St Valentine’s Day goes back long way

Press, 11 February 1986, Page 22

St Valentine’s Day goes back long way

St Valentine’s Day is here this week — will you be sending a Valentine to someone you treasure, admire, or love? Some say there were two, and maybe even three, saints called Valentine — all were martyrs and all associated with February 14. St Valentine is the patron saint of engaged couples or all people wanting to marry. St Valentine’s Day has its beginnings long ago, when the Romans celebrated “Lupercalia” as a lovers’ festival. Apparently one part of the ceremony entailed putting girls’ names in a box and letting boys draw names out. This signified the pairing-off of couples for a year until the next festival. The Church wanted Christian meaning for the pagan celebration, and in

496, Pope ’ Gelasius changed Lupercalia — celebrated on February 15 — to Saint Valentine’s Day on February 14. The Lupercalia was held in honour of the god Pan. The exchanging of names and partners became a popular custom that spread through Europe and into Britain. But when the day was changed to Saint Valentine’s Day for a while, instead of girls’ names, names of saints were put into a box. The person’s prayers were offered to the saint named on the paper drawn. This custom did not appeal, so the old method prevailed. As well as drawing lots there were other customs — other ways of finding one’s "valentine.” For example, the first person of the opposite sex seen on

the morning of February 14 was thought to be the “valentine.” The day is not a legal holiday in the United States, but it is a traditional one. Around St Valentine’s Day children take valentine messages, written on paper, to school for their friends. Another idea associated with the custom is that February 14 is believed to be the day on which birds choose their mates.

John Donne wrote a poem about it: >

"Hail Bishop Valentine! whose day this is: All the air is thy diocese, And all the chirping

choristers And other birds are thy parishioners: Thou marryest every

year The lyric lark and the grave whispering

dove; The sparrow that neglects his life for

love, The household bird with

the red stomacher; Thous mak’st the black-

bird speed as soon As doth the goldfinch or the halcyon — This day more cheerfully than ever

shine, This day which might inflame thyself, old

Valentine! P.S. Happy Valentine’s Day.