The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1868-02-14

ton of the grossest forms of fun and jocu'arlty,
was another sort Of festival with our ancestors.
With them there were no ridiculous letters Oh
the occasion, and the print shops were not as
now loaded with grotesque, and revolving PIC
lures and designs for the ludicrous use 10
which the day is now devoted. It's matter
we'll known that this custom of sending cheap
valentines is much increasing from year 10
wear. and where it will end no one has, We be-
lieve, attempted to predict. The New York
Times day or two since stated that one large
firpl in that city manufactured this year 2,59l,
GA valentines, ranging in price from three
cents to s5O-the aggregate value being sSl7,-
1877 The postofice returns show that In 1867
the whole number Of valentines sent through
the New York city postofice was 21,26O, while
last year it was S6,21S. The valentines de-
spatched are generally Of the cheap kind,
though manufacturers tell of some being made
to order at cost of $500 each.
The name of the day is derived, it is well
known, from Valentine, o holy priest OF Rome,
who, with st. Marius and his family, assisted
the martyrs in the persecution under Claudlus
H., in the third century. He was apprehended
and sent by the Emperor to the Prefect OF
Rome, who on finding all his efforts to make
him renounce his faith Intellectual, commanded
him to be beaten with clubs, and afterwards
beheaded on the 14th Of February
Nilsson, learned traveller of the early part
of the last century, gives correct account OF
the principal ceremonial of the day:
son the eve Of st. Valentines Day." says he,
ssthe Young folks in England and Scot!and, by
yery ancient custom, celebrate a little fes-
tivaI An eoual number Of maids and Eachel-
ors get together; they write their true or some
feicned names upon separate billets, which they
roll up and draw by way Of lots, the maids TAX
ing the mems billets, and the men the maids,
so that each Of the young men lights, upon
girl that he calls his cdle1tine, and each OF the
girls upon young man, whom she calls hers.
By this means each has two valentines; put .ne
man sticks faster to the valentine that has
fallen to him than to the valentine to whom ne
has fallen. Fortune having thus divided the
company into 80 many couples, the valentines
give balls and treats to their misttesses, wear
their billets several days upon their bosoms or
sleeves and this little sport often ends In
love-"
The origin of these peculiar observsnces Of
st. Valentines Day is matter Of some obscu-
rity. The Saint himself seems to have had
nothing to do with the matter beyond the ac-
cidene of his day being used for the purpose.
Mr.. Douce, in his illustrations of Shakespeare,
says:
cit was the practice in ancient Rome, during
q great part of the month Of February to cele-
brate the Lupercalia, which we're feasts in honor
of Pan and Juno, whence the latter deity was
named Februats, Februalis, and Februlla.
'sOn this occasion, amidst variety OF cere-
monies, the names OF young women were put
into box, from which they were drawn by the
men, as chance directed. The pastors OF the
early Christian Church, who, by every possible
means, endeavored to eradicate the vestlges OF
Pagan superstjtons, and chiefly by some COM
mutation of their forms, substituted In the
present instance the names Of particular
saints instead Of those of the women, and as
the festival Of Lupercaha had commenced
about the middle of February, they appear to
have chosen st. Valentines Day for celebrating
tLe Same time It
would seem, however, that it was utterly i'm
possible to extirpate altogether any ceremony
TO . hich the common people had been much
accustomed-a fact which it were easy to prove
in tracing the origin OF various other popular.
superstitions-and accordingly the outline OF
the ancient ceremonies was observed, but
modified by some adaptation to the Christian
system. 1t is reasonable to suppose that the
above practice of choosing mstos would grad
uallv become reciprocal in the sexes, and that
all persons so chosen would be called Valen-
tines from the day on which the ceremony took
place
Others would derive the love-makIng prac-
tices of the day from the ancient tradition that
the birds on this day choose their mates; GER
tainly pretty and appropriate, if not we'll
founded derivation.
The tuneful choir in amorous strains
Accost their feathered loves;
While each fond mate, with equal piins,
The tender suit approves.
With cheerful hop from spray to spray,
They sport along the meads
In social bliss together stray,
Where love or fancy leads