I found this article about Valentines Day and its history and legends and thought it would be appropriate for this time of year. I think its interesting how it came about and the many legends that Valentines Day has to offer.
A History of Valentine's Day
There are many differing sources as to the origin of Valentine's Day.
The oldest history is that St Valentine's Day falls on the Eve of Lupercalia, the Pagan Roman festival of fertility. The holiday was not dedicated to a particular god. Augustan writers speculated it might belong to a number of gods: Faunus (the Roman Pan), Inuus (the "Goer-in") and Augustus, in a fit of reform, decided it was meant to honor the god "Lupercus".
The 14th of February was the day specially set aside for love lotteries in Pagan Rome. This holiday was devoted to Juno, Queen of the Gods, and patroness of marriage, the 14th was also the day on which young girls' names were written on slips of paper and thrown into jars to be picked out by the boys. Chooser and chosen would then be partnered for the duration of the Lupercalia festival. These arbitrary pairings often resulted in lasting relationships. Later the Catholic Church substituted the names of dead saints in place of those of flesh-and-blood girls to subvert the lusty Pagan practice.
The Lupercalia began on the 15th of February with animal sacrifice and ritual flagellation. After slaughtering a goat and dog in the sacred grotto of the she-wolf who suckled the legendary founders of Rome, the young men would run through the streets whipping women and crops with the flayed hide of the goat to promote fertility. Archaeological evidence suggests that the Lupercalia, far from being restricted to Rome, was practised in other cities in Italy and Gaul.
Dating from remotest antiquity, the Lupercalia was celebrated until as late as the reign of Anastasius I in 491-518 CE. At the end of the 5th century in 498 CE Pope Galesius decided to dedicate the Eve of Lupercalia to the long-dead priest St Valentine. The lottery system was then banned as being un-Christian and the Pope did his best to make people forget about other un-Christian ideas such as fertility.
Pope Galesius choose Saint Valentine because he was martyred for refusing to give up his Christian beliefs and since he died on February 14, 269 A.D., the same day that had been devoted to love lotteries; he thought this was a fitting way to turn the pagans away from celebrating Lupercalia.
Legends also state that St. Valentine left a farewell note for the jailer's daughter, who had become his friend, and signed it "From Your Valentine".
Other aspects of the story say that Saint Valentine served as a priest at the temple during the reign of Emperor Claudius. Claudius then had Valentine jailed for defying him in 496 A.D. Thus, Pope Gelasius set aside February 14 to honour St. Valentine.
However, the Pagan principles of the people proved irrepressible. Memories of the Roman Lupercalia combined with folkloric legends, in Britain and France, that the 14th of February marks the beginning of the mating season amongst birds allowed the people to continue celebrating Valentines Day as a day of love. The reason for this assumption is somewhat clouded, but may be related to the fact that the first songbirds in Europe which traditionally warble after a blustery winter tend to debut in mid-February. One of the earliest written examples of this belief was penned by Geoffrey Chaucer (1340/45-1400), an English poet and vintner, in his "Parliament of Fowls," the literal meaning of which is "Meeting of Birds." Chaucer's poem was penned to honor the grand wedding of Richard II of England to Anne of Bohemia, which took place in January of 1382.
"For this was sent on Seynt Valentyne's day
When every foul cometh ther to choose his mate."
--Chaucer--
This custom was also recorded by Michael Drayton (1563-1631), an English poet from Warwickshire, in his poem entitled "To His Valentine" and again by Robert Herrick (1591-1674), generally considered to be the greatest of the Cavalier poets.
"Each little bird this tide
Doth chose her beloved peer,
Which constantly abide
In wedlock all the year."
--Drayton--
"Oft have I heard both youth and virgin say
Birds choose their mates, and couples too, this day;
But by their flight I never can divine,
When I shall couple with my Valentine."
--Herrick--
The oldest Valentine message in existence is a poem written by Charles, Duke of Orleans, in 1415 to his wife. He had good reason to write: he was imprisoned in the Tower of London after being captured at the Battle of Agincourt.
Ma tres doulce Valentinée…
Valentines day messages then became a popular idea and some years later it is believed that Henry V hired John Lydgate to compose a Valentine missive to Catherine of Valois.
Over time, February 14 became the day for exchanging love letters and St. Valentine became the patron saint of lovers, because the Catholic Church was still attempting to eradicate all reminders of the Roman pagan holiday. The date was marked by sending poems and simple gifts such as flowers. There was often a social gathering or a ball.
In Great Britain during the 1700s, a very popular custom on the Eve of Valentine's Day, was for ladies to pin five bay leaves sprinkled with rose water on there pillows...one leaf pinnned to the center and one to each corner. Eggs with salt replacing the removed yokes were then consumed before retiring for the evening. Before going to sleep, the lady would recite the following little prayer:
"Good valentine, be kind to me; In dreams, let me my true love see."
If this charm worked, she would see her future husband in her dreams. English children would dress up as adults and go singing from home to home. One such verse was:
"Good morning to you, valentine;
Curl your locks as I do mine--
Two before and three behind.
Good morning to you, valentine."
Another custom was for people to call out,
"Good morning, 'tis St. Valentine's Day."
The person who was succesful as saying this first was expected to receive a present.
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