The Washington herald., 1912-02-13
OLD-TTME TRADITIONS
OF ST. VALENTINE DAY
The Martyred Bishop of Rome, as Far as His
Connection with Dan Cupid Is Concerned,
Is Shrouded in Mystery.
BY JULIA CHANDLER MANI.

BY CHANbATEh VI AM
Tomorrow is the one day in all the
year when a man leaves no stone un-
turned in his effort to make good with
''the one woman" It is St. Valentine S
Day. the one day when love messages
will be sent through the medium OF flow-
ers, in tender missiyes designed by Gu
pid, and in many other subtle ways.
February "A is the day of the language Of
hearts, looked forward to all the year
by the young girl and hailed with delight
by the man who lacks courage TO speak
his sentiments boldly, but who is not
afraid TO give evidence of them through
some delicate subtle Valentine medium.
good deal of the tradition of the day
is shrouded in mystery. The 18th of
February is named for the martyred
Bishop of Rome. What part he played
in Dan Cupid's affairs is unknown.
The day celebrated in honor OF his
memory has been traced back to the old
Roman days, when the Tupercalia-
feasts honoring Pan and Juno-took
place during February, when amidst va
rious ceremonies, the names Of young
maidens were put in a box from which
the men drew them, according to chance.
The Christian feast of substituting
saints names for those of maidens grew
out OF this old-time festival. The Chris
Valentines Day.
Held Sort of Lottery.
In the long ago young men and young
women in equal number would meet on
st. Valentines Day and hold a sort Of
lottery. They wrote their names on
separate slips Of paper. Coyly the maids
drew the names of the bachelors and
the men drew the names Of the maids,
and in this chance way each became a
Valentine to whom the gentleman paid
homage and made gifts throughout that
year, wearing her name in his bosom or
upon his sleeve. This old custom con-
tinued until a comparatively recent date.
Another old custom was that a bache-
lor should choose for his Valentine the
first maiden he saw on the 18th OF Feb
ruary, paying court to her for year
to come.
1t was formerly believed that the birds
chose their mates on St. Valentines
Day, and young folks would go out early
in the morning and try to catch two
Eparrows and an owl in a net. Success
in this undertaking was considered a good
omen.
The maidens of those days placed much
faith in charms, and the country girls
had way Of foretelling the names Of
their future husbands.
The evening before st. Valentines Day
they gathered five bay leaves and pinned
them TO their pillows, one in each corner
and one in the center. If the girl who
did this dreamed of her loved one, she
would mary him before the year was out.
To make sure that her night would not
be dreamless, she would boil an egg
hard, remove the yoIk, fill its place with
salt, and eat the egg, salt, shell, and all,
going to bed afterward without water
and without speaking. There was little :
chance that such a method would fail
TO produce dream
More Modern Customs.
While the modern Valentine Day is full !
of sentiment, its customs differ ma |
terially from those of ancient times.
The sweetest and best loved Valentine !
of to-day is a gift from the florist, next |
to which comes the dainty confections !
so beautifully incased in heart-shaped |
boxes, seen everywhere in confectioner's |
shops to-day.
The department stores and stationery |
shops have been displaying every pos |
sible Valentine design for which the ar /
dent heart of youth could wish for two /
weeks past, and yesterday I saw hun
dreds of fresh young faces and sparkling /
eyes bending over the pretty sentiments |
on the valentines.
An old lady stood watching a bevy Of /
young girls IN big shop in F street.
She turned to me and in a Quivering
voice whispered:
Backward. turn backward, time in
thy flight,
Make me a child again. just for to-
night"
why not?" I answered her.
My Valentine has gone to the land
II eternal love- she was telling me when
4 little boy ran to her from the long
table of valentines eXclaiming:
20, grandma, I have bought you
beautiful yalentiRe"
And he held Up the pretty card with
its pictured proposal and its line in gold /
letters: "Wil you be my valentine?'
The old lady looked at me through
misty eyes.
This too, is the land of eternal love-"
I quoted
And she smiled at me gently as
passed on my way.
Let's make it 50 tomorrow.
Let's go out this afternoon and send |
a sentiment of love, or Of cheer, or Of
regard, or some thought OF good will,
some evidence that we remember, to
every one We know.