The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1921-02-14
NJ E N w O M EN-
A ND T HIN G S

; A friend OF mine living out in the
country writes me- This morning ms
boy asked me to tell him the origin OF
Valentine Day. and had to admit that
1 did not know, SO please tell about it
in your column for his and other boys
benefit. 2
Valentines Day falls on February IA,
and derives it's name from a bishop who
suffered martyrdom under the Roman
Emperor, Clnudius, or else under Azure
Ian, according to some authorities. But
the name Valentine, or valentius, has
been bestowed on considerable number
of saints.
The most celebrated, however, being
the two martyrs whose festivals fall on
the 18th of February, the one a Roman
priest, the ether bishop of TERM; but
as matter of fact the legend connected
with the two is hard to unravel and to
differentiate between the priest and the
bishop is almost impossible.
A<aht many dnOtncr Sellli-CnIlStldH Gus
tom, the day set apart to the memory
of Saint Valentine in the Christian cal
erdar is an old pagan festival, upon
which our ancestors believed that the
birds chose their mates for the coming
year I have never enrhused much over
the saints, for some now I have never
been able to understand the elevation to
sainthood Of quite a few who were ac-
corded the honor, but it's pretty idea
OF mating birds which comes down from
antiquity in connection with Saint VAL
entine.
The most curious fact about the dav
is that it's patron, Saint Valentine, had
actually nothing to do with the customs
connected with the 14th of February.
Some of these customs were observed N
ancient Rome long before the introduce
ton of Christianity, when there wer.
neither saints or saints days. In those
far-off days wolves were especially
abundant and dangerous, and destroy
err of wolves was held in honor; and so
il came about that the old Romans held
a celebration in the month of February
called the Lupercalia, in honor of I4u.
percus,s The wolf destroyer
From the general belief about the
origin of the days and its patron saint,
we gather that Saint Valentine, whose
life came to an end during the early per-
secution of Christians. was beaten and
heheaded In due time he was canon.
lied and the church wishing to weed out
the old superstitious practices of pagan
Rome, introduced the feast Of Saint Val
entne in place Of the Lupercalia.
I have cited this i'll connection with
the other idea OF the mating of birds
for in the more ancient days at the
Lupercanian festival it was customary,
among other things, for the young peo-
Pile to draw lots for partners for the
year. 1t is strange how customs persist,
for many trace from the far away
Roman times the habit which arose hun
ireds Of years later in France and Eng.
land, what is now known as ST. VAL
sntine's Day. You can see how unsafe
Il is to be too cocksure when one gets
into the mystical region of saints and
the days given them.
have seen the statement in this con-
nection whereby the. day we celebrate
IN the 18th Of February is tied on to the
choosing Of partners being charged to
The fact that Valentine is a corruption
II galatin "a lover, a dangler), in other
words, a gallant. Now / am always
,keptical about the origin of words, for
have been fooled so often and gotten
10 mixed up by differing authorities,
hat I always walk softly when even
lint at the real derivation. At any
went, to believe the above is to pleas
lntly associate gallantry with Saint VAL
Day.
I like the idea of Saint Valentine be-
ng selected for the sweethearts' sake,
because Of his name
oh. good Saint Valentine
We lift our voice in praise;
May long life be thine,
Oh. good Saint Valentine,
This is thy day Of days.
Days when each true love sends
message from the heart;
Day when good friends greet friends,
And Cupid shoots his dart;
Oh. good Saint Valentine,
This is thy day OF daysv,
There is vet another interesting phase
Il how the name becomes most persona,
or valentine means a young man or
Woman betrothed according to a rural
custom, on the first Sunday in Lent,
he promise being annulled' II the young
nan fall to give the young woman a
resent or an entertainment b~fore mid.
ont. It's easy to = fsf8 thar =, valen.
inc became to be pswn IS 4 sweet
leart or choice mad ea ST. vA!entines |
Jay. 1t seems that III later sifsaes that |
ven husband appliGs he anne to |