It still is the custom (or was when I was a lad) not to sign Valentines over on the right hand side of the Atlantic.

I'm afraid the Valentine Lupercalia connection is something of an urban legend. For starters, the Lupercalia was celebrated on the 15th February. Two young men, dressed only in loincloths made from the skins of sacrificed goats, would run round the city lashing women with goatskin thongs as they went past. This was supposed to increase the women's fertility.

For more details see this article http://makeashorterlink.com/?N2EC12567 on the Lupercalia and especially Bill Thayer's note at the bottom.

Bingley

Bingley