Page 8 Cassiar Courier February 1988 Cassiar Courier, February 1988 Page 9. ‘ Y ’ 5 a ‘ o- 5 \ p \ 5 v ‘ v 5 ‘ ‘ Vv 5 ‘ ‘ AY ‘ ‘ - ‘ . . , 94) ' “] VALEPMINE’S DAY How Did Jt All Start? The origin of St. Valentine’s Day is lost in an- tiquity, but the bravery of the Roman priest, Valentinus, an early Christian martyr who was beheaded on Febru- ary the 14th in the year 270, is a matter of history. Some legends connect the date of his death with today’s observance of St. Valentine’s Day. Valentinus, while assisting Christian martyrs during their persecution under Emperor Claudius I! in Rome, was arrested and imprisoned. While in jail he formed a friendship with the blind daughter of the jailer and, legend says, restored her sight. When he. was taken before Emperor Claudius, instead of begging for mercy, he tried to convert the emperor to Christianity. Claudius was so favorably impressed by the. priest’s personality that. he attempted to save Valentinus by trying to convert him.to the Roman gods. The priest colirageously scorned the Roman gods, saying that they were ‘Men mortal and merchant and full of evil’. Enraged, the Emperor immediately con- demned Valentinus first to be beaten with clubs, then stoned, and finally beheaded. Oe On the eve of-his execution, Valentinus wrote a farewell letter to the jailer’s daughter and signed it ‘From Your Valentine’. He. was buried in what is now the Church of Praxedes in Rome. It is said that a pink .. almond tree, a symbol-of abiding. love, blossomed near his.grave. -- The death of Valentinus occurred on: the eve of the ancient festival of the Lupercalia which honored Faunus, Roman: god of animal life and guardian of the secret lore of nature. Not too many years later, Christian- ity spread: over Rome. The early Christians, who were continually ‘getting tangled up - between the Roman festivals and their own church holidays, confused. the ideas of the Lupercalia and the martyrdom of Valentinus. Out of the confusion, it is said, evolved the St. Valentine’s Day which we now celebrate. Many customs and superstitions came to be associated with the observance. « People: once believed that the birds began to mate.on February 14th. Many years ago when a girl wished to find out if she would soon be married, she would fasten. five bay leaves to her pillow the night before St. Valentine’s Day. Then she would take a hard: boiled egg;remove the yolk, eat what remained, shell and all and-go to-sleep without ~ bes CASSIAR LIONS CLUB SWEETHEART SPIEL speaking to anyone. If all this hocus-pocus brought ona dream which featured a young man of her acquaintance, it was a sure sign that he would be her husband before the year was over. The custom of sending Valentines was not begun until about the 17th century. At first these valentines were all made by the sender’s awn hand and decorated: by various processes, .from water colors to penwork, to pinpricks and cutouts. . There ‘were also rebuses, acros- tics and other styles of puzzles and cryptograms. The verses for those handmade valentines were the easiest part, for if the writer found himself unable to compose an original poem, he could consult a book of sentimental verse especially prepared for his assistance, such as the GENTLEMEN’S NEW VALENTINE WRIT- VALENTINE WRITER SS . It was a 20 year old girl of Worcester, Massachu- setts, Ester Howland, who was the first to produce the English type of hand decorated valentine in quantity, commercially. Miss Howland, who herself never married, ER CUPID'S ANNUAL CHARTER or LADIES’ POLITE. furthered the courtship of. millions of couples through. @ paper valentine business which she started in 1849 and built up to a $100,000 a - year enterprise. in the days when career women were neither fashionable nor popular, Ester Howland cornered the American valentine market, selling vast quantities to New York dealers. Her valentines were produced in her own home by young ladies to whom she taught the art. Each girl was assigned a special task, one cut pic-*~ tures and kept them assorted in boxes. Another, with models to work from, made the backgrounds, the next girl added the embelleshments. ‘So the cards went from hand to hand down the table.-:-it was. progressive’ assem- blage sixty years before Henry Ford introduced the Moving assembly fine to the manufacturing world. . ; Ester Howland’s valentines were. intricate paper- lace motifs built up. in elabrorate tiers until they almost collapsed from their own weight. It was said that gentle- men thought nothing of paying five or ten dollars for some of Howland’s creations. Thus it was a spinster who started the valentine greeting card business in this part of the world, and a Roman priest for-whom the lover’s day was named. Bo ec ee Re BE February 12th, 13th, 14th . OPEN TO ALL CURLERS $100 ENTRY PER TEAM — PERSONALITY SUIT YOUR BIRTHSTONE February is a month which inspires many a lover to give a special gift to that “‘special,someone’’. Often it is a gift of a gem stone that is given. The following is a list of the months of the year, the gem stones for each and the meaning behind them. Januaty - Garnet Constancy February Amethyst Sincerity March Bloodstone Courage April Diamond Purity May -°Emerald Hope: :~ June Pearl or Agate Health July Ruby Contentment August Sardonyx Fidelity September Sapphire Repentance » October.-. Opal» Loveableness.: . ~ November Topaz ~ Cheerfulness December Turquoise Unselfishness There are many superstitions associated with Gem Stones. _For instance, the agate is said to cure fever and poisonous bites-or stings.--Coral is a powerful weapon: - ‘against sorcery and the Evil Eye, while jade is also lucky, particularly prized in the east where it is the only green stone other than the emerald! (Reference: Dictionary of Omens & Superstition, Treas- ure Press, London, WI - Philippa Waring) qngara Gem & Gold 2 We re-open on February 12th with a new inventory of Gold and Silver} ‘jewellery. Get something special ‘| for your Valentine Sweetheart! 323 Bateman St. —- 778-7776 ' Hoe 3 ) VALENTINES CONTEST | a family pet, your country, anything or anyone. | Send us your expression of love ! Tell us who or what you love, it can be a Valentine Card, ceo Ps @ - @ poem, a poster, or anything you create to express your — _ LOVE! — Contest is open to ALL ages, ‘ and kids, be sure to put your age on your entry. Complimentary roses for all lady curlers a ; a, 7 All entries will be judged for originality and creativity. > | > SIGN UP NOW! N FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: — Contact Norm or Shelley Cosnett 778-7874 Rta Melle tad Bile Mle i ie le to Stee ae Sl bet tins is Re es erg oN ale Be Sek aN a » a Contest closes February 22, 1988.