For this week’s Throwback here are two Valentine’s Day historic facts you may not have known about:
1) The phrase “wear your heart on your sleeve” originated from a festival practice from the Middle Ages. Emperor Claudius II believed that unmatched men made for better soldiers in battle and therefore declared marriage illegal. As a social compromise, he permitted and encouraged temporary coupling. In a festival honoring Juno, men would draw names of the town women to seen who would be their “match” for the year. They would wear the drawn name on their sleeve for the remainder of the festival in hopes of their match seeing it.
2) The exercise of ornithomancy is an ancient Greek and Roman practice of reading signs from the sightings and actions of birds. Adopting to Valentine’s Day, unmatched women believed that the first bird they saw on February 14th depicted the character of their future husband. Ladies would avoid the woods as the woodpecker meant there would be no marriage; instead, they would take walks by the water for a prosperous sighting. Here is a lovebird guide: Blackbird: he is involved in charitable or spiritual work Dove: your marriage will be happy and loving Robin: he works with water Sparrow: he works with the land Bluebird: he enjoys making other people smile Woodpecker: no marriage will take place Duck: your marriage will be homely and stable Gull: he travels for work Bird of Prey: he is a business man Goldfinch: he is a person of means Kingfisher: he is financially well Pigeon: he will eventually return to his childhood home