Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-02-11
ST. VALENTINES DAY
An Up-to-Date Observance
Suggested.
A. REG u L A R P A r L 7
THE FAvoRs, GAMES AND cos
TUNES SUITABLE.
A Dickens Evening Would Interest
All the lovers of His
Stories.
Written for The Evening Star.

old observance is by no means dying out.
II is simply taking other and more up
to-date phases than the custom among
young people of sending poetical souvenirs
to their sweathearts on the 18th OF FEB
rUary, the festival of st. Valentine, martyr
The modern notion of observing st. VAL
entine's day is supposed to have originated
from illusions made by Chaucer anu
Shakespeare to this date being the mating
time of birds. The truth of this statement
matters very little so long the day con-
tnues to be kept in the old fashion. 1t
would be pity if such a pretty custom
should sink into oblivion. so many OF
the old world observances have in this
very practical and strenuous age of ours
But as all the world still acknowledges It's
love of a lover, we are in no immediate
dar ger of abolishing Dan Cupids especial
festival.
The valentine of yore has been super
seeded as every one knows, by the sending
of flowers and bonbons arranged in man
ner symbolic of this saints day. Almost
everything fanc'ful and pretty makes an
attractive Offering for the occasion. Par
ticularly rev and dainty are the little
shirt waist sets consisting OF buckles ana
studs in the appropriate valentine pattern.
There are number of ways of making
a valentines function delightful, yet new
suggestions are always welcome. perhaps
there is anniversary party more easily
arranged than the valentine party, ana GER
tainIy none affords greater opportunities
for jolly time.
An Effective Weapon.
AS the fan from time immemorial has
been the effective and Notwithstanding
apon of the coquette, and in the IAN
guage of sentiment has a vocabulary all
its own, fan party for St. Valentines
night would be both an appropriate ana
Unique entertainment. party OF TINS
kind would Necessarily be made up OF
games and puzzles in which the fan plays
a prominent part. Red is the color usually
selected for a ST. Valentines decoration.
The drawing room then might be mace
more attractive ii a few vases We're nlled
with red roses or punches of brilliant red
carnations arranged in artistic effects
Hearts cut from red cardboard help out the
decorative scheme and are especially ef-
feCtive in the dining room, where they may
be used Sngly in feStoonS. A large
Heart outlined with red roses makes
charming centerpiece for the supper table.
The menu should contain dishes winch carry
out the prevailing sentiment of the day.
a heart salad for instance is easily MADE
+ v holding tomato Jelly into small indi-
vidual forms of that shape. They are
placed small lettuce leaves. OF course
mayonnaise is used as dressing for the
salad The St Valentines cake must be an
Ornamental structure decorated with true
lovers knots and two hearts pierced with
an arrow. Before baking, the cake should
have stirred into its batter the traditional
ring thimble and piece of money. These
sY mbols indicate for the year at least
whether the guest who finds either of them
in his share of the cake shall be married
first shall remain single or shall marry for
money.
The decorations and menu having been
settled. the games for the fan party are the
next consideration. The festivities could
begin very successfully with a fan riddle
game. For this play the hostess will pro-
vide six plain Japanese fans If these fans
are not procurable homemade affairs con-
structed of cardboard prettily decorated
colors and a knot of ribbon for a handle
are a good substitute On each fan she
will write a familiar proverb, something
especially applicable to Cupids powerful
sway, such as Love laughs at locksmiths,"
or a familiar quotation of a sentimental ma
ture. Care should be taken that the saws
selected are ones easily represented by
pictures cut from advertisements. The prov
cribs are mounted, one each fan, by
means of these clippings, and each fan
is plainly lettered in gold
The rebus fans are then hung on the
wall, and the players are asked to guess
the proverbs illustrated. A small card with
a miniature pencil attached is given each
guest for writing down the answers, which
must be lettered to correspond with those
on The fans. A prize is given the winning
competitor. 1t may be an inexpensive little
ornament having a fan decorative treat
mert. Such a present would be equally
fitting for prize winner of either sex.
Pictures on Fans.
Fan portraits provide another amusement
for the valentine party. On twelve fans
are mounted an equal number of portraits
of celebrated men or women. 1t is an easy
matter TO select these portraits from the
penny prints for this purpose, but be sure
,nf To he nf lp yK-all
known. The pictures are cut into ovals or
squares and neatly mounted the fans.
The guests sit in a circle, and the fans are
passed around for inspection The clever
| est guesser wins the game.
Lots of fun is a fan race. For this eX-
citing contest two persons are selected,
armed with fans and small pieces of paper
folded after the manner of a cooked hat
and fastened with pins. The race consists
in waiting these papers around the room
using the fans as waters. The player who
comes out victorious challenges another one
OF the guests as an opponent, and the
race runs on until but one person remains
A book on the history of fans would be
nice prize for this exciting and sporty
game To add a spice of merriment at
the beginning of the fan race the partners
may be chosen by matching hearts. Paper
hearts are torn in two and the pieces put
into two baskets, to be drawn and matched
This method of playing the game affords
much merriment.
OdI16 VI 1GdTtS.
The well-known game of hearts when
played with st. Valentine features is a sat
isfactory feature for Cupid party. Each
table is decorated and called by the name
of a certain color, white, gold silver, blue
pink and so on. The floral arrangement of
each table corresponds to the color select
ed and suspended above the table is a
strip of cord of the same shade.
The guests upon arriving are blindfolded
and draw slips of paper, on each of which
is written the name of a color. There are
four slips of each color, and the four
persons drawing blue, say, begin at the
blue table. To add to the fun the game
OF hearts is played with the black lady,
or ace of spades. The two players winning
most points at any particular table progress
to the table next in line At the same time
two large paper hearts of the colors worn
by the players are strung on the cords
over the tables. After the first play these
colors become very much scattered. Two
persons meeting at table wearing the
| same colors play as partners. The game
| is won by the color whose card has secured
| the greater number of paper hearts at the
| close of the series. The winners draw lots
| among themselves for the prizes.
| Pretty valentine favors matching the diff
| ferent tables in color are given. The girls
| at the blue table wear becoming lingerie
hats of this charming color, and the men
receive punches of blue violets.
AS q last suggestion I would recommend