Valentine Day Another version of how valentine day came about: The Romans had a fertility festival called Lupercalla mid February about 270 A.D. The pagan festival was dedicated to Faunus god of agriculture, it also celebrated Romulus and Remus the brothers who founded Rome ( although this was a myth). The ceremony was a bloody affair with sacrificial killing and skinning of goats and dogs, the blood and skins were slapped over women and crops to make them more fertile. This was also known as the official start of spring. The young women placed their names into a big urn, the bachelors would choose a name and pair up, this often ended in marriage. The Romans outlawed Christianity and the festival of Lupercalla kept going until the end of the 5th century. Pope Gelasius changed this and declared that 14th February would become St Valentines day. The Heart Symbol The symbol of the heart is another myth it is believed that it came from the 7th century B.C. from the North African city-state Cyrene. The Sllphium plant now extinct was used as seasoning but also as a form of birth control. Its seed pods were shaped like hearts and they were associated with sex and love. This plant was so important to Cyrene economy that its minted coins had the seedpods hearts on them. To be continued… #heartshape #silverpendants #valentinesgift #garnets #jillbelldesigns https://www.instagram.com/p/CLEN_vSh9al/?igshid=1j7v4hu05p39g