The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1910-02-12
CALUMET WILL CELEBRATE
CUPID'S BIRTHDAY MONDAY
St. Valentines Day is One OF the
Oldest OF All Holidays
on Record.
MAILS ARE GROWING HEAVY

Next Monday is Cupid's birthday
and Calumet is doing it's share To help
the Little Boy-God celebrate. II is
supposed that this occasion originated
i'm ancient Rome, st. Valentines day
being named after Valentinus of Inter-
ANNA, reputed TO be a bishop, miracle
worker. and martyr Around st. Vail
entines day many traditions are clus-
tered
Some historians declare that on Feb.
Ia the old Roman Feast of Lupercalia
was celebrated and that some of the
traditions are a survival of those
which prevailed there. on this occa-
sion the Roman youth, toga clad,
bathed and .perfumed, drew from a
box containing the names of n number
of Roman maids and the youth and
the maid whose name was drawn were
declared true lovers. The celebration
of 81. Valentines day is common in
all ages, it being one of the oldest Of
all holidays.
Mission. a learned traveller of the
early part of the last century, de-
scribed the custom as he observed il
in England and Scotland. ION the eve
of St. Valentines day the young folks
celebrate n little festival. An equal
number of maids and bachelors get
together Each writes his true name,
or feigned, upon separate billets, which
they roll up and draw by way of lots,
the maids taking the mems billets and
the men the maids billets, so that
each of the young men lights upon
girl he calls his valentine, and each of the
young girls upon a young man, whom
she calls hers. These imaginary en-
gagements. as may be readily suppos-
ed, often lead to real ones because one
necessary consequence of them was
that for a whole year a bachelor re-
manned bound to the service OF his
valentine, somewhat after the fashion
of the medieval knight and his lady
love. At one period it was customary
to make each other presents, but after
q time this custom seems to have been
restricted to the young men.
During the fifteenth century this
amusement was very popular among
the upper classes of the European
courts. Married as well as single per-
sons We're liable to be chosen valen-
tines, and a present was invariably
given to the choosing party"
The occasion still retains much of
its significance i'm this country. Val
entine tokens being freely exchanged on
this day.
A number of very attractive valen-
tine cards and booklets are ON display
among the local dealers and the de-
mand for them is reported to have
been very heavy this year. The old |
custom of sending comic valentines,
with their sometimes cruel differences
seems to be gradually dying out and |
Calumet dealers assert that the de-
mand for them has been very
small this year Most of the valentine |
cards are very pretty and attractive.
custom which seems to be gradu-
ally supplanting that of expressing val |
entine thoughts by mall is that of
sending flowers, violets with their |
in the language of flowers,
being usually selected Calumet flor
lists report that many valentine greet
ings will be sent in this way Monday. |
Calumet and Laurium postoffice |
clerks report that the mails have al |
ready commenced TO show the effect |
of the valentine business and that they |
have grown heavy during the past few |
days The number of postcards which |
usually find their way into the mail |
has been more than doubled. 1t is ex-
pected that Still greater increases will
be shown between now and Monday.