The Weekly Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, O. [Ohio]) 1861-1???, 1868-02-14
. -
VALENTINES DAY.

The l4th Of February in each year brings
with it associations which to the youthful
portion of tho genus homo--at least--are
OF much interest. Tho festival day of ST
Valentine has from time immemorial been
devoted to the genius of satire, bu,lesQue,
invective, and display of the tender
passions. Indeed il seems as il all the
good aud bad passions of humanity, find
expression on this day, and by the process
OF secret correspondence are made known
to their several objects.
In England, Scotland, and in different
parts of the continent Of Europe particu.
larly, Lorraine and Maine, in France, it has
been customary TO celebrate this day by
very amusing custom. On the eve of st.
Nalen tine, q number of young folks--maids
and bachelors would assemble together
and inscribe OH little billets, the names #
an equal number Of maids aud bachelors
OF their acquaintance, throw the whole
into some kind of receptacle, aud ih, N
draw them, care of course being taken that
each should draw one of the opposite sex
The person thus drawn, thuo became Que 8
valentine. Of course from the universally
of the practice, the party drawing obtaiued
a valentine, and also being IN like manner
drawn, thus became the valentine of ON.
other, but as observed by MIssuN, an ob.
servant traveller of the last century, the
man stuck faster to the valentine that had
fallen to him, than to her to whom he had
fallen. These imaginary engagements as
may readily be supposed. often led to real
ones because enc necessary consequence
of thom was, that for a whole year, bache
lor remained bound 10 the service of his
valentine, somewhat alter the fashion of
the ancient knight Of romance to his lady.
love,
This heroic feature Of the day is, how.
ever, fast disappearing, aud thus II has
ceased to have The graceful symbolic
meaning it used to have, aud has become
considerable Of a nuisance. The approach
Of the day is now heralded by the appear
ance in the print shops Of colored cariea,
ture Of male aud female figures, with few
burlesque verses below. More rarely the
print is OF a sentimental kind, such as
view OF Hymens altar, with pair under
going Initiation into welded happiness be.
fore it, while cupid Autters above, and
hearts trans6xed with his darts decorate
the corners. Persons Of both sexes freely
interchange such epistles with each other
on this day, conceivins the joke to be
amazingly good.
The origin Of the custom is somewhat
shrouded in mystery. Some writer's have
asserted that il has descended to us from
the Romans, who during tho Lupercalia, eel
ebratod in the month of February, were won
amoug other things to put the names OF
young women Into box. from which they
were drawn by the mon as chance directed
aud that the Christain clergy fnding i
| difficult or impossible 10 extirpate III
pagan practice, gave it a religious aspect
by substituting the names of particular
saints for those of the women. There is Ger
tainly usage more or less extended in tbs
Roman Catholic Church TO select either OF
81. Valentines day, or some other, patron
saint for the year who is termed valentine
Bailey in his dictionary offers the following
explanation, about this time of the yea
the birds choose their mates, and probahl,
thus came the custom of the young mel
aud maidens choosing valen tines or specia
loving kiends on that day.