symbol was eventually seen as a sign of romance and love. By the 18th century, it was a popular symbol among Victorians. One example of that would be the addition of a heart-shaped set of icons in a modern deck of playing cards. But these heart-shaped symbols were everywhere in society, becoming a favorite shape for everything from cakes and cookies to piece of jewelry. It became so popular that even though Victorian women generally didn’t get tattoos, henna-stained heart-shaped temporary tattoos became the rage of high society in Victorian England and France.

This is also the period when Cupid became popular. In those early times, Cupid’s arrow was seen as a symbol of heartbreak, not love. Being hit with Cupid’s arrow meant that your heart was broken, as if hit by an arrow. But over the centuries the meaning morphed and now Cupid is seen as a symbol of true love inspired by some mysterious force we can’t see.

But no matter what the history books claim, modern-day romantics know exactly what it means when they see a heart-shaped symbol. It expresses true love and passion and the commitment between two people who want to spend their lives together. It’s the perfect symbol for a wedding and there’s no more romantic and fun way for everyone to celebrate the end of a wedding than with a specially designed heart-shaped wedding sparkler.

PRESERVING THE HISTORY

Make your wedding shine with a wedding sparkler. They come in a variety of sizes, plus the heart-shaped one.  At Wedding Sparklers Outlet, we also know you’ll want to record your day. That’s why we made sure our sparklers, constructed of premium metal wire, produce as little smoke as possible so any photograph doesn’t get blurred or distorted.

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