Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 33, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 February 1917 — DAY LONG OBSERVED [ARTICLE]

DAY LONG OBSERVED

For Centuries the Nations Have Been One in Paying Honor to St. Valentine. IT WAS a custom among the Romans to celebrated the month we call February the Lupercalia, or feasts in honor of Pan and Juno— Pan, the god of hunters, shepherds, and country folk; Juno, “the “Great queen of nuptial rites.” During these feasts, as a preventive of sterility, it was usual to strike people with thongs, called februa. The feast itself was called Februalis, and the day Dies Februatus —thus our word and month February. An Important ceremonial at this festival consisted, in the drawing by lot of young girls by young men. As the number of each sex participating in this lottery was equal, each youth secured a mate *Tn course of time, the-pastors of the Christian church, to abolish paganism, substituted at these drawings the names of saints. As to this, Butler in his “Lives of Saints” writes: “To abolish the heathens’ lewd, superstitious custom ? of boys drawing the names of giijls in honor of their goddess Februato Juno, on the 15th day of February, several zealous pastors substituted the names of saints In.billets on that day.” But the people soon returned to the heathen practice, and it was still observed iii Rome in 496. Its; true origin could not have been solely in commemoration of the loving and charitable St. Valebtine, for siini.lar custom existed among the northern pagans of ancient Europe. Thrfestival was, in its beginnings, a kind of marriage fair-day, held annualiy, always In the spring when youthful fancy “llghtly turns to thoughts of . love,” a time of year when youth, like a giant refreshed with sleep, wakes to the thrill of budding manhood and womanhood, a period when the lovq or mating Instinct is almost overpowering. Sir Henry Wotton thus expresses the idea of St. Valentine’s day: This day dame Nature seemed in love; The lusty sap began to move; Fresh juice did stir th’ embracing vines. And birds had drawn their valentines. It was a day of lovers’ meetings, tor choosing mates, and the male on the occasion was known as the “valentine.”