Grist to the Mill

15 February, 2007

VALENTINE'S DAY

In addition to this being an old feast day (The Feast of Lubercus, whoever he was), Europeans believed Valentine's Day was the day when birds would chose a mate and commence nest building. Cute. Thus, Drayton wrote about birds mating on Valentine's Day

Each little bird this tide
Doth choose her beloved peer,
Which constantly abide
In wedlock all the year.

And Chaucer, in "Parlement of Foules" wrote "For this was Seynt Valentine's Day when every foul cometh ther to choose his mate". True enough, it must be round about now that they begin to pair.

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