Valentines Day Traditions
Just like the origins of Valentines Day itself, valentine traditions are filled with mystery, myth, and uncertainty, though it’s likely that many of these traditions evolved in England or France, with some having links with Roman and Christian beliefs as well.
Love Letters and Cards
One of the commonly reported legends is that the first ‘Valentine’ ever sent was written by Saint Valentine himself, who while imprisoned in Italy as a Martyr, penned a note to the jailors daughter signed ‘From Your Valentine’. This is a phrase that is still in use today in anonymous cards, and helps to illustrate, if nothing else, his standing as a romantic figure. Romantic letters were one custom that stood the test of time, becoming popular in Britain in the 18th century, where handwritten notes were often exchanged with small love tokens. With commercial cards appearing in the 1840’s, these soon replaced love letters, and now the industry is big business, selling a mix of romantic, humorous, and poetic cards to people all over the world.
Choosing a Valentine
Choosing a Valentine is one custom that hasn’t stood the test of time in the same way that sending cards and love letters has. There are several reports of this custom, one dating back as far as the Pagan Festival of Lupercalia, a festival of fertility in ancient Rome. After the rituals of the festival had taken place, the menfolk would draw a name from an urn, and the chosen women would become their ‘Valentine’ for the year. This tradition was eventually declared unchristian by the Pope and became outlawed. It didn’t entirely disappear though, as choosing sweethearts on Valentines Day was also linked to the upper class court circles in France and Britain around the 14th Century. Rumour has it that taking part in this custom on Valentines Day had little to do with ancient traditions or religious saints, but more to do with birds starting their mating season on this day. So firm were they in this belief, that poems including Chaucer’s ‘Parliament Of Fowls’, were written to mark the occasion.
Love Divinations
Divinations are an important part of English Folklore, and in their most popular forms are associated with love, old fashioned courtship, and eventually marriage. Love Divinations involve carrying out tasks, in a particular way, at a given time, in the hope they will influence some aspect of your love life. Legend has it that these divinations could go to extremes, from finding out the name or occupation of a future husband, to actually getting a man to notice you.
Common divinations include picking the petals of a daisy while chanting ‘he loves me, he loves me not’, to throwing a bouquet at weddings, or placing items like yarrow under the pillow. Quite a few divinations also involve doing things backwards.
Although some ancient divinations were linked to magic and unfavourable outcomes, those employed today are harmless. These include skipping rhymes for young children, love quizzes and predictions in girls magazines, and even a procedure whereby you calculate the likelihood of going out with a boy you like with a sum formed from the number of times the letters L.O.V.E.S appears in each of their names.
