Holiday boasts interesting history
he idea of no! judging a book by its cover
could be extended to Valentine 5 Day Be
no nth a!! the TV commercials window diS
plays and endless red and pink heart candies,
mugs and boxer shorts is an ancient celebration
that evolved from ancient Greece
According to the Grees biographer Plutarch
the holiday, Ihen called Luporcalia and ceiebrat
ed on Feb 15. was a purification ritual devoted
to Pan, the god ot sheep and the countryside
Pan helped shepherds by scaring wolves away
During the celebration, boys halt undressed
like Pan ran through the streets whipping people
with braided thongs Young women let them
selves be lashed, believing it would help concep
tion and delivery
It is also legend that men drew women s
names from a lottery and paired themselves with
their draw tor the res! of the year or at least for
the duration of the celebration
The story of how the celebration of Lupercaba
is tied with Saint Valentino has many versions,
but the story's base is similar
During the same epoch, Christians such as
Bishop Valentine ot Term advocated the sanctity
ol marriage and faith- to a single partner Why
history can t tell, but possibly after making a nut
sance ot himself at a celebration, Claudius II had
Valentine beheaded one Feb 14, orra 270 A D
Christians declared Valentine a saint When
they became the ruling power they substituted
their saints names tor those of old Greek and
Roman dates and celebrations The goal, t
seems, was to abolish the celebrations entirely
It seems that they succeeded on the Europe
an mainland, but somehow Luperca
i a Valentine s Day survived on the British isles
after being carried over by the Romans
By medaevai ’ mes the : ■ ; >h act <-t to
themselves the popular be ef that beds mated ■
mid-February thus iddn'g turthe' ne i ; to
festivities
Geoffrey Chaucer. author of bo Canterbury
fdies wrote • :>( !" w I • Of' S i : Va'e ‘
Day. when every tow on eth 'to i *• '
make (mate!
Valentines Day was a tar more serious jf'a r
then than' it is today At this t me a rra- ■. ’w;
mg a woman as h s Va e.nt.ne egua ed i mar
nag# proposa And cosyn. uppon Fryday ••
sent Volentynos Day arid every brydde i rw .ytri
hym a make (mate), wrote Dame ( ;abeth
Burews to her Coysrn and future son m aw
John Paston
Valentine s Day rema ned an ony eye
day for several centuries For those "ot re t-.ly
to marry or already married Valentine s w is i
day tor exchanging gilts such as ga'ters glover,
poetry and jewelry, often through the on lottery
system From one young man to his sweetheart
Blush not. my fair, at what I send ti> a fond
present from a friend These garters made of
Silken twme. were fancied by your Valentine
Among the wealthy, gifts were sometimes
lavish lady Arjbe! a Stuart received a jew.'
worth 800 Knglish dollars from the Duke ol York
Who knows how much money that is n today's
dollars, but 800 anything must have been a tor
tune a! the time
So instead of ma p ng Hallmark . , *■
as Its Valentine s Day lights, came' i h -w
bout a 'tie action7" or "Who •; lys opjK)*. at
trai t look at us think about pe'peh.a! ; i an
ciont custom
7di i.)in Itru U ■ \v
PLAYS
( onnnuetl trom Page l!)B
the most prominent gay play
wrights whose play forth Song
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Terrence McNally s Andre s
Mother plays on a more serious
'one il deals with a young m in s
allempi to reconcile vv*th he,
lover s death and establish com
mumcation Aith his lover s moth
er
S.i't> Sim .it'd At\1ro
t>r wi I p iy from f .“t> 13 1 ‘
form.inivi -.lari .1! t> p -v.
Po< Km! Tho, Per of VS op '
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the Poor
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Kick
Valentine’s Day off
the right way!
Choose safe sex or abstinence
Remember:
Caring docsri t end on
Valentine’s Day
Colored coruhnns
aitulable at the
Stiulent Health Center'
Sfxm.vnYtl by tin•
University of Oregon
University 1 lousing
Performers rubied to work .«•* KesiJcnl Assistants!
fVaturmg rfsjM inMblr * »utg< ung.. enthuMjstii jiuf v 4/mg irulisnlu.i l•. \
( umulaln «• 2 > ►’ j’ j 4n*t 2 > i-urs • »4U-gr «>r junior -.turulmg, an- M-ijwiffvi
I’u k up vur jppln .111« *n .it the Urm ersit\ 11- »usmg t >ff i« e (*< -I.UV)
Not** Mandatory informJtionjl rnerting nthrr February 11, 12 or M
Feb. 11: Carson Gold Room, 7PM
Feb. 12: University Inn, Main Lounge, 7PM
Feb. 13: Bean West Conference Room, 7PM
Applicjlion Dejdlint* is 1 elmury 17, l‘W2
S r- f . *. s i* : i >1 Vliin *li>f !is«i .< i* • . «nwi. I t. i. m . / ■! ! >i. rt ***>
VALENTINE
HOLIDAY
FUN RUN/WALK
Entry deadline
Thursday, Feb 13. noun
1'artners rate but series arc
welcome
Course route A two mile course
or a flat portion at UO
campus
Entry cost: $1 per pervn
PRUES! ^6. n
To register com* by the RIM
offit* H 1(0 G*riinn*r
itiM
DAY
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239 E. 14TH
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