Old Valentine’s Day Beliefs and Customs

Some people used to believe that if a woman saw a robin fly overhead on Valentine’s Day, it meant she would marry a sailor; if she saw a sparrow, she’d marry a poor man and be very happy; if she saw a goldfinch, she’d marry a millionaire.

At one time it was the custom for young folks to go out before daylight on Valentine’s day and try to catch and owl and two sparrows in a net. If they succeeded, it was a good omen, and entitled them to gifts from the villagers.

In Wales, wooden love spoons were carved and given as gifts on February 14. Hearts, keys and keyholes were favourite decorations that meant, “you unlock my heart!” And, if you cut an apple in half and count the seeds inside, you’ll know how many children you will have.

How it all started

Valentine’s Day has its origins in the ancient Roman feast of Lupercalia, an annual festival held on February 15 to help keep dangerous wolves away from townspeople and their crops. On the eve of the festival, the young women of the town would write their names on slips of paper, put them in a jar, and every young man would pick out a name at random. The pair would then be partners for the remainder of the festival.

It was 270 BC when St. Valentine stood up for love, after Roman Emperor Claudius II forbade Roman soldiers to get engaged or married, believing that married men would rather stay home than go to war. The priest, named Valentine, in defiance of Claudius’ orders, secretly married young couples, and on February 14, was punished for his ‘crime’, thereby becoming the patron saint of lovers.

…That’s Amore

When the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie, That’s Amore. When an eel bites your hand and that’s not what you planned, That’s a moray. When our habits are strange and our customs deranged, That’s our mores. When your horse munches straw and the bales total four, That’s some more hay. When Othello’s poor wife, she gets stabbed with a knife, That’s a Moor, eh? When a Japanese knight used a sword in a fight thats, Sa…mur…ai

And finally, the secret to a happy marriage… Do what your wife tells you!

Have a good day, all!