Hundreds
of years ago in England, many children dressed up as adults on
Valentine's Day. They went singing from home to home.
One verse they sang was:
Good morning to you, valentine;
Curl your locks as I do mine---
Two before and three behind.
Good morning to you, valentine.
In Wales wooden love spoons were carved and given as gifts on February
14th. Hearts, keys and keyholes were favorite decorations on the spoons.
The decoration meant, "You unlock my heart!"
In the Middle Ages, young men and women drew names from a bowl to see
who their valentines would be. They would wear these names on their
sleeves for one week. To wear your heart on your sleeve now means that
it is easy for other people to know how you are feeling.
In some countries, a young woman may receive a gift of clothing from a
young man. If she keeps the gift, it means she will marry him.
Some people used to believe that if a woman saw a robin flying overhead
on Valentine's Day, it meant she would marry a sailor. If she saw a
sparrow, she would marry a poor man and be very happy. If she saw a
goldfinch, she would marry a millionaire.
A love seat is a wide chair. It was first made to seat one woman and
her wide dress. Later, the love seat or courting seat had two sections,
often in an S-shape. In this way, a couple could sit together -- but not
too closely!
Think of five or six names of boys or girls you might marry, As you
twist the stem of an apple, recite the names until the stem comes off.
You will marry the person whose name you were saying when the stem fell
off.
Pick a dandelion that has gone to seed. Take a deep breath and blow the
seeds into the wind. Count the seeds that remain on the stem. That is
the number of children you will have.
If you cut an apple in half and count how many seeds are inside, you
will also know how many children you will have.
