The hydraulic press., 1859-02-12
ST. VALENTINES DAY.
"Good morrow, tbs Saint Valentin,

thinking what might be the meaning Of
the words, as do those who still observe
the day care to know its origin. The
world will enjoy its festivities without
reference to their meaning. Every one
is glad of season when sportive enjoy
ment is legitimate, and custom sanctions
for a few brief hours what she would
frown upon on any other day. Yet it is
curious to note the origin of our COM
mon festive anniversaries, TO trace them
back to dim antiquity, and see how the
most trifing customs have outlived en-
pires and systems once deemed imperish-
able. Our winter holidays and May-day
games are but relies of ancient religious
rites, while many church festival and
Saints day can be traced to a pagan
source, and may be derived from obser-
vances which ante-date authentic his
tory.
St. Valentines day, which is now the
carnival season of lovers, dedicated to
the interchange of soft vows and amor
Gus protestations, is directly derived
by antiquarians from the old Roman
festival of the Lupercalia, which itself
was older than the imperial city.
This festival was celebrated by the
Romans in honor of Pan, the rural di-
vinity, half man and half goat, who pre-
sided over focks and herds aud protec-
ted them from wolves; hence the name
of the festival, from the Latin lupus,
wolf To this divinity, who has been
used, in latter days as the symbol of u
Universal nature, was dedicated an order
of priests, termed the Luperci. On the
occasion of the Lupercalia, which was
about the middle of February, these
priests ran naked through the city, hav-
ing around their waists goat-skin girdles
only, and bearing in their hands thongs
of the same material, with which they
struck at passers by, and particularly
married women, who were thus supposed
to be endowed with fecundity. Accor-
ding to Gibbon, goat was sacrificed at
this festival the flesh was roasted on
willow splits, and the riotous youths who
crowded to the feast ran about naked,
striking with leather thongs the women
whom they met, in the same manner as
the priests.
This ridiculous and indecent custom
was observed even after the Introduction
of Christianity. The early Christians,
or those who were nominally such, chung
lovingly to the traditions and festivals of
their ancestors, and the Fathers of the
church were forced to tolerate and to
sanctify what they could not abolish.
The Lupercalia they ingeniously chris
tanned, by giving it the name of Saint
Valentine, a martyr Of the third century,
whose birthday fortunately happened,
or was made to happen, about the time
of the pagan festival 1t must by this
time have become more decent. One
of its chief attractions consisted in the
choosing by lot of lovers for the year,
box containing the names of maidens on
slips of paper being the medium by
which this was accomplished, the Ro.
man youths drawing from this at ran
dom. Doubtless they were often dis
satisfied at the chance-dirccted result.
The same custom of choosing lovers by
lot still exists in some of the rural dis
tricts.of England, and perhaps in other
European countries, and the persons
thus chosen are called Valentines.
Ever since the above lucky thought
of the early Fathers, Saint Valentine
has enjoyed happy Immortality in the
memory Of lovers.
Eventually the custom of choosing
sweethearts became merged in that of
sending billet dour to the objects of Sc
cret attachment, and these sweet letters
took the name of Valentines. But the
uses of the day have degenerated in our
own times. Love letters are transmit
ted, without regard to sincerity, as a
sort Of elegant and harmless fattery, to
young women who would fain believe
e.. r. r