Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1878-02-21
ST. VALENTINES DAY.
A Shore Histery OF its Origin.

/ Theuay,b by common consent, has been
set apart as sacred to love. 1t is cupid's
carnival, and though We write il with
the name OF holy bishop and martyr,
it still preserves, through every change,
O tinge If its pagan origin. Why the
name of st. Valentine has been asso-
ciated with a love festival is unknown,
and no extant history furnishes any
satisfactorily solved. Little is known
about st. Valentine, save that some
time in the third century OF the Chris
,tian era, he was beaten with sticks,
and then bad his head cut of; but
whether he was in love scrape there
remains no evidence to show. The
association OF st. Valentine with the
love stick is as unaceountsble as love
itself. 1t is strongly suspected, how
ever, the good Old man had nothing
whatever to do with thelceremonies OF
the day, which are supposed to have
sprung from feelings, and desires old
as the world. Some of the named
philosophers who delve into old books
in search of the origin of things, throw
st. Valentine overheard as an inter
loping carpet-bagger, and assures US
that Valentine day is but the continua-
ton OF the Lupercalia festivals estab-
lished in pagan Rome in honor of the
God Pan. They began EOn the 10Th OF
February. According to Plutarcb,
they were instituted by the Romans
in honor of the wolf that sucked
Romulus and Remus. But the opinion
of even this respectable authority is
Il
ysius, of Halicarnasus, attribute the
LHpercalia into Italy to Evander, and
seek to connect with them the Sycacan
festivals observed in Arcadia. The
modern festival probably grew out of
some deeply rooted Pagan rite, just as
we owe the bonfires on st. Johns eve
lighted by the Christian pleasantly to
the fires lighted In remote ages by the
worshippers of Bsal. During the
feasts in honor Of Pan and Juno the
names of number of young women
were put into a box and drawn by
men as chance directed, and this
custom, which was always an impOr-
tant par. Of proper celebration of st.
Valentines Day, seems to be the first
record we possess of the origin OF
choosing mates became reciprocal, and
all persons so drawn or chosen were
called Valentines. So late asthe early
part <of the last century it was cust0-
mary Tor aa. a.equal mum ber of bache-
lOrs and maids to get together and
each one having written real or
feigned name on slip of paper, rolled
it up and placed it in box, whence il
was drawn by lot. The girls drew
mems billets and the men the girPs
so that each one had two valentines.
The bachelors were supposed to pay
more attention to the ladies who fell
to them by lot than tothuse who had
drawn them. Fortune thus divided
the company into couples. The valen.
tines were expected to give balls and
treats to their mistresses, whose
billets they were accustomed to wear
fer several days on their bosom Oh
sleeve. This was, however, the light
est part of the duty of the Valentine,
! for by custom the bachelor remained
bound fora whole year in the service
OF his valentine. The idea that there
is an influence inherent in the day
which binds together in some way the
destinites of those & who, by lot OF
lchance, are led to fix their attention on
a person of the opposite sex on St
Valentines Day is still propularly
entertained among the peasantry OF
many coantries, and there is an almosl
religious belief that the first nnmarri
ed person Encountered, of either sex,
on the morning of this day, is destin-
ed bride or husband fF