Today in History: Valentine's Day Is Celebrated

i carry your heart with me (i carry it in
my heart) i am never without it (anywhere
i go you go, my dear; and whatever is done
by only me is your doing, my darling)
                                                      i fear
no fate (for you are my fate, my sweet) i want
no world (for beautiful you are my world, my true)
and it’s you are whatever a moon has always meant
and whatever a sun will always sing is you

here is the deepest secret nobody knows
(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud
and the sky of the sky of a tree called life; which grows
higher than soul can hope or mind can hide)
and this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart

i carry your heart (i carry it in my heart)

i carry your heart with me (i carry it in)

-- E. E. Cummings

Celebrated annually on February 14th, Valentine's Day has a somewhat hazy history that is believed to date back to ancient Roman time, but became better known in the 14th century. Around 270 AD a Christian martyr by the name of Valentine was believed have restored the eyesight of his jailor's daughter with whom struck a friendship and sent a farewell letter signed "Your Valentine" before his execution. Favoring love over war, possibly this same Valentine secretly wed lovers to spare the husbands from becoming soldiers. Centuries later the festival of Lupercalia, celebrating fertility and the male rite of passage, involved a lottery in which young women were paired off with young men for the duration of one year. With English poet and writer Geoffrey Chaucer came a reference to St Valentine's Day in The Parliament of Fowls, first published in 1382. 

For this was on seynt Valentynes day
Whan every foul cometh there to chese his make...

Birds chose their mates, associating notions of romantic love and natural instinct -- "lovebirds".  By the 1500s sentiments, verses, and formal messages of love were sent as valentines, followed by printed cards from the 1700s onwards.  Commercialized cards, candies, chocolate, and flowers (especially red roses and early Spring tulips) are widely given throughout the world as tokens of love and affection, with many exchanges of valentines by schoolchildren. 

The following articles are drawn from Proquest Historical Newspapers, which informs and inspires classroom teaching and learning.

• Saint Valentine's Day: Its Origin and History -- Changes by the Church -- Trade  in Valentines. (1873, Feb 14). New York Times (1857-1922) 
• St. Valentine's Day: Some of the Origin and History of the Day. More Valentines Sold in St Louis This Year Than Ever Before.  (1880, Feb 13). St.Louis Post - Dispatch (1879-1922) 
• St. Valentine's Day: What History and Tradition Has Done for It, and Its Observance in These and Other Times. (1882, Feb 12). Courier-Journal (1869-1922) 
• St. Valentine's Day: What It Means, Its Customs, Legends and Traditions. (1922, Feb 12). The Hartford Courant (1887-1922) 
• Reice, S. (1966, Feb 09). Swinging Set: Valentine's Day. The Sun (1837-) 
• Tower, S. A. (1981, Feb 08). Stamps: A New British Set of Four For Valentine's Day Lofty Thoughts. New York Times (1923-) 
• Malaspina, A. (1986, Feb 13). Taking Valentine's Day to Heart: Romantic Notions for Valentine's Day. Boston Globe (1960-) 
• Greggs, L. D. (1992, Feb 15). Rethinking True Love in the 1990s: Happy Valentine's Day. Weekend Chicago Defender (1980-2008) 
• Dantzler, S. (2001, Feb 13). Valentine's Day: The History of Valentine's Day. Philadelphia Tribune (1912-) 
• Jones, R. (2001, Feb 13). Valentine's Day Had Origin in Pagan Rite: It's Named for a Martyred Saint. Philadelphia Tribune (1912-) 

Tips:

• Bond, Felicia. The Day It Rained Hearts. Laura Geringer Books, 2006. Juvenile ; PZ7.B63666 Day 2006.
• London, Jonathan, and Frank Remkiewicz. Froggy’s First Kiss. Viking, 1998. PZ7.L8432 Fr 1998.
• McElroy, Margaret J. St. Valentine’s Picture Book : A Dramatic and Musical Program for School Grades. American Book Company, 1918. Closed Stacks Research ; PN3206 .M3424 1918.
• Merington, Marguerite. Festival Plays : One-Act Pieces for New Year’s Day, St. Valentine’s Day, Easter, All Hallowe’en, Christmas and a Child’s Birthday. Duffield & Co., 1913.  Closed Stacks Curr ; PN6120.A5 M382 1916.
• Owen, Ruth. More Valentine’s Day Origami. PowerKids Press, 2015.  e-book.
• Stevenson, James. A Village Full of Valentines. Greenwillow, 1995. Juvenile ; PZ7.S84748 Vi 1995 .

Images:

• Valentine Vintage Heart Postcard, PublicDomainPictures.net
• Vintage Valentine's Card, Canva.

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