Lupercalia's Love Lottery (or The Origins of Valentine's Day) [View all]

February is a great time of year to be in the greeting-card or chocolate-heart industry. This month has long been associated with love and romance, going back to the days of early Rome. Back then, February was the month in which people celebrated Lupercalia, a festival honoring the birth of Romulus and Remus, the twin founders of the city. As Lupercalia evolved and time went on, it morphed into a festival honoring fertility and the coming of spring.

For part of the celebration, young women would place their names in an urn. Eligible men would draw a name and the couple would pair of for the rest of the festival -- sometimes even longer. As Christianity progressed into Rome, the practice was decried as Pagan and immoral, and done away with by Pope Gelasius around 500 C.E. Although recently there's been some scholarly debate about the existence of the Lupercalia lottery - and some people believe it may not have existed at all - it's still a legend that brings to mind ancient matchmaking rituals perfect for this time of year!

http://paganwiccan.about.com/od/imbolcfebruary2/p/ValentinesDay.htm