VOL. XVII, NO. 8
FEBRUARY 6, 1976
Cupid To Reign Feb. 14
By SALLY WALLIN
This year Valentine's Day is on a Saturday. To many of us it will be just another day- nothing at all special. To some of us it will be something very special. There are many traditions that go along with Valentine's Day. Most of them have been around ever since this day was put aside for love and lovers.
In the year 207 A.D., our Valentine's Day was known as Lupercia. This was a pagan feast day. Lupercia marked the coming of spring, which was a time to celebrate. To people then, spring meant the "mating season" was starting - which meant Lupercia also honored human fertility. At that time one of the traditions on Feb. 15, Lupercia, was to have all the single men and women gather together in one place. The girls would all put their names in a hat, and the men would pick a name - hoping it would be the girl he liked. The rest of the year the man would shower his "sweetheart" with gifts.
This year Valentine's Day is on a Saturday. To many of us it will be just another day- nothing at all special. To some of us it will be something very special. There are many traditions that go along with Valentine's Day. Most of them have been around ever since this day was put aside for love and lovers.
In the year 207 A.D., our Valentine's Day was known as Lupercia. This was a pagan feast day. Lupercia marked the coming of spring, which was a time to celebrate. To people then, spring meant the "mating season" was starting - which meant Lupercia also honored human fertility. At that time one of the traditions on Feb. 15, Lupercia, was to have all the single men and women gather together in one place. The girls would all put their names in a hat, and the men would pick a name - hoping it would be the girl he liked. The rest of the year the man would shower his "sweetheart" with gifts.
Saint Valentine was a Christian priest who was beheaded on Feb. 14, The reason for his execution was because he helped Christians who were to be persecuted. The Christians now had a religious reason for Lupercia. They also had a new name and date for an old feast, but other customs stayed the same.
Cupid is also a tradition that goes along with Valentine's Day. Cupid comes from Greek mythology and is called Eros. A wound from one of his arrows made people fall in love. He was wounded with his own arrow and fell in love with a mortal princess named Psyche. The gods then made Psyche immortal so Cupid and his love could be united forever.
Cupid is also a tradition that goes along with Valentine's Day. Cupid comes from Greek mythology and is called Eros. A wound from one of his arrows made people fall in love. He was wounded with his own arrow and fell in love with a mortal princess named Psyche. The gods then made Psyche immortal so Cupid and his love could be united forever.