Valentine's Day
For this was on seynt Valantynys day when eury bryd comyth then to choose
his make.
Chaucer - Parliament of Fowls C.1382
As Chaucer says it was the day birds paired up, but Valentine's Day (14th Feb) is hardly about birds. Often reviled and loathed as "decadent western culture" it is actually a official holiday in the United Kingdom, Canada, Mexico, France and Australia. No one knows who Valentine really was. Many believe the custom originated in the roman feast of Lupercal.
Remember Shakespeare's Julius Cesar? much The play opens with scenes of the feast. Lupercal was a holiday celebrated on February 14 with a feast and much merry making honouring Jano, the Queen of the Roman gods, women and marriage. On the night before the festival, men chose by lots young maidens who became their companions for the rest of the feast.
An interesting story says the cruel Roman emperor, Claudisu II, wanted more soldiers for his armies and decided, that young men were loath to join because they did not want to leave their wives and girl friends behind. So, he banned all marriages and cancelled engagements. A priest named Valentine disobeyed the order and conducted many secret marriages. He was soon discovered and sentenced to death. Awaiting death in his cell was not boring because his many fans threw gifts of flowers, notes and other nice stuff over the wall to him. Among them was the prison guard's daughter who was allowed to visit him. They become friends and before he died he wrote a note to her signed "from your Valentine" . Some believe she was blind and Valentine restored her sight and they exchanged secret love letters signed "your Valentine". But they were found out. Valentine was beheaded on February 14. Pope Gelasius banned the Feast of Lupercal in 496 AD as being immoral. Valentine was designated the patron Saint of lovers to be honoured every February 14.
Source: News Collection 2004.
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