Daily Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1876-1884, 1883-02-14
ST. VALENTINES DAY.
Valentines. Their Uses and Abuses
SO Called Because They Have
Nothing to Do With st. valeu-
tine-The Day and It's Customs.

This morning ushers in Saint valen-
tines Day, which stands alone and
unique in the calendar, characterized as
IL is by the custom, now almost imme.
mortal, Of the exchange Of valentines.
The origin of this custom has never
been definitely settled but the most
plausible and most generally accepted Of
the theories advanced on the subject is
that attributing the origin Of the custom
to the Lupercnlia Of Ancient Rome. The
Lupercalia were among the oldest Of the
Roman feasts, and were distinguished
by many curious ceremonies, among
which was that of choosing names by
lot, the chooser getting the name Of
some one Of the opposite sex and con-
shutting him or her valentine for the
year following. The name valentine was
no doubt givsnto this custom for the
reason that it was possibly the most
popular surname of the Latin language
in the first and second centuries after
Christ. Being one applied to either sex
it became in vogue to SO call those
chosen by the preference of chance.
There is but one writer that we know
of who attempts to explain the confusion
of the custom of sending or choosing val
entines in any manner with the saint of
the name. Wheatly says that
Saint Valentine was famous for
his love and charity, and, in
consequence. these traits in his char
acter gave rise to the custom now bear
ing his name. 1t is much more proba.
BILE, as urged by one of the ecclesiastical
writer's, that the early fathers, finding
that the heather rites of the Lupercal
contained too much fascination for the
youth to easily extirpate it, brought it
over to the church, and, placing 1t nm
der the tutelary cloak Of Saint Valen-
tine, thus handed down its customs,
modified into the innocent interchange
Of tender sentiments, in prose or verse,
which, by vulgar descent, has largely
degenerated into the sending anony-
mously Of lcoarsely executed daubs or
colored caricatures of doubtful taste
and frequently offensive Specification.
The innovation Of the colored, grotesque
valentine, which was then, and still
remains rude and exaggerated wood
cut, seems to have been made about the
reign Of Charles H., in England. The
day is one which is observed with many
pleasing customs in portions of Great
Britain. some of which have been beau
tifully portrayed by Sir Walter Scott.
In America tho youths Of either sex
still adhere fervently to the rights
which the day gives to them, and many
a faint heart attempts at this time to
win the fair lady of his tinid love.
However, large majority Of the valen-
tines sent to-day will be of tho cheap
kind, which intensity certain physical
traits or mental weaknesses. Now it is
that one who bears his neighbor covert
malice, attempts to wound by enclosing
the caricature of some Objectionable
monstrosity. bearing a fancied resem-
blance to the recipient, with some OK
planatory lines of exeerable doggerel at
the bottom Of the sketch. This is the
ugly side of the day. Many still burn
the midnight gas in labored prayers to
the Muse. These illusions frequently
find their weakly way into the editorial
sanctnm through the mail. 1t is need
less to say, they find their way out
through the waste basket.