Our observation of Saint Valentine's Day as a celebration of love and romance has been traced to Chaucer's long story poem, The Parlement of Fowls, in which he describes a fanciful gathering of birds to choose their mates on this saint's day. Why Feb. 14? Scholars say it has something to do with the fact that birds start singing and nesting around mid February in the northern latitudes, and that the saints associated with Feb. 13 and Feb. 15 were known for their chastity, whereas good old Saint Valentine, while not at that time associated with romance or letter-writing (today's popular myths notwithstanding), was at least not connected with its opposite, either. And the birds do start singing again in these parts about now. So, if you've always thought that Valentine's Day was for the birds, you're right! Here's to the birds and the impending resumption of their cheerful singing!
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