Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1928-02-10
World Owes Much
to ST.. Valentine
If for Nothing Else Than
the Establishment of
Pretty Custom. =

1t is a far cry from the year 270,
with Its pagan celebration and st.
Valentine suffering m%artyrdom, down
to the present me-, and yet he still
holds majesty In the heart Of today.
Down through seventeen centuries has
persisted a pretty custom which
proves that human nature does not,
after all, change so very much.
The origin of obser.ances OF st.
Valentines day is somewhat clouded
in ~obscurity, but 1t Is fairly we'll es-
tablished that the saint who met his
death by being first beaten with clubs
and then %beheaded had very little to
do with the celebration except that
his day happened to be at hand when
it became desirable to substitute a
Christian festival for a long-estab-
lished pagan observance.
In ancient Rome it was the custom
curing the greater part of the month
of February to celebrate the Luper-
Gala, or feasts In honor of Pan and
Juno; the latter deity was then named
Februata, Februalis and Februlla.
On these occasions part of the cere-
monies consisted Of placing In a box
the names of young women and then
as chance directed they were drawn
out by the
Old Customs Modified.
The leaders of the early Christian
church automatically %endeavored to
quash all such pagan celebrations and
superstitions. This was chiefly &C.
complished through changing the
forms somewhat or substituting other
thoughts or ideas, for 1t had been
proven that it was impossible alto
gether to extirpate a ceremony to
which the masses had become at
tached through generations of OBJ
servance. Accordingly the outline Of
ancient ceremonies was followed, but
modified In ways more In keeping
with the Christian era. st. Valentine
was a recently martyred priest, and
as the festival Of the Lupercalia had
commenced about the middle Of Feb
ruary 1t was natural to choose his
birthday as the day of celebrating the
substituted feast.
In various countries the celebra-
ton has taken on different aspects. At
Norwich, In England, for instance, st.
Valentines eve is kept as a time for
general giving and receiving gifts. In
'Madder's Rambles In an Old City" is
found a description of the scene, as
follows: 1.-THE streets swarm with car
riers and baskets laden with treas
ures; bang, bang, bang go the knock
ers and away rushes the bangor, de-
posting first upon the doorstep some
packages from the basket of stores.
Again and again at intervals at every
door to which a missive is addressed
Is the same repeated, till the baskets
are empty. Anonymously st. valen-
tine presents his gifts, labeled only
with st. Valentines love- and Good
morrow, Valentine"
"Fake" Valentines Common.
Many Of the gifts were hoaxes,
much like April Fools day, for con-
tlnuing, he says: 1.-THE mock parcels
that vanish from the doorstep by In
visible strings when the door opens.
monster parcels that dwindle to
thread, papers denuded of their null
tiplied envelopes, with fitting notices
all tending to the final consummation
OF good counsel, Happy is he who
expects nothing and he will not be
disappointed It il a glorious night;
marvel not that. we would perpetuate
so joyous a festivify."
In a series of essays published in
England In 1886 other customs Of
the day are given. One miss, 1t Is re-
corded, pinned n bay leaf to each cor
ner Of her pillow and placed a fifth In
the center: II she dreamed Of her