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Valentine's day steeped in ancient traditions
By CHRISTY PATCIIIN
Daily Collegian Staff Writer
Valentine’s Day a holiday so strongly con
nected with romance and sentiment, it’s hard to
imagine the tradition beginning with an execution.
According to a medieval legend, the observance
of a “day for lovers” began when a Roman
Christian named Valentine was beaten and
beheaded for aiding persecuted Christians under
the rule of Claudius. The legend says that while
awaiting execution, Valentine befriended the
daughter of Asterius, his jailor. On the eve of his
death he sent her a farewell note signed “From
Your Valentine.”
To emulate the goodness of the saint, people
began sending notes of affection to loved ones
around mid-February the time of Valentine’s
death.
The majority of explanations of the origin of
Valentine’s Day do not stem from an execution, but
from wolves. Early Romans, who lived in constant
fear of wolves which roamed the countryside,
worshipped th god-protector Luperus the Wolf
Killer. Once each year, on Feb. 14, Romans
celebrated the feast of Lupercalia in her honor.
On that day, young people chose partners for the
day by drawing names from a box. The couples then
exchanged gifts and other tokens of affection. Some
men would pin the names of their partners on their
sleeves. It is said this is where the expression “he
wears his heart on his sleeve” originated. Many
couples remained “valentines” for life, for strong
superstition was connected with this selection by
lot.
When Rome became a Christian country, early
church fathers retained the holidays most favored
by the people. To give Christian 1 meaning to
Lupercalia, Pope Gelasius changed the holiday
name in 496 to “St. Valentine’s Day,” in honor of the
martyr. The name was changed, but the customs of
love and purification associated with the 14th
remained the same.
Valentine’s Day is more than 17 centuries old.
Letters written by an English woman to her fiance
In the midst of local plenty, some still go hungry
Editor’s note: This is the first in a series.
By PAUL MOSS
Daily Collegian Staff Writer
There are people who are hungry in
Estate College.
! They may be poor, or transient, or just
lonely. They are probably invisible to
most University students and State
College residents.
•The primary, but not the only reason
people do not eat well is that they do not
$ have enough money.
Catherine Mcßride, a. paralegal and
administrative assistant at Keystone
Legal Services in State College, gave an
example of how a person on a low budget
might have trouble making ends meet. A
woman with three dependents and no
l' income would receive $360 a month from
welfare, and depending on her shelter
costs would receive $127 per month in
food stamps.
Even if this woman is able to plan her
meals well, she would probably find it
difficult to feed her family on the food
Collegian
Vol. 79, No. 126 24 pages
University Park, Pa. 16802
the
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Marian Cartwright (Bth-marketing) got a Valentine from her special someone today
John Paston illustrate that the custom of sending
valentines was alive in English country houses in
the 15th century. One of these,’ written in 1477 is
addressed: “Untomy rytght welebelovyd Voluntyn,
John Paston Squyer.”
• Numerous references confirm that in those days
it was also customary to give and receive gifts as
valentines. An English man named Roger Pepys
wrote in his diary for February 1661, of his wife
receiving six pairs of gloves, silk stockings and
garters from an English nobleman on Valentine’s
Day. Pepys also wrote of an aristocratic friend
receiving jewels on Feb. 14 from the Duke of York
and Lord Mandeville during the years when she was
their valentine.
English valentines of this era were soon copied by
lovers in America. The cards contained messages
and mottos, but of a very serious nature. One
received by an English woman begins: “Dearest
Fascinating Being, A willing captive I’ve been to
your matchless charms and graces.”
Fifteenth-century valentines were exclusively
homemade. They were hand printed or engraved
with ornamental lettering, and were splashed with
gold, blue, silver and gold, instead of the reds, pinks
and white seen on cards of today. Later on,
valentines consisted of a picture and verses hidden
among snippets of paper and lace.
For those who experienced difficulty expressing
their sentiments, valentine guide books such as
“The Young Man’s Valentine Writer,” or “The
Quiver of Love” were published in Britain and in
America.
Printers did not leave the compostition of
valentines to the public for long. Soon the care, skill
and artistry of valentine givers were replaced by
the precision of machines. Ready-made valentines
were available on the market, complete with scraps
of flowers, embossed hearts and true love knots,
professionally cut and mounted or printed on frilled
edge sheets. The personal touch was reduced to the
selection of the “right” card.
A favorite type of these cards was the “cobweb,”
a paper flower stuck on a sheet by its outside edges.
stamp allotment alone (which if
calculated allows 36 cents per person per
meal). This woman might have to buy
additional food out of her welfare
allotment which already does not leave
much room for extras.
If this woman has a child with a
special nutritional requirement (such as
could be caused by illness), the woman
might be unable to make do on her in
come, Mcßride said. '
“Food programs meet a great deal of
the need a great deal of the time,” she
said. Unfortunately, all of the programs
have gaps, she said.
People with emergency needs such as
those caused by illness, accident or
sudden unemployment may turn to a
number of groups in the State College
area for immediate food assistance. One
of these groups is the Christian Mission,
supported by an ecumenical group of
protestant churches in State College.
Marianne Schrader, deaconess of the
Christian Mission, discussed the various
groups of people that may come to her
for emergency food aid. These include
the transient population of non-college
age people that drifts through State
College at a fairly high rate. They may
be given one free meal from the
emergency fund after their story is
investigated. Schrader also mentioned
helping victims of fires, snowstorms,
travellers from Interstate 80 and people
with psychological problems.
Drifters may also slop in or call the
OASIS help center. Janice Wilson (sth
individual and family studies), a
counselor at the OASIS center, said that
about twice a month people will contact
the center with a request for food. These
food requests may be handled sub
sequently by the Christian Mission.
Some people may be too poor to pay
their bills and to buy enough food as
well.
“Some of my clients are not too smart
about what they pay first,” Schrader
Published by Students of The Pennsylvania State University
In the center of the flower was a tassel or silk rib
bon, which, when pulled, revealed the flower was
cut into a spiral or cobweb. When fully expanded, a
hidden motto, picture or cupids could be seen
beneath it.
Machine-made valentines were offered in in
creasing numbers, and more and more people
expressed affection in this form. In those early
days, valentine giving was often the only means of
affectionate communication between mutual ad
mirers.
Valentine manufacturers were pleased with the
advent of the comic valentine in the early 18th
century. The new cards were less amorous, but had
a much wider appeal of friendship and im
personality. Formerly, the “true,” expensive and
elaborate valentine was sent only to the real queen
or king of the sender’s heart. This confined sales not
only to shoppers within an age group, but to those
who happened to be in love in a particular year.
But a punning joke, a trick valentine or a comic
design would be suitable to send to friends, relatives
and even to those one wished to make fun of. In the
early 1850 s, a variety of comic valentines with
moving eyes and mouths found great success in
Britain and in America.
Valentines were considered witty if they
resembled the sole of a boot and were captioned:
“You are a good old soul as ever trod.” Another
proular comic was a cut-out watering can with
water splashing out of it. The motto reads: “My
tears will ever flow like this, unless you stop them
with a kiss!”
Reproductions of underwear played a prominent
part on some of these valentines. On one, the cut
out, lace image of womens’ panties bears the motto:
“My heart pants for thee.” Another one pictures a
pair of miniature braces with a capital “M”
superimposed. The slogan reads: “lam ever ready
for your em-braces. ’ ’
Practical joke valentines, according to the
writings of many early popular culture analysts,
signified the end of the sentiments from which the
custom sprang.
said. “The immediate needs become
primary.”
Mcßride of Keystone Legal Services
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Photo by Chip Connelly
Violence erupts
in Islamic Iran
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) Iran’s
revolutionary, leaders turned to liberal,
Western-oriented politicians yesterday
to bring order to their country and pave
the way for Ayatollah Ruhollah
Khomeini’s Islamic republic. But Iyn
chings were reported in the provinces
and mysterious gunmen fired on the
Tehran offices of the new prime
minister.
The newspaper Ettelaat reported six
people had been hanged in the northwest
city of Tabriz on the orders of religious
leaders. The newspaper also said in
surgents ripped the emblem off the U.S.
Consulate in Tabriz.
The reports could not be confirmed
here but, if true, may signal that the new
government still lacks total control. It
has repeatedly called on jubilant
Iranians not to resort to “cruelty” in the
wake of victory.
There were no new reports of violence
or arrests involving Americans in Iran.
A contingent of 69 U.S. Marines was
reported standing by in the Azore
Islands in the Atlantic in case Marines
guarding the U.S. Embassy needed
reinforcement. Six helicopters that
could be used to evacuate threatened
Americans were standing by in Italy.
Khomeini made his first nationwide
television address yesterday evening
and repeated appeals for the return of
weapons stolen from military bases
during the weekend street violence that
marked the collapse of the shah
appointed government of Shahpour
Bakhtiaron Sunday.
Bakhtiar was arrested yesterday by
armed guerrillas. He was taken blind
folded to Khomeini’s headquarters and
was reported to have been under
protection of Khomeini’s prime
minister, Mehdi Bazargan, after raiders
ransacked his home on the outskirts of
Tehran.
Khomeini aides said they did not know
what charges Bakhtiar would face. “He
is a prisoner of the government,” one
said. “I assume he will be tried to find
out whether or not he is guilty.”
In his nationwide address yesterday,
Khomeini said: “I congratulate the
State Senate rejects
legislative pay hike
HARRISBURG (AP) The Senate
yesterday rejected pay hikes for
legislators, judges and cabinet mem
bers, apparently because they would
come at a time when the state budget
already has a multi-million dollar
deficit.
By a 34-15 vote, the Senate rejected the
Commonwealth Compensation Com
mission report, which called for an
immediate 8 percent hike for legislators
and 7 percent in 1981.
Sen. J. Doyle Corman, D-34th, voted
against the pay raise.
Earlier, the Senate had voted down the
House’s proposal to postpone the pay
hikes until the next legislative session in
1981.
“I think it would be a bad thing to vote
ourselves a pay increase,” said Minority
Leader Henry Hager, noting the
prospect of a budget deficit that Gov.
Thornburgh says could range from $4O
million to $lOO million.
The House last week had bypassed the
compensation commission report, and
voted to delay salary increases because
the Pennsylvania Constitution prohibits
legislators from increasing their
salaries while in office.
Now the House must vote to reject the
commission’s pay report, unless it wants
the pay raises to take effect
automatically on March 1.
“To use the language of the street, it
would put the nut right on the House,”
Majority Leader Edward Zemprelli, a
Penn State trustee, said after the Senate
vote.
The compensation commission had
recommended that the $18,720 legislative
salary be raised by almost $1,498 im
mediately and by $1,415 in 1981, for a
total of $21,633 a year.
Judges would have gotten an im
mediate 15 percent increase under the
commission’s report. Cabinet members
agreed. She said “food is always the first
thing to be cut” in the budget because
it’s flexible.
nation on the success of the revolution.
We will all have to work together under
the banner of Islam to build the coun
try.”
He forbade attacks on military or
police installations and promised that all
ireligious minorities will be able to “live
in peace and prosperity in the new era in
Iran.”
Reliable sources reported that
unknown assailants opened fire on
Bazargan’s offices early yesterday.
At the time Bazargan was meeting in
the offices with Karim , Sanjaby, his
newly appointed foreign minister. The
sources said no one was injured and the
two men were rushed back to Khomeini
headquarters.
Sanjaby, 74, served as the leader of the
National Front, a coalition of several
liberal parties that opposed the rule of
Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and
supported the man who ousted the shah
for a time in the early 19505, Mohammed
Mossadegh.
The National Front’s official
spokesman, Dariush Forouhar, was
selected as labor minister.
Western diplomats said the selection
of leading National Front figures in
dicated that Bazargan, a human rights
activist and former Front member, was
seeking to broaden support beyond the
religious community that had been at
the forefront of the anti-shah struggle.
Front leaders have generally espoused
what could be considered moderately
leftist views, but the new government is
certain to avoid military ties with either
major world power.
Sanjaby, who holds a doctorate in law
from the University of Paris, was
snubbed by Khomeini two weeks ago
when the Moslem religious leader
returned from 14 years in exile. The fact
that Sanjaby was selected for the
provisional government probably was a
result of Bazargan’s influence.
American diplomats reportedly have
met privately in recent days with
Sanjaby and were pleased with the
appointment.
were in line tor an immediate 12.5
percent raise.
The legislators last received a pay
raise in 1976, when the commission
awarded them a $3,120 hike.
Virtually all of the debate was by
senators who felt that the compensation
commission report should have been
adopted.
“It’s not a pay grab as I’ve seen in the
media,” said Sen. Vincent Fumo, D-
Phila. “I resent that characterization.
“You can’t have able, competent
people in government and then not pay
them. You can’t have it both ways,”
Fumo said.
Sen. Clarence Bell, R-Delaware, said
that the Legislature was entitled to the
cost-of-living increases since members
salaries have not kept pace with in
flation.
Since 1972, inflation has increased
overall prices by 55 percent, by
lawmakers salary have gone up only 20
percent in the same time, Bell said.
No warmth in sight
We’ll have increasing and thickening
cloudiness today with some occasional
light snow or flurries developing later
today and continuing through tomorrow.
The high will be 15 today and 20
tomorrow with a low of 12 tonight. Snow
accumulations will be less than 2 inches
total through tomorrow.
Correction
It was incorrectly reported in
yesterday’s Collegian that students
submitting dorm contracts in March
would have until June 30 to cancel then
contracts with no penalty. Students will
only have until March 23 to cancel with
no penalty.
Hunger does not just stem from
poverty, however. Among the elderly
members of the community in State
College, loneliness, depression, failing
functional abilities and lack of tran
sportation can make it difficult to eat
well according to Cynthia Edvar,
director of the Area Agency on Aging.
The agency runs a meals program at
the State College Senior Citizen’s Center
which serves meals to 25 people three
times per week. For many older people,
this is a place to make new friends as
well as to eat good meals, Edvar said.
Meals on Wheels is another service in
State College which responds to
nutritional needs of people who are not
necessarily or typically poor.
Margaret. Yost, program director of this
volunteer agency, said that 95 percent of
those receiving meals do not receive
food stamps and that many pay for the
service. She said that even the poorest
are eligible to receive meals.
Continued on page lfi.