The Republican., 1894-02-08
FEBRUARY Ia.
Changes In the Observance of st. VaIen-
tine,s Day-A Very Ancient Festival.

fE6ROARI ~.
Changes In the Observance of st. VaIen-
tines Day-A Very Ancient Festival.
The 14th day of February, popu-
y ly known as St Valentines day, is
remarkable as being festival which
has no connection with the one from
whom it takes its name. There is more
than one saint of that name, but in all
the legends connected with them there
is no trace of the practice peculiar to
the day.
Bishop Valentine, with whom the
day is most generally connected, was
martyred at Rome, in the third century,
being first beaten with clubs and then
beheaded. The greater part of his re-
mains are preserved in the Church of
ST. PraXedes, at Rome, where a gate
now the Porta del Popolo-was former
ly named from him "Porta Valentino"
1t is most probable that the custom
may have descended to us from the an
cient Romans who, during the Luper-
Gala celebrated in the month of Feb
ruary) used to put the names of young
women into box, from which they
were drawn by the men as chance di-
rected.
With the advent of Christianity, this
pagan custom survived in common with
many Others and the church, finding it
impossible to extirpate it, gave it a re-
ligious aspect. The names of certain
saints We're substituted for those of the
women, and the one which was drawn
became the patron saint for that year,
and was termed Valentine"
From this the custom advanced until
it became an annual festival, generally
celebrated in England, Scotland, and
in different parts of the continent OF
Europe, particularly Lorraine and
Maine in France.
On the eve of st. Valentines day
number of young people would assem-
bic together and inscribe on little bill
let's the names of an equal number of
maids and bachelors of their ac-
quaintance, throw the whole into re-
ceptacle of some sort and then draw
them by lot, care of course being taken
that each should draw one of the op-
posite sex, the person thus drawn be-
coming a valentine for year.
1t naturally followed that the young
man would feel it incumbent to give
his valentine a present, which she re-
ciprocated with flower, or some such
token. Up to the fifteenth century it
was customary for both sexes to make
each other presents but latterly the
obligation was restricted to young
men.
All this, of course, has nothing to do
with the martyred Bishop Valentine,
or any other of that name; but it real
ly makes no difference, since the day
has greatly degenerated from its
former observance. With the intro
duction of so-called comic valen-
tines, the day lost caste.
A comic valentine is usually moth
ing but a gross libel, couched in coarse
rhyme, and no sensible person will
send one under any circumstances.
The practice is not witty, and can ac-
complish no good purpose.
There are, to-be-sure, very pretty
and appropriate valentines, which may
be sent with propriety, and which are
received with pleasure; but even here
the custom has received a setback,
since there is tendency to make the
valentines so costly that nany people,
who cannot afford to compete with
other and richer friends, do not send
valentines at all.
The day is interesting, however, as a
survival of a very ancient festival, and
it will doubtless survive for many
years in modified form. OF late the
custom is growing of substituting lit
tie gifts such as gloves, ribbons and
other articles dear to the feminine
heart, for the printed cards, and in
time to come we may see something
like another Christmas or New Years
day
At present its observance can be
made cheerful or otherwise, according
to the good taste of the observer, and
it is hoped that no seif-respecting boy
or girl will take advantage of the day
to wound an enemy or insult friend.
Golden Days.