The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1895-02-15
10 BE CONTINUED.
VALENTINES DAY.
The CeisbratiOa Taken from the Aneisat
Pagans.


Pagans.
Thousands and hundreds of thoHs-
ands of valentines" pass through the
pOstofaee on st. Valentines day. They
are Of all sOrts-comic, vulgar, witty,
sentimental and loving.
st. Valentine is called the saint Of
lovers, but the original st. Valentine
seems not to have had any such ambi-
ton. He was a Roman priest, who SUI
fered martyrdom, being beaten with
clubs and then beheaded in the year
30 A. D. The 14th Of February was ap-
pointed by the church to be observed
in his honor. But during the month
of February, on ancient Roman days,
festivals were held in honor of Feb
ruata-Juno. These feasts were called
| the Lupercalia. One Of the celebra-
tons consisted of writing the names Of
many young women upon slips, and
these names we're deposited with much
ceremony in a box, from which they
we're drawn by the young men as chance
directed.
The priests of the early christian
church sought by every means to sbOl-
ish all the old pagan festivals and sub
stitute christian ones. And the lovers
festival of February was one which is
said to have been altered under their
direction. 1t was placed under the
guardianship Of st. Valentine merely
because his church day came at the
same date as that of the old pagan fes-
tival of Lupercalia. This is the ex-
PLANTATION accepted by most learned
writer's on the subject. The mates
chosen were called valentines" simply
on account of the day of choosing. And
it is likely that the pretty pretense Of
secrecy observed in the sending of val
entinss can be also traced to this old
custom of hiding the written names
and having them drawn out by chance.
The fun and romance of valentines all
depend on these conditions.
The Valentine day celebrations have
been kept in England and Scotland for
many years. Shakespeare and Chau-
Ger both allude to them, also the poet
Lydgate, who died in LAO. A learned
traveller named Nilsson, who wrote in
the 18th century, describes the old Eng
fish valentine party:
"On the eve of Feb. IA the young
folks gather together, an equal number
of maids and bachelors forming the
party. Each one writes his or her name
on q separate billet and these are
rolled up and cast into a pile. Then
the names are drawn, the maids draw
( ing the bachelors names, and the bach
elors the maids. The names drawn are
valentines to those who draw them.
The Young men were expected to enter
tain their valentines with dances and
treats, and often to make them costly
presents. They also wore the billets
containing their valentines names on
their sleeves or their hearts for many
days" And often, says the learned
Nilsson, the sport begun in fun was
continued in earnest.
In some places, particularly London,
the lads valentine was the first lass he
met after leaving the house on Valen-
tines day, and the lass's was the first
lad she met under the same circum-
stances. Presenting ones valentine
with present was called relieving,
because being drawn as valentine OBJ
liged the chosen one to bring gift to
his lady. At some valentine parties
| the young man had a right to kiss the
maid whose name he drew, and draw
ing the same name three times was
thought very fortunate omen.
"St. Valentine was chosen to he the
guardian of lovers" says our old writer,
mot because lovers are more supersti-
tious than other people, but because
they have more imagination So he
| gives us to understand that lovers we're
a helpless set OF people, who needed a
saint to take care of them!
There are slight differences in the
customs of different countries, but the
same idea runs through all the cere-
monies. St. Valentines day is the day
of choosing ones mate. The old coun-
try tradition has it that all the birds OF
the air choose their mates for the year
on St. Valentines day!
An old English rhyme says:
Where can the post1aan be, say3
He ought to ily-Ob such a DAY!
OF all days in the year, you know,
/ It's mOnsfrOus rude to be so slow.
/ The fellow so exceeding stupid,
Hark-theTe he is-Ah the dear cupid