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 favourite 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.
7 comments:
I love this ! So happy you posted it for us to read. How interesting. I knew about the courting seats, the courting candle, but have not heard about the bird lore. Where is a golden finch when you them?
Have a great weekend
Lorri
Fun!
Hi Debbi ~ Thanks for sharing the story about Valentine's Day and the folklores! Have a great week? Hope you have received your fabric and added it to your "stash"!
Happy Valentine's Day!
Mimi
Hey Debbie, I really love your post. When I was a young girl I did the twist the stem off of the apple but we did it using the alphabet and whatever letter you were on when the stem broke was the initial of your future husband. Mine always came out as "D" and I married a "Donald". How fun to remember those types of things.
Mrs. Charlotte
Hey thanks for the info. Oh and love your post on the vintagejournal. Denise
Hello Neighbor ~ Glad I took the time to stop by and visit your store and blog! Just added your blog to mine. Please feel free to do the same if you feel the need to after visiting me. Stop by and see me soon! ~ Rita
Hi Debbi ~ I am delivering this directly from "Cupid", "Happy Valentine's Day!"
I am having a "Valentine's Day Blog Party" and would love for you to attend! There's a very special giveaway today in honor of my friend Ag, plus there are many other wonderful blogs who are Celebrating Love and Romance! I hope your day is sweet and filled with new memories you will cherish forever! Mimi
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