Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-02-11
ST. VALENTINES DAY.
Its Origin, History, Observance and
Literature.

CUSHIONS THE NOVELTIES.
From the Philadelphia Press.
The approach of st. Valentines Day, when
our railway mail service the efficient subst-
tute for the more romantic carrier pigeon, will
deliver thousands of sealed and ANONYMOUS
messages of love. is heralded by bright display s
in many windows and By the CLEAN of expec-
tation in many maidens eye The number
and excellence of designs in Christmas New
Years and Easter cards which have appeared
within the last few years have revived this an
cient custom of gallantry and lifted it above the
Interchange of comic and often coarse messages
into an expression of the purest sentiment
The origin of Valentines Day is los: in anti
guilty. and can now ne only speculatvely fixed.
One theory is that it sprang from the ancient
Roman Festival of the Lupercalia. celebrated
on February Is. This was at first shepherds
invocation to the God of Fertility. As young
Rome grew. the festival became general among
all classes. and a college of priests especially
devoted to the service Of the god was estab
iished- When the Christian Church gained
power effort was made to abolish the heather
feasts, which by that time had become mere
expression OF gallantry; but this proving vain,
the date was changed to the birthday or st.
Valentine-February A. This saint was can
oniZed soon after his execution by order of the
Emperor C!audius, about go. He was Chris
tian bishop. and he was made the patron of the
day. because of the loving charity of his charac-
ter. Another theory is that the festival, in its
essential if not in its precise date. is as old as
the human race, being an expression of the
yernal impulse common to all living beings.
and which Tennyson sings in the familiar lines:
In the spring livelier iris changes on the burn
1shed dove,
In the spring the young mans fancy lightly turns
to thoughts OF love.
References to the mating of birds in the spring
and to the feelings of love which thrill the
breast at the season when nature wakes from
her winter sleep are scattered through all liter
allure back to the earliest times. CatuiuS. in
particular, has charming lyric on the impulses
of spring. which is curiOusly like the opening
lines of Chaucef's prologue:
Whanne that Aprille with his showers swOta
The droughte of March hath pcrced to the roote,
And smale fOues maken melodie,
That slepen all the NIGHT with open eye.
ITS ANCIENT OBSERVANCE.
The ceremonies of what is now ST. Valen-
tines Day, in this view, became the expression
OF a great human passion. coexistent with the
race. Valentine was made it's patron. and it's
date was iixedby his birthday simply because his
name is equivalent of gd!distin. French for
gallant" This derivation is quite reasonable,
for like change is found in valiant" and
gallant" both from the Latin roens. The
theory of the origin from the Lupercal has in
its favor, however. the fact that it became a
custom for Roman lads and maidens to write
their names upon tablets which were drawn
by lot from box. and the couples thus thrown
together were supposed to be devoted to each
other for a certain period. A like ceremony
according to Nilsson a learned traveller OF the
early part of the last century, had been an
ancient custom among the young folks of Eng
land ami Scotland. on the eve of st. Valentines
naV Hn An f,orn ~,
and bachelors get together; each writes their
true or some feigGed name upon separate bill
lets. which they roll up and draw by way of lots
the maids taking the young mems billets, and
the men the maids SO that each of the young
men lights upon girl that he calls his valentine
and each OF the girls upon young man whom
she calls hers. BY this means each has two
valentines: but the man sticks faster to the
valentine that has fallen to him than to the
valentine to whom he has fallen. Fortune
having thus divided the company into so many
couples. the valentines give balls and treats to
their mistreSses. wear their biilets several days
upon their bosoms or sleeves and this little
sport often ends in love"
"Pepys' Diary" which throws so much light
upon the domestic life of England in the time of
Charles H., contains several references to the
day. The COnaoissesr. published in. 1754-6.
gives Iaaidens confession that on st. Valen-
tines eve she pinned five bay leaves to her pill
low, sure that il she dreamed of her sweetheart
they should be married before the year was out.
but to make it more sure. boiled an egg hard
and took out the yOlk and filled it with salt:
anu when went to bed, eat it. shell and ALL
without speaking Or drinking" 1t is needless
to say that even the digestion Of buXom Eng
lish country lass could not withstand this at
tack, and she dreamed OF her MIR. Blossom"
Gentlemen often gave their valentines expensive
presents, the Duke OF York once giving the
Duchess Of Richmond ring worth $500.
THE NEW VALENTINES.
Ten years ago the observance of st. Valen-
tines Day had sadly dcgcnerated. Every one
remembers the wretched penny sheets ribald
and vulgar. which then disigured windows,
and which were only intended to hurt the feel
inG Of their recipients. The day became a time
for anonymous insult and personal ridicule
But OF late the custom is returning to deserved
popularity among the better classes. This
years valentines. in particular. surpass in de-
sign ana execution any before made. Valen-
tines were once made only of lace paper and
tinsel. but now the greatest variety Of the best
work IL to be found in cards much like Chr St
mas cards III their genera. effect but of course
having appropriate designs and notices. New
features of this year are, aside from the novel
designs the unique mounting Of many cards;
the combination OF putfed satin and fringe for
borders, and the use of silk and satin sachets OF
delicate perfumes and elaborate pin-cushiOns
inscribed. Cupid pins my heart to thine OF
course, PIangs cards are the leading favorites
among American buyers. The character of his
SAu MI n ID JOO W Uecu description,
and his valentines are equal in excellence to
anything the firm has produced. Three cards
designed by Rosina Emmett, the winner Of the
fourth prize for designs for last years Christ
mas cards. are especially pretty. The three
figures and scenes are all conventionalized and
the coloring and outline Of the oblOng pictures
remind one Of a stained window. It Is worth
noting that the Prang cards all have q reverse
worth studying. and which is always in artistic
harmony with the design Of the face When the
figure or scene il conventional. the reverse il
often, while modern in its elements thor
Ou@hy Greek in spirit. The daisy, the OPEN
eyed blossom. which, begging Oscar Wilde's
pardon, is quite as decorative as the sunfiower,
Is a frequent theme for the back of these cards.
THE IMPORTED VALENTINES
The imported valentines this year are better
than ever. Marcus Ward sends over no new
kinds. but De la Rles excel in number and
beauty, and the Germ an cards. while cheaper
are In great variety. The are so many Ger
man manufacturers that there are many de-
signs These are printed in limited editions,
which are usually bought up and controlled by
the importer Their colors are. as a rule of too
pronounced contrast. not being delcately
blended. and they are sometimes coarsely
printed Exceptions to all these faults are