The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1878-02-14
ST. VALENTINES DAY.
A Short History OF its Orietn.


To-day, by common consent, has been
set apart as sacred to love. II is cupid's
carnival, and though we write it with
the name of a holy bishop and martyr,
it still preserves through every change,
a t;nge of its pagan origin. Why the
name of St. Valentine has been asso
cis,ed with love festival is unknown,
and no extsnt history furnishes any clue
by which the mystery might be
satisfactorily solved. Little is known
about ST. Valentine, save that some time
IN the third century of the Christian era,
he was beaten with sticks, and then had
his head cut of; but whether he was in q
love scrspe there remains no evidence to
show. The association of St. Valentine
with the love sick is as unsccountable as
love itself. 1t is strongly suspected, how
ever, the good old man had nothing
whatever to do with the ceremonies OF
the day, which are supposed to have
sprung from feelings, and desires old as
the world. Some of the named philo
sophers who delve into old books
in search OF the origin of things, throw
St. Valentine overheard as an inter-
Looping carpet Dagger, and assures US that
Valentine day is but the continuation of
the Lupercsia festivals established in
pagan Rome in honor of the God Pan.
They began on the 18th of February.
According to Plutsrch, they were insti-
tuted by the Romans in honor of the
wolf that sucked Romulus and Remus.
But the opinion of even this re.
spectacle authority is questioned,
and both Livy and Dionysius,
of Hslicsrnasus, attribute the
introduction of the Lupercslis into
Italy to Evander, and seek to connect
with them the Sycacan festivals observed
in Arcadia, The modern festival probs-
bly, grew out of some deeply rooted
Pagan rite, just as we owe the bonfres
on St. Johns eve lighted by the Chris
tian pleasantly to the fires lighted in re-
mote ages by the worshippers of Baal.
During the iessts IN honor of Pan and
Juno the names of number of young
women were put into q box and
drawn by men as chance directed, and
this custom, which was always an Impor-
tsnt part of proper celebration Of St.
Valentines Day, seems to be the first
record we possess of the origin OF choos-
ing mates became reciprocal, and all
persons so drawn or chosen were called
Valentines. So late as the early part of
the last century it was customary for an
equal number of bachelors and maids TO
get together and each one having written
/ ToinnaI NJ n u n an M
rolled it up and placed 1t in a box,
whence 1t was drawn by lot. The girls
drew mems billets and the men the
girps, so that each one had two valen.
tines. The bachelors were supposed to
pay more attentions to the ladies who 10
to them by lot than 10 those who had
drawn them. Fortune thus divided the
company into couples. The vslen-
tines were expected to give
balls and treats TO their mistresses,
whose billets they were accustomed to
wear for several days on their bosom or
sleeve. This wss, however, the lightest
part Of the duty of the Valentine, Tor by
custom the bachelor remained bound for
whole year in the service of his valen-
tine. The idea that there is an influence
inherent in the day which binds to-
getber in some way the destinies of
those who, by lot or chance, are
led TO fix their attention on a person Of
the opposite sex on st. Valentines Day
is still propalarly entertained among the
peassntry of many countries, and there
is an almost religious belief that the first
unmarried person encountered, of either
sex, on the morning OF thi; day, is des-
tined bride or husband.