The Idaho recorder. [volume] (Salmon City, Idaho) 1886-1927, 1914-02-12

NV w customs OF st. Valentines
XAN day. The windows and
GAIZW play counters OF our book
stores and bazars are filled
NJ this season Of tho year with exam
pies OF art and near-art to an extent
that should please every sort OF taste In
regard to valentines. There 10 a day
or two Of fun and merry chatter when
the tokens are received. or OF even
more boisterous mirth II the yalen-
tines are 'comic;'' here and there a
valentine party is given by the young
people. then the celebrating ceases
and 10 forgotten.
Not 30 couple Of centuries ago.
Then the festivities were much more
In the character Of observance and
ceremonies. The origin OF st. Valen.
tines day 10 credited to different Incl
dents One writer OF ancient social
customs says that II originated with
Nine. Royale. daughter of Henry w.,
Of France. The lady. having built
splendid palace near Turin. desired to
name II for some good saint. and final
~ chose St Valentine. Thus the ed.
itice was called The Valentine" and
at the initial entertainment given In
the great drawing rooms. Nine. Roy
aie conceived the idea OF causing her
guests TO pair on by means OF q lot
tery,
Ladiee 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 Il was understood that each
lady should receive bouquet from
her chosen lover. and that at every
tournament the trapplngs 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.
y
Doubtless II il true that this lady
did originate this costume at her pal.
ace In Turin. but II 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
Iaydgate, u monk. who died In the
year i440. and who has been described
as the poet OF his monastery" wrote
poem In praise OF Queen Catherine.
consort OF Henry ". OF England. In
which he mentioned the observance OF
81. Valentines day and the custom of
drawing lots
Indeed, this custom seems to have
been very ancient one. and contin-
ued 10 comparatively modern times.
An equal number of young men and
women would meet together on the
eve 81. Valentines day and hold lot.
terry. In which the names OF both men
and women were drawn: thus each
maid and bachelor would have two
valentines" who we're required TO
make mutual gifts. This. OF course.
occasioned any amount OF mirth and
some funny situations.
Other s0peessitlens.
One superstition which held good
until quite recent times was that the |
nrst young man or young woman one
CHANGED to meet on the morning OF
Valentines day would be ones valen.
tine Other superstitions included |
mystic rites. particularly In Scotland.
which enabled maidens to learn who
would BE- their future husbands. About |
the middle OF the eighteenth century /
one young woman-aecording to the |
historian Of social customs OF that \
time--wrote a. follows:
Last Friday was valeatine's day.
and IN tell you what did the niRht
before. | got Ave bay leavaA pinned
four Of them TO the four corners % NV
pillow and the NTH 10 the mlddsa. for.
II ! dreAmt Of my sweetheart. f.stty
said We would be married before tAe
year was cut hut to make more sura
| boiled an esq hard. took out the
yoik and allied the egg up with salt.
and when | went to bed ate H. she'll
and all, without speaking or drinking
after IL, and this was also TO have el,
feet with the bay leaves. We also
wrote our love names upon bits OF m
ger and rolled them up In clay and put
them into water and the first that
rose vas TO be our valentine. Would
you think it, Mr.. blossom was nv
man, and lay abed and shut my eyes
all the morning till he came 70 our
house. for ! would not have seen an
other man before him for all the
Eorld"