St.
Valentine's Day
As Christianity became prevalent, priests attempted to replace old
heathen practices. To Christianize the ancient pagan celebration of
the Feast of Lubercus, the church officials changed the name to St.
Valentine's Day. To give the celebration further meaning and
eliminate pagan traditions, priests substituted the drawing of
Saints names for the names of the girls. On St. Valentine's Day the
priest placed saint's names into an urn or box. The young people
then drew a name from the container. In the following year, the
youth was supposed to emulate the life of the saint whose name he
had drawn.
By the fourteenth century they reverted back to the use of girl's
names. In the sixteenth century they once again tried to have
saintly valentines but it was as unsuccessful as the first
attempt.
While it can't be proved historically, there were seven men named
Valentine who were honored with feasts on February 14th. Of these
men, two stories link incidents that could have given our present
day meaning to St. Valentine's Day.
One of these men named Valentine was a priest during the reign of
Emperor Claudius. Valentine was revered by the young and old, rich
and poor, with people of all walks of life attending his services.
At this time Emperor Claudius was heavily recruiting men to serve
as soldiers for his wars without much success. The men preferred
not to leave their wives, families and sweethearts to fight in
foreign lands. Claudius became angry and declared that no more
marriages could be performed and all engagements were
cancelled.
Valentine thought this to be unfair and secretly married several
couples. When Claudius found out, he threw Valentine in prison
where he died. Friends of the priest retrieved his body and buried
it in a churchyard in Rome.
Another version had St. Valentine jailed for helping Christians.
While Valentine was in prison he cured a jailer's daughter of
blindness. Claudius became enraged and had Valentine clubbed and
beheaded on February 14, 269 A.D.
Yet another story claims that Valentine fell in love with the
jailer's daughter and wrote her letters that were signed "From your
Valentine."
All of the seven Valentines eventually evolved into one. In 496
Pope Gelasius declared the day in honor of St. Valentine. Through
the centuries the Christian holiday became a time to exchange love
messages and St. Valentine became the patron saint of lovers.
Lovers' quarrels come under his jurisdiction and, naturally, he is
the patron saint of engaged couples and of anyone wishing to
marry.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
February 14th - The Day the Birds Began to Mate
The Europeans also believed that on February 14th the birds began
to choose their mates. In fact Chaucer, in his "Parlement of
Foules," wrote: "For this was Seynt Valentine's Day when every foul
cometh ther to choose his mate."
John Donne wrote:
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 ever year
The lyric lark and the grave whispering dove;
The sparrow that neglects his life for love,
The household bird with the red stomarcher;
Celebrations
Thous mak'st the blackbird 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!
The Christian tradition of drawing names on St. Valentine's Eve
continued in England and other places. The tradition of birds
choosing their mates on St. Valentine's Day led to the idea that
boys and girls would do the same. Now when a youth drew a girl's
name, he wore it on his sleeve, and attended and protected her
during the following year. This made the girl his valentine and
they exchanged love tokens throughout the year. Later this was
changed to only men giving love tokens to females, usually without
names but signed "with St. Valentine's Love."
Later, in France, both sexes drew from the valentine box. A booked
called Travels in England, written in 1698, gives an account of the
way it was done:
On St. Valentine's Eve an equal number of Maids and Bachelors get
together, each writes their true or some feigned name upon separate
billets, which they roll up and draw by way of lots, the Maids
taking the Men's billets, and the Men the Maids'; so that each of
the young Men lights upon a Girl that he calls his Valentine, and
each of the Girls upon a young Man which she calls hers. By this
means each has two Valentines--but the Man sticks faster to the
Valentine that is fallen to him than to the Valentine to whom he is
fallen. Fortune having thus divided the company into so many
couples, the valentines give balls and treats to their mistresses,
wear their billets several days upon their bosoms or sleeves, and
this little sport ofen ends in Love. This ceremony is practised
differently in different Countries, and according to the freedom or
severity of Madame Valentine. This is another kind of Valentine,
which is the first young Man or Woman chance throws in your way in
the street, or elsewhere . . .
St. Valentine's Day was mentioned by Shakespeare. The poet,
Drayton, wrote verses entitled "To His Valentine," in which he
expressed the idea of the birds' mating on St. Valentine's
Day.
Each little bird this tide
Doth choose her beloved peer,
Which constantly abide
In wedlock all the year.
