The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1914-02-06
NOT OBSERVED AS
IN THE OLD DAYS
st. Valentine Is Now Neglected,
Compared to What Was Done
Some Two Centuries Ago.

] Z: !. ! !. !. !. !
~ HE sending by mail Of en-
NlIl bossed tokens of love or
VA friendship is about all
Sg5d EA there is left of the ancient
eGa E%J customs of st. Valentines
E.NA day. The windows and
ISESIY play counters of our book
stores and bazars are filed
at this season of the year with exam
pies of art and near-art to an extent
that should please every sort Of taste in
regard to valentines There is day
or two of fun and merry chatter when
the tokens are received, or of even
more boisterous mirth If the valen-
tines are comic" here and there
valentine party is given by the young
people, then the celebrating ceases
and is forgotten.
Not so a couple of centuries ago.
Then the festivities were much more
in the character of observance and
ceremonies. The origin of St. Valen-
tines day is credited to different Incl
dents. One writer of ancient social
customs says that it originated with
Nine. Royale, daughter of Henry w,
of France. The lady, having built a
splendid palace near Turin, desired to
name it for some good saint, and final
ly chose st. Valentine. Thus the ed
ifice was called THE Valentine" and
at the initial entertainment given in
ale conceived the idea of causing her
guests to pair off by means of lot
terry.
Ladies Drew From Lot.
The names of the men were writ
ten on slips of paper and folded. The
ladies then drew from the list, and
whoever each one drew was to be her
valentine" for the space of one year.
At the various balls which this gay
spirited young princess gave during
the season it was understood that each
lady should receive bouquet from
her chosen lover, and that at every
! tournament the trappings of a knights
horse should be furnished by his allot.
| ted lady, with this provisio-that the
| lady eventually receive whatever prize
he might win Nine. Royale, however,
would not herself enter into this lot
| terry, but reserved the privilege OF
| choosing her valentine" independent
ly.
| Doubtless it is true that this lady
| did originate this costume at her pal
ace in Turin, but it is also quite as
true that this was not the real origin
of st. Valentines day, for it is alluded
to by English poets before her time
Lydgate, a monk, who died in the
year 1440, and who has been described
as ''the poet of his monastery" wrote
a poem in praise of Queen Catherine
consort of Henry ", of England, II
which he mentioned the observance o.
st. Valentines day and the custom o
drawing lots"
Indeed, this custom seems to have
been very ancient one, and contin
ued to comparatively modern times.
An equal number of young men ant
women would meet together on thu
eve st. Valentines day and hold lot
terry. in which the names of both mel
and women were drawn: thus eacl
| anu DeACACAOA NOhAA AafS 49,
valentines who were required t
make mutual gifts. This, of course
occasioned any amount of mirth AM
some funny situations.
Other Superstitions.
One superstition which held goo
until quite recent times was that tn
first young man or young woman on
CHANGED to meet on the morning O
Valentines day would DE ones waller
tine. Other superstitions include
mystic rites. particularly in Scotland
which enabled maidens to learn VIII
would be their future husbands. Abou
the middle OF the eighteenth centur
one young mountaineering to tn
historian of social customs of ths
time-wrote as follows:
Last Friday was Valentines da.
and I'll tell you what did the nigh
before. / got FIVE bay leaves. pinne
four of them to the four corners Of m
pillow and the nth to the middle. /.