The Washington herald., 1911-02-12

I" in all things else. ''the OLD
- order changeth" is true to a
marked degree of our cele-
bration of the various "holi-
days" on the calendar. Just as the
twentieth century celebration of
Christmas, Easter, the Fourth Of
July, etc, differs from that of tho
centuries past. so in form and Gus
tom does the modern celebrate st.
Valentines day differently from shis
forefathers. In sentiment only-the
structural motif of the day-has
there been no change.
Centuries ago, for instance, among
our Semitic and Aryan forefathers,
the day was pagan festival replete
with barbarous orgies and excesses.
1t was held annually sometime in the
middle of February and was a sort
OF welcome TO the spring and the
returning sun. Even now savage
tribes in remote portions of the
South Sea Islands, Asia and Africa
celebrate it in similar fashion
Viewed from less extreme stand
point a corresponding dissimilarity
in customs is likewise noticeable
Whereas Milady Fair of a few CEN
turies ago was all a-futter over
tender, anonymous missive, written
in long hand on plain note paper,
placed under her door or deftly
thrown in at her window, now she
demands-and receives-an elaborate
and costly creation of paper and lace
or violets and candy
Just where st. Valentine comes In
a and why the day should be named in
his honor is a mystery. Cupid's day
it really is, and one could scarcely
accuse the little god of love of hav-
ing ever been a bishop of the early
Christian church. Such st. Valentine
was, or, rather, the st. Valentines
were, for there were two Of them.
One was a bishop of the church in
Greece and cured the son of a
rhetorician, Grafton, of a serious Ill
ness. The second St Valentine was
one Of the earliest of the Roman
popes-at the time of the Claudian
prosecutions in the third century. to
be as exact as record has It.
Because Of his success in con-
versions he was cast into prison
along with many of his flock. He,
too, raised the sick, for he restored
the sight of the little daughter Of
his Tailor. Despite that, he was
martyred for his faith. Perhaps the
generous deeds of these two Chris
tians-their giving Of their power
with no thought of recompense-was
the foundation upon which the Gus
tom of anonymous giving on St VAL
entine's Day is based
Further than that, though, the as
sociation Of the day with the saint is
Indeed. 1t seems to have |
been nothing more than a coinci-
dence which came about in this |
St Valentine suffered mar
tyrdom because Of his displeasing the !
Emperor by converting hundreds of .
pagan Romans to Christianity, on !
February IA, A. D. 270. Later, when
lie was canonized and placed on the
of saints, his name was
bestowed on the day of his death,
which was made a festival in order
10 Offset the festive influence of the
Roman Lupercalia.
This great Roman holiday was held
IN the 18th of February, in honor Of
Pan and Juno, and was entirely free
If the barbarous practices of the
Early Aryans. One of the features
If the celebration was the drawing
If the names of young girls from a
oox by the Roman youths, each of
whom considered the girl whose
lame he had drawn his Valentine
or the remainder of the year. He
Ilso presented her with a gift. In
Iced, variations of this custom of
lraWing the names of maidens fair
ire to be found in other countries
oming down the ages to the present
ay even.
With the advent of Christianity ali
fort was made to substitute Saints
ames for the girls, but, alas, the
arly Christians found that the youth
f the country lost. interest in the