History of Valentine's Day in Scotland
| Roman Times |
| The origins of Valentine's Day come from a number of sources, one of which is Cupid the Roman God of Love, symbolised by the popular image of a young boy with bow and arrow. |
| February 14th was also a Roman holiday in honour of a Goddess. It was customary for young men to choose randomly the name of a girl to escort to the holiday festivities. From the origins of this developed the modern custom of choosing a sweetheart on this date. |
| Christian Times |
| 300 years after the death of Christ, Valentine, a holy priest in Rome, was imprisoned and, on the 14th February, beheaded not only for his Christian teachings but also for his alleged miracles. During his imprisonment he purportedly cured the jailer's daughter of blindness. Legend says that the night before his execution he wrote a letter to the jailer's daughter signing it 'From Your Valentine'. He also received notes in his cell from all who loved him. |
| Celtic Times |
| On 14th February, St. Valentine's Day and also the Eve of St. Valentine's Day it was custom for unmarried young men to draw a known female name from a ballot to find out whom they may marry or handfast with. Valentine slips containing a girls name to be courted would be worn by a boy on his sleeve. Eventually this custom was replaced by the sending of Valentine cards. |
| In Scotland the St. Valentine's Day ballot was popular. A gift and card would be sent to the girl whose name was drawn. It was the belief that the first person met on this day of the opposite sex, excepting members of the family, would become a partner. |
| Modern Times |
| From the many origins of St. Valentine's Day it has now become a universal custom to send anonymous cards and gifts to a wished potential lover. Red Roses, the flower of love, are sent with Valentine messages. |
Source: http://www.celticglassdesigns.co.uk/ValentinesDay.cfm
You can find more articles in the archive under Fada 's Farsaing (Far and Wide)
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