Guest Author - Linda J. Paul

Valentine’s Day is for the birds. Literally. In medieval times, it was thought that birds paired off to mate on February 14. But, seriously, Valentine’s Day most likely started out with the Roman celebration of Lupercalia.

Lupercus, was a god whose job was protecting the flocks against wolves. In fact, lupus is the Latin word for wolf. Lupercus was also interchangeable with Faunus, the god of agriculture and shepherds. Since early Rome was little more than a few shepherds gathered on a hillside surrounded by wolves, Lupercalia became an important event to them.

Lupercalia was held in February, and was regarded as a festival of purification and fertility. Every year on February 15, the priests of Luperci gathered on a hilltop at the cave of Lupercal. Virgins arrived bearing sacred cakes, as did two naked young men. The virgins helped the young men to sacrifice a dog and a goat, and smeared blood on the young men’s foreheads. The blood was then wiped away with wool dipped in milk.

The young men fashioned loincloths made from the skin of the goat and ran through the city, lightly striking young women along the way with strips of goat hide. These goat hide strips were called februa, which is actually the origin of the word February. Young women would gather to be struck as the goat skin was thought to bring them fertility. Young men would pick names of eligible young women from an urn, and the couples would pair off as romantic partners for the duration of the festival and sometimes longer.

As Rome grew into a powerful city and empire, the festival of Lupercalia was still carried on. In fact, the Roman armies brought the customs with them when they invaded France and Britain.

However, when the new Christian order arrived in Rome things changed, including the old Pagan celebrations. Lupercalia with its emphasis on sacrifice and a lover’s lottery was considered by Pope Gelasius as a pagan and immoral festival, and in the year 496 AD, he did away with the celebration.

Now, as usual, when an old festival was replaced by a new one, many of the old traditions still were practiced, but in a different fashion. Gelasius chose St. Valentine to be the Patron Saint of lovers, and he was to be honored every February 14. The lover’s lottery was changed to a lottery of the Saints. Instead of pulling a potential mates name from the box, a saints name was pulled instead, and that saint was to be the focus for that person for the following year, through study and an attempt to be more like that saint.

There is still some confusion as to the real identity of St. Valentine. There are actually three of them mentioned that are connected with the date of February 14th. One was a priest in Rome, one was a Bishop of Interamna, and the other lived and died in Africa.

The most likely candidate of the three is the Bishop of Interamna. He was a Christian martyr who lived in Italy during the third century. There is speculation that he might also be one and the same with the priest Valentine of Rome. Either way, he was put to death on February 14, around 270 AD under the orders of Emperor Claudius II, because he broke the ban of Christianity. There are several versions about the what and why of his death sentence.

One story goes that he was a leader of the Christian underground. He was caught and imprisoned, but continued to preach to the other prisoners and guards. Supposedly, he cured a guard’s daughter of blindness. When Claudius heard the news, he was furious and ordered Valentine to be brutally beaten and then beheaded. While Valentine was waiting, he wrote a note to the girl he had cured, telling her that he loved her. He signed it “From your Valentine.” He was killed the next day on February 14.

Another version of the story is still connected with unrequited love, and again involves Emperor Claudius II. Claudius was a war lord and loved battles. Consequently, year after year he drafted the male citizens of Rome into battle. Many of the married or engaged men didn’t want to go and leave their families and betrothed behind. So, Claudius, in his wisdom, ordered a moratorium on all marriages and ordered that all engagements be broken off immediately.

A priest named Valentine didn’t agree with this ruling. So when a couple would come to him seeking marriage, he would do the ceremony. The people loved him, but alas, he got caught in the act, and was taken to the dungeons, where he later passed away. He was buried by his friends and allies on, you guessed it, February 14.

The Feast of St. Valentine and the lottery of the Saints actually lasted for about two hundred years. But, as time went on, more and more of the old customs of Lupercalia found their way back into the celebrations. Finally, in desperation, the church gave up on the Valentine’s celebration. And, the old custom of the lover’s lottery once again replaced the lottery of the Saints.

The lover’s lottery became really popular during the medieval days, especially in England. Couples exchanged gifts, and the women became the mans valentine for a year. Her name was worn on his sleeve and he was bound to take care of her.

The first “real” Valentine’s Day cards appeared around the 17th century. In 1797, a British publisher issued The Young Man’s Valentine Writer. Featured within the book were suggested sentimental verses, guaranteed to melt a woman’s heart. Printers started to produce “mechanical valentines” with pre-made verses and pictures. During the next century, mailing Valentine’s cards came into fashion.

During the nineteenth century, the post office in Chicago actually rejected around twenty-five thousand cards. They felt that the cards were to sexually suggestive to be carried through the U.S. mail system.

Esther Howland is credited for being the first American publisher and printer of valentines. Her creations were elaborate and by the standards of the 1870’s, extremely expensive, costing from five to ten dollars, with some going for thirty five dollars.

Since that time, Valentine’s Day cards have flourished. Other than Christmas, Americans exchange more cards than any other time of the year. Thankfully, the price cost of the cards is less, although the price of postage continues to rise.

The Cadbury Brothers introduced chocolate to Valentine’s Day. They turned out the first boxed chocolates in decorative, keepsake boxes. Richard Cadbury created the first heart-shaped box of candy for Valentines Day in 1870.