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Middle age lore focused on what bird a woman
saw on Valentine's Day. If a robin flew overhead "she would marry
a sailor", if it was a sparrow, "she'd marry a poor man"
but be very happy, and "if she saw a goldfinch, she'd marry a
millionaire."
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More middle age lore: if you cut an apple
in half and counted the seeds on Valentine's day, you would get the
number of children you were destined to have.
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In the middle ages, men and women drew valentine's
names from a bowl and then wore the name on their sleeves for a week,
leading to the expression, "wearing your heart on your sleeve."
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Heart, keys, and keyholes were favorite valentines
decorations in Wales, because they meant, "you unlock my heart."
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Flowers became a Valentine's Day gift in the
1600s when a daughter of Henry IV, king of France, gave a party where
each woman received a bouquet from the man selected as her Valentine.
Source:
Craig Strawser, "Don't forget about your sweetheart." All Hands,
Feb 2003, p. 48.
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