"It's a Hallmark holiday" claim the skeptics. You need a card, a
present, a meal in a restaurant. You're obliged to spend, spend,
spend.
But Valentine's Day precedes consumerism, corporations, greeting
cards, civilisation and even Christianity. It is an expression
of what it is to be human. While every day pressures squeeze the
romance out of life, Valentine's day is an island of corny
indulgence in a giant sea of cynicism.
One early attempt at valentine romance, saw me commit several
days to preparation. Roses, a three course meal, as exotic as a
slightly green eighteen year old could muster and on top of that
a singing waiter (an extroverted mate dressed up) to serve the
food.
In retrospect the menu was bizarre. Raw cauliflower and carrots
with a mayonnaise and curry powder dip. For the main course a
slightly watery stir fried rice dish (I didn't have a strainer
to strain the rice). This was laced with an over generous
helping of chilli peppers, all teenage boys first learn to cook
with chilli peppers. For dessert strawberries and bananas with a
chocolate dip. Ah the deep hormonal motivations of eighteen year
old boys. Everything was in place and my mate, the singing
waiter completed my love trap.
Maybe the fascination and intrigues of being in love and
particularly the physical side of it are not the preserve of
eighteen year old boys. Valentines day has its origins in
ancient Rome and it has survived centuries of religious
interference and censorship to return to resemble what it
originally was - a celebration of love and pairings.
The Lupercalia was a Roman festival celebrated on the 15th Day
of February. In the Roman calendar February was later in the
year and so the Lupercalia was a spring festival.
This festival was even old to the Romans, they were unsure of
which deity it honoured. It emerged from the days when Rome was
a small shepherding community on a hill called the Palantine and
could have honoured Lupercus, who protected flocks against
wolves, Rumina whose temple overlooked the place where the
she-wolf suckled Romulus and Remus or Faunus the god of
shepherds and agriculture.
Before the times of the great city of Rome the Lupercalia was a
very joyous occasion. The foreheads of two youths were smeared
with the blood of a sacrificed dog and goat. They then made
their way around the perimeter of the city of Rome followed by
priests lightly tapping women on the way with strips of the
goats skin. This act was to protect them against infertility.
As Rome became the dominant civilisation of the era, the
Lupercalia continued as an important part of the calendar. The
seeds of the modern St. Valentine's Day were sewn by Roman
soldiers who took the Lupercalia customs with them to countries
they conquered and occupied. One such custom was the pairing of
men with women whose names they selected from a bowl. The
pairing continued for the length of the festival and sometimes
beyond.
As Christianity gradually advanced through Europe the church
replaced pagan festivals with festivals more suited to the new
faith. They kept the days of the festivals the same to ease the
introduction of the new religion but they changed the name and
the reason for the festival. The Lupercalia's pairing of men and
women went against the teachings of Christianity. In 496 AD Pope
Gelasius ended the festival of Lupercalia and replaced it with
St. Valentine's Day. St. Valentine was declared the patron saint
of lovers. The pairing of couples was replaced and people were,
instead, paired with a saint. The name of a saint would be drawn
from a bowl and the person who chose it would then learn about,
and try to emulate that saint for the following year.
Pairing with a saint and the churches concept of St. Valentine's
Day lasted hundreds of years, but the spirit of the Lupercalia
lived on in hearts, minds and spirits of the people. By the 15th
Century eligible singles began pairing again. Medieval knights
drew the names of their valentines from bowls and wore the names
on their sleeves swearing to honour and protect them. They would
sing love songs and profess their love with poetry. Eventually
it became customary to write the verses down for your lover to
read and by the 1600's Valentine cards had become quite
elaborate. Possibly due to the fact that most people were unable
to read or write intricate handmade paper valentines became a
normal mode of exchange between lovers on Valentines Day and the
first of what could be recognised as a valentines card appeared.
Their popularity was sufficient that by the early 1800's
commercially produced Valentines were available. Initially they
were hand painted by factory workers but by 1900 valentines were
made entirely by machines using woodcuts and then eventually
lithographs.
Today's Valentine cards are frequently anonymous. They emphasise
either a sense of humour, reputed to be the greatest
aphrodisiac, or a sense of romance - and occasionally both. Modern valentine cards can be rude, suggestive,
funny and cheeky as often as romantic. There anonimity adds to
the intrigue, hopes and fantasies. Love and romance are a deep
part of the human condition, despite the church's early attempts
to change its meaning the spirit of the Lupercalia lives on
today. It has survived thousands of years and it is likely to be
around for many more.
As for the success of my early romantic dabblings. Well the
waiter was flat; the food was uncomfortable on the palette, and
my date? Well, she was polite, ate as much as she could stomach
and made her excuses and left, probably for home and a pint of
Gaviscon.
About the author:
Edward Spencer provides articles on holidays and occasions for
various gift and greeting card shops,
more information on Valentine's day is available.
Written by: Edward Spencer
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