Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Valentine's Origins, Gifts Examined

Impress your loved one with some unique Valentine stories.

One of the best proverbs concerning love comes not from Proverbs, but from First Corinthians, "Love bearth all things." If anyone doubts this wait until you hear where all these traditions come from.

The Day

With three St. Valentine or Valentinus martyrs recognized in the Catholic Church, the most repeated legend is from 270 BC. During the reign of Roman Emperor Claudius-II decided to make sure all his soldiers single men, because he believed single men made better soldiers than those connected to a family. Emperor Claudius issued an edict (law) forbidding marriage.

Valentine, a bishop, would meet the many young lovers in secret to marry them. Similar to the priest in Romeo and Juliet,' by William Shakespeare.

Valentine was then imprisoned awaiting execution. While in prison, Valentine either fell in love with, or restored eyesight of (according to which legend you follow), the jailer's, Asterius, blind daughter.

Supposedly, Valentine penned the first valentine' to this young women before being put to death on either February 14 or 24, 270 BC. He signed the letter, from your Valentine.'

The festival day involved young Romans offering women that they admired, and wished to court, handwritten greetings of affection on Feb. 14. The greetings acquired St. Valentine's name.

This Christian festival replaced an annual Roman festival called the Lupercalia. Ladies were often presented perfumed gloves or fine jewels.

The early Roman men often wore the names of the girls who were to be their partners during the Lupercalia pinned to their sleeves. Hence the saying, "he wears his heart upon his sleeve."

In the 17th century a young single maiden' ate a hard-boiled egg and pinned five bay leaves to her pillow before going to sleep on Valentine's Eve. She believed this would make her dream of her future husband.

One superstition state, "If a woman sees a robin flying overhead on Valentine's Day, it means she will marry a sailor. If she sees a sparrow, she will marry a poor man and be very happy. If she sees a goldfinch, she will marry a millionaire." (This surely doesn't count if your parents are on the roof of the house with the goldfinches ready.)

The Cards

The oldest remaining "Valentine," is considered to be love poems from the wife of the Duke of Orleans in France to him while he was imprisoned in the Tower of London in England in 1415.

At times these cards of love were sent anonymously. But as early as 1822, an English official reported having to hire extra postal workers on this day.

Actual Valentine cards became popular in the United States During the Civil War. Elaborate cards trimmed with satin ribbons, mother-of-pearl ornaments, and spun glass were sold.

The Candy

In Western civilization, candy began, like so many other things, with the Egyptians more than 4,000 years ago. Sweet cakes made for the king's court of honey, flour, almonds, dates, and figs surely caused a toothache or so.

Next we have the name candy from soldiers of Alexander the Great (356-323 BC) enjoying a Persian treat called kand. Kand were sweet reed flavored with honey and spices. The word may have also come from the Arabic word for sugar,' qand.

But specifically, chocolate was harder to come by.

Christopher Columbus knew the Central American Indians used cacao beans for money, but he didn't know why.

Hernando Cortes, Spanish explorer, found the Aztecs's ruler, Montezuma's favorite drink was a beverage made from the cacao beans called chocolatl. (Stick that in your cap, Starbuck's.) From Mexico in 1519 to the courts of Spain, who kept it a secret as long as they could, approximately 100 years. The rest of Europe's courts and aristocracy fell for chocolate.

For the men of today here is a chocolate lover's criticisms:

Best- Hershey's Chocolate, (there can be only one).

Will do if you must- Godiva, Dove and Whitman's.

For five seconds of appreciation- all the rest.

The Flowers

In antiquity, the rose was sacred to Aphrodite (Venus). The red rose is supposed to have come from the blood of Adonis; it was a symbol of love and affection, of fertility and also of reverence toward the dead.

In addition, they were supposed to remind the drinkers not to divulge anything while they were intoxicated.

The rose, often in conjunction with the cross, was still a symbol of secrecy in early Christianity, as well as the spilled blood and the wounds of Christ, mystical rebirth, divine love and the Virgin Mary.'

But the Victorian age took the rose and every possible flower to unbelievable heights of meaning.

For example:

Adoration-Dwarf Sunflower

Affection- Pear Tree, Morning Glory, Mossy Saxifrage, Sorrel

Pure Affection- Red Double Pink

Alas, my poor heart- Deep Red Carnation

Ambassador of love- Cabbage Rose

Bashful love- Damask Rose Bashful shame/ I love you- Deep Red Rose

Be mine- Four-leaved Clover

Beauty- Orchis, Rose, Party-colored Daisy

Beauty always and ever new- Monthly Rose, China Rose

The bond of love- Honeysuckle

Concealed love- Acacia, Motherwort

Chaste love- Acacia

Confession of love- Rosebud, Moss Rosebud

Declaration of love- Tulip, Red Tulip

Devoted love- Honeysuckle, Wild Honeysuckle

Esteemed love- Strawberry Tree (Arbutus)

First emotions of love- Lilac, Purple Lilac

Forever thine- Dahlia

Happiness- Mugwort, Sweet Sultan

I adore you- Heliotrope

I am your captive- Peach Blossom

I cling to thee- Chickweed, Vetch

Can you imagine how they must have worked the florist with whole conversation in one bouquet? The florist may have know more about the activities of young people, lovers, and spouses than the priests of the day.

But their conversations weren't always sweet and loving. Many flowers and their meanings were gossip ridden.

For example:

Abuse not- Crocus

Anger- Furze, Peony, Gorse (or Turze), Whin

Argument- Fig

Avarice- Aurilica, Scarlet Auricula

Baseness, meanness- Dodder, Dodder of Thyme

Call me not beautiful- Unique Rose

Coarseness, grossness- Pompion, Pumpkin

Conjugal- Linden Tree, Lime Tree

Conjugal love- Linden Tree, Lime Tree, Linden Sprig

Crime- Tamarisk

Cruelty- Marigold, Nettle

Dangerous pleasures- Tuberose

A deadly foe is near- Monkshood

Disgust- Frog Ophrys

Ecstasy- Cape Jasmine Gardenia, Gardenia

Horror- Mandrake, Serpent Cactus, Creeping Cereus, Dragonwort, Snakesfoot

The Idea

Behind all of this is still the nature of humans and their love for another. Native Americans had a few things to add as well.

But with the Choctaw tribe of Eastern Mississippi Valley, the mother in-law was given the gifts from the would be suitor.

When a young man decided upon a maiden to marry, he would visit the home with the mother and father of the girl present. The mother and suitor would converse with young woman present.

While conversing, often showering the mother in-law with complements, the suitor would toss special pebbles he had chosen towards the maiden. If she tossed the stones back, she approved of the suitor. If she left the stones were they laid, she disapproved.

If the two were to wed, the last part of the ceremony was a race to the a wedding pole set a hundred or so feet from the door of the maiden's lodge. If she changed her mind at the last minute, she must beat the proposed groom to the pole.

After marriage the mother in-law was never to look upon the face of the son in-law again.

The Cherokee often blamed nature for the unusual happenings of the heart. One legend explains why the mole lives underground.

The mole added a young man in stealing the heart of a young woman while she slept. The young woman had never liked nor had eyes for the man. But the mole brought the stolen heart to him. He couldn't even see it laying in his hand. Mole told him to swallow the heart and the woman would come to him.

She awoke, immediately thought of him and wish to be his wife.

When the surprised magicians learned of what mole had done they threatened to kill him. That's why mole lives underground and still doesn't dare to come up.