Show 0 AY LONG OBSERVED for centuries the nations have been one in paying honor to st valentine T WAS a custom among the romans homans IT to celebrate in the month we call february the Luper calla 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 I 1 feasts as aa a Uve of sterility it I 1 was usual to strike people with thongs called ferrua the feast itself was called and the day dies feb roatus thus our word and month february an important ceremonial at this fes es 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 in course of time however them the pastors of the christian church to abolish paganism substituted at these drawings the names of saints As to this butter butler in his lives of saints writes to abolish the heathens heathers he athens lewd superstitious custom of boys dra drawing iving the names of girls in honor of their goddess juno on the irth 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 in rome in its t true rue origin could not have been solely in commemoration of the loving end and charitable st valentine for simi tar custom existed among the northern pagans of ancl ancient ant europe the festival was in its beginnings a kind 0 oil marriage glawe kir fairday fair day annually always in the spring when youthful fancy lightly turns to thoughts of love a time of year when youth like a giant r refreshed fresh edwith with sleep wakes to the thrill of budding manhood and womanhood a period when the love or mating in Is almost overpowering sir henry wotton thus expresses express esthe the idea of st valentines day s this day dame nature seemed in love tho lusty sap began becan to move movel fresh juice did stir th embracing vines and birds bad drawn their valentines etwas it waa adamof aday n day of lovers meetings tor for choosing mates and the male on the oc casion was known as the valentine 11 |