Valentine's Day?myth, mystery, and mirth
The origins of Valentine's Day are some what hazy but, there are two basic sources on which most scholars believe provides the basis our present holiday. The first is St. Valentine, a priest who attracted the disfavor of a Roman Emperor, Claudius II, around 270 AD. It seems that Claudius was of the mind that single men made better soldiers and so prohibited marriage for young men. Valentine disagreed with Claudius and married young couples in secret. He was eventually caught and put to death, on February 14.
A more ancient basis for Valentine's Day comes to us from the Romans, long before the birth of Christ. The festival of Lupercalia, which was to honor the goddess Februata Juno (this goddess concerned all young people of marriageable age), provides some unusual insights for more recent traditions connected to Valentine?s Day. In a sort of mating lottery game, young ladies in a district put their name, or token representing themselves, in an urn and the young men pulled a token and the couples paired off. This idea was brought to Britain during the Roman occupation and was present up until the beginning of the last century. We see a small semblance of this custom here in America, because who hasn?t asked their school age child, "Who?s your Valentine?" The named object of affection may have not been thought of before Valentine?s Day with any romantic inclinations and few of these pairing last past the school bell the next morning, but it does provide a bit of fun and a nod to the past.
The modern Valentine's Day greeting card did not achieve any sort of popularity until about 1840. This growth in popularity is thought to have come about due to the introduction of penny postage and the use of envelopes. In Victorian times cards took on a much more delicate and mysterious air. Due to the fact that Victorian fathers were very strict and would not allow their daughters to receive any sort of correspondence unless they had read it first to decide if it was suitable, secret panels were constructed into the lacy designs with secret messages of love. This fact also explains why most Valentine?s Day cards were sent anonymously during Victorian times.
One tradition that I was very unaware of is that on Valentine?s Day in a leap year it is the custom for women to ask their boyfriend or partner to marry them. Quite useful information for the woman who only is willing to wait so long! Another interesting little fact is that some of our modern-day vocabularies have their origins in Valentine's. During the Middle Ages, young men and women drew names from a bowl to see who their Valentines would be. The slip of paper with the Valentine?s name was worn on their sleeves for a week, hence the expression "to wear your heart on your sleeve".
It is interesting to note that in many of these customs of old the Valentine was chose by chance?pulling a slip of paper or a token from a vessel. What I find most intriguing about this is that most were more than happy to allow fate to choose their Valentine. It should be remembered that in the past most young people were not allowed to choose marriage partners and this custom of letting fate, the gods, or chance decide on a Valentine seems to reinforce this idea, perhaps a buffer for a later disappointment in the parents choice of a spouse. In the middle of the 17th century even married people took a Valentine and not always their legal better half.
Another Valentine's Day superstition that was very popular during Victorian times revolved around predicting whom one might marry. It was once believed that if a lady saw a robbing flying overhead on Valentine?s she would marry a sailor. If she saw a sparrow she would marry a poor man, but that the couple would be very happy. And if she witnessed a goldfinch flying above she would marry a millionaire. The association with birds is that it was then believed that love birds began to mate on February 14.
On this Valentine's Day it is my wish that you spend it with those you love most, be they your one and only, family, or friends. The tradition of Valentine?s Day has endured all this time not because the greeting card companies begin their ads early in January or due to the fact that jewelry store ads can easily be converted from Christmas to Valentine themes in a wink of an eye. No, the beautiful tradition has been carried through the ages because all of us have a common desire to love, be loved, and to show those we love most how we feel. May your expressions of love be returned to you on Valentine?s Day and always.
Elle
A more ancient basis for Valentine's Day comes to us from the Romans, long before the birth of Christ. The festival of Lupercalia, which was to honor the goddess Februata Juno (this goddess concerned all young people of marriageable age), provides some unusual insights for more recent traditions connected to Valentine?s Day. In a sort of mating lottery game, young ladies in a district put their name, or token representing themselves, in an urn and the young men pulled a token and the couples paired off. This idea was brought to Britain during the Roman occupation and was present up until the beginning of the last century. We see a small semblance of this custom here in America, because who hasn?t asked their school age child, "Who?s your Valentine?" The named object of affection may have not been thought of before Valentine?s Day with any romantic inclinations and few of these pairing last past the school bell the next morning, but it does provide a bit of fun and a nod to the past.
The modern Valentine's Day greeting card did not achieve any sort of popularity until about 1840. This growth in popularity is thought to have come about due to the introduction of penny postage and the use of envelopes. In Victorian times cards took on a much more delicate and mysterious air. Due to the fact that Victorian fathers were very strict and would not allow their daughters to receive any sort of correspondence unless they had read it first to decide if it was suitable, secret panels were constructed into the lacy designs with secret messages of love. This fact also explains why most Valentine?s Day cards were sent anonymously during Victorian times.
One tradition that I was very unaware of is that on Valentine?s Day in a leap year it is the custom for women to ask their boyfriend or partner to marry them. Quite useful information for the woman who only is willing to wait so long! Another interesting little fact is that some of our modern-day vocabularies have their origins in Valentine's. During the Middle Ages, young men and women drew names from a bowl to see who their Valentines would be. The slip of paper with the Valentine?s name was worn on their sleeves for a week, hence the expression "to wear your heart on your sleeve".
It is interesting to note that in many of these customs of old the Valentine was chose by chance?pulling a slip of paper or a token from a vessel. What I find most intriguing about this is that most were more than happy to allow fate to choose their Valentine. It should be remembered that in the past most young people were not allowed to choose marriage partners and this custom of letting fate, the gods, or chance decide on a Valentine seems to reinforce this idea, perhaps a buffer for a later disappointment in the parents choice of a spouse. In the middle of the 17th century even married people took a Valentine and not always their legal better half.
Another Valentine's Day superstition that was very popular during Victorian times revolved around predicting whom one might marry. It was once believed that if a lady saw a robbing flying overhead on Valentine?s she would marry a sailor. If she saw a sparrow she would marry a poor man, but that the couple would be very happy. And if she witnessed a goldfinch flying above she would marry a millionaire. The association with birds is that it was then believed that love birds began to mate on February 14.
On this Valentine's Day it is my wish that you spend it with those you love most, be they your one and only, family, or friends. The tradition of Valentine?s Day has endured all this time not because the greeting card companies begin their ads early in January or due to the fact that jewelry store ads can easily be converted from Christmas to Valentine themes in a wink of an eye. No, the beautiful tradition has been carried through the ages because all of us have a common desire to love, be loved, and to show those we love most how we feel. May your expressions of love be returned to you on Valentine?s Day and always.
Elle
posted by Gifts Etc Blog at
9:37 AM
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