A woman turns down a dapper ‘snake’ in a ‘vinegar valentine’ from the 1870s. Wikimedia Commons February 9, 2026 Valentine’s Day cards too sugary sweet for you? Return to the 19th‑century custom of the spicy ‘vinegar valentine’ Melissa Chim, Excelsior University Victorians found a way to anonymously tell people they didn’t like exactly how they felt.
