 Popular Customs Associated With St Valentine's Day
In Great Britain, England, Whales, Italy, Denmark And Other Countries.
The origins of the most popular customs associated with Saint Valentine's Day almost certainly trace their roots to a conventional belief generally accepted in England and France during the Middle Ages that on February 14 (halfway through the second month of the year), the birds began choosing their mates. The reason for this assumption is somewhat clouded, but may be related to the fact that the first songbirds which traditionally warble after a blustery winter tend to debut in mid-February. One of the earliest written examples of this belief was penned by Geoffrey Chaucer (1340/45-1400), an English poet and vintner, in his "Parliament of Fowls," the literal meaning of which is "Meeting of Birds." Chaucer's poem was penned to honor the grand wedding of Richard II of England to Anne of Bohemia, which took place in January of 1382 and is generally regarded as one of the most successful and loving royal marriages of the Middle Ages...indeed, Richard and Anne rank among the leading romantic couples in history. This custom was also recorded by Michael Drayton (1563-1631), an English poet from Warwickshire, in his poem entitled "To His Valentine" and again by Robert Herrick (1591-1674), generally considered to be the greatest of the Cavalier poets...English poets associated with Charles I and his exiled son whose works embodied the life and culture of upper-class, pre-Commonwealth England with courtly verses of beauty, love and loyalty.
"For this was sent on Seynt Valentyne's day
When every foul cometh ther to choose his mate."
--Chaucer--
"Each little bird this tide
Doth chose her beloved peer,
Which constantly abide
In wedlock all the year."
--Drayton--
"Oft have I heard both youth and virgin say
Birds choose their mates, and couples too, this day;
But by their flight I never can divine,
When I shall couple with my Valentine."
--Herrick--
Thus, February 14 eventually became regarded as a day especially consecrated to lovers and deemed a proper occasion for the writing of romantic letters and the sending of love tokens. The literature of both France and England in the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Centuries commonly contain references to such practices, with the earliest probably found in the 34th and 35th Ballades, a work written in French by the bilingual poet named John Gower (1327/30-1408), an English poet who may also have been in the merchant trade.
In Great Britain during the 1700s, one very popular custom on the Eve of Valentine's Day, was for ladies to pin five bay leaves sprinkled with rose water to their pillows...one leaf pinnned to the center and one to each corner. Eggs with salt replacing the removed yokes were then consumed before retiring for the evening. Before going to sleep, the lady would recite the following little prayer: "Good valentine, be kind to me; In dreams, let me my true love see." If this charm worked, then the lady would see her future husband in her dreams.
In Great Britain, a woman would write the names of their sweethearts on small scraps of paper which would be placed on clay balls. The balls were dropped into water with the belief that whichever scrap of paper surfaced first would be the name of the man destined to be the future husband.
In England, centuries ago, children would dress up as adults and go singing from home to home. One such verse was:
"Good morning to you, valentine;
Curl your locks as I do mine--
Two before and three behind.
Good morning to you, valentine."
An old English custom was for people to call out, "Good morning, 'tis St. Valentine's Day." The individual who succeeded in being the first to say this then expected to receive a present from the one to whom it was said.
By tradition, a young girl was supposed to eventually marry the first eligible male she met on Valentine's Day.
Traditionally, if a young female is curious enough...and brave enough...she can conjure-up the appearance of her future spouse by visiting a graveyard at midnight on the Eve of Saint Valentine's Day and singing a prescribed chant while running around the church twelve times.
In Wales, wooden love spoons would be carved and given as gifts. Favored decorations for the spoons were hearts, keys and keyholes...the decorations meaning "You unlock my heart!"
One of the most ancient of Valentine's Days rituals (dating from at least the Middle Ages and possibly earlier) was the practice of writing the names of young ladies on slips of paper and placing them within a jar or bowl. The lady whose name was drawn by an eligible bachelor became his valentine and he wore the name on his sleeve for one week. It is believed that the saying "to wear one's heart on one's sleeve" (meaning that is is easy for others to know the romantic inclination of an individual) may have originated from this custom.
It was once believed that if a woman noticed a robin flying overhead on Valentine's Day, it meant she would marry a sailor. If the woman saw a sparrow, the would marry a poor man, but be very happy. If she spied a goldfinch, it was said that her husband would be a man of great wealth.
In some countries, a young woman may receive a gift of clothing from a prospective suitor. If the gift is kept, then it means she has accepted his proposal of marriage.
If an individual thinks of five or six names considered to be suitable marriage partners and twists the stem of an apple while the names are being recited, then it is believed the eventual spouse will be the one whose name was recited at the moment the stem broke.
If an apple is cut in half, the number of seeds found inside the fruit will be an indication of the number of children that individual will have.
If a dandelion which has gone to seed is picked and an individual blows the seeds into the wind, the number of seeds which remain on the stem indicates the number of children that person will have.
In the Fourteenth Century, a sweetheart was chosen for the day by lot. Messages sent between these randomly chosen pairs are believed by some sources to be the forerunner of the modern day Valentine card.
In "The Golden Bough" authored by Sir James Frazer, it is written that during a pre-Lenten celebration in the town of Épinal in the Vosges region of France, bonfires were kindled and young townsfolk went from door-to-door pairing-up couples who were then forced to participate in a mock marriage. Later required to walk arm-in-arm around the fire, these couples exchanged gifts intended as ransom or redemption. The gifts were known as féchenots and féchenottes...or Valentines.
To be awoken by a kiss on Valentine's Day is considered lucky.
For a lady to sleep with a sprig of rosemary pinned inside the pillow on the Eve of Valentine's Day was once thought to encourage dreams of a future sweetheart's face.
In Britain and Italy, some unmarried women would rise before sunrise on Valentine's Day and stand by the window watching for a man to pass. It was believed that the first man seen...or someone who looked very much like him...would be their husband within a year.
In Demmark, it is customary to send pressed white flowers called snowdrops to friends.
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Valentines 
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