Valentine's Day. History and traditions of celebrating Valentine's Day. Valentine's Day - the holiday of Love - the traditions and history of the holiday The origin of the holiday Valentine's Day
Valentine's Day is a holiday of love, passion and tenderness, it is celebrated by many people and brightly covered in the media. But for the most part, people celebrating this day do not know either the history of the origin of the holiday, Valentine's Day, or its essence. So where did Valentine's Day come from, who is Saint Valentine, and what is the meaning of this holiday? Let's take a look at the history of Valentine's Day in order.
Valentine's Day is surrounded by a floral-angelic halo and strewn with scarlet rose petals. Every self-respecting lover seeks to prove to his soul mate that he is truly the most in love.On the gentle and bright Holiday of Love - Valentine's Day - sweets, hearts and soft toys pour like water, and the network is full of young ladies with toys and flowers.
Who is Saint Valentine, and was he at all?
If you ask an ordinary person who Saint Valentine is and what his merit is, it is unlikely that many will formulate a clear answer. His figure is surrounded by a large halo of myths and conjectures.
Someone will say that it was a priest who secretly crowned soldiers. And someone that Valentine was an oppressed clergyman, inflamed with passion for the beautiful daughter of the jailer and signed his messages “your Valentine”.
And there are those who will say that this is generally fiction, and St. Valentine did not exist at all. Was it Saint Valentine?
Which of them is right? Maybe a little bit of each. Saint Valentine, the patron saint of lovers, is a collective image and not quite real. Who is Saint Valentine?
The prototype of the saint, in whose honor hearts are given and postcards are written, are several different Valentines. The most famous of them are the Bishop of Interamna and Valentinus the Roman.
Valentine, Bishop of Interamna, is known for his gift of healing. Once he was approached by the philosopher Kraton, whose son had injured his back and could not even straighten up. No medical treatment helped the young man.After Valentine healed the young man, the news of this miracle began to spread, and many people converted to the Christian faith. And everything would be fine, but only Avundius, the son of a pagan fanatic and part-time Roman mayor, also converted to Christianity.
The mayor directed all his anger on this occasion to Valentine, Bishop of Interam. Because Valentine did not want to renounce the faith and worship idols, he was soon beheaded.
Together with him, the disciples who lived in Kraton's house and spread Christianity also suffered. According to some versions, Saint Valentine was executed on February 14th. In addition, Pope Gelasius appointed the day of his remembrance for February 14th.
This is one of the stories about the origin of the Valentine's Day holiday, which few people know about.
There is another version of who Saint Valentine is. But there is even less information about Valentine the Roman. It is known that he lived under the emperor Claudius of Gotha and healed the daughter of the dignitary Asterius from blindness. Asterius after such a miracle converted to Christianity. For this, both he and Saint Valentine were executed.
There is no exact evidence of the life of these saints. There is even a possibility that this is the same person. Due to the fact that confusion arose during the analysis of the lives of these saints, the Catholic Church excluded Valentine from the universal Roman calendar.There was also another saint named Valentine from Africa, but since there is no information about him at all, he is unlikely to be related to this holiday.
As you can see, there is not a word about love in these stories of the origin of Valentine's Day. So why is Saint Valentine called the patron saint of lovers?
Valentine's Day. history of the holiday
Let us turn to the history of ancient Rome. Perhaps the history of Valentine's Day came from there.
There was a Lupercalia holiday in ancient Rome dedicated to the merry Faun (aka Luperc) and the unrestrained goddess of "feverish" love Juno Februata (Juno Februata).
By the way, the month of February got its name from the name of this loving goddess.
The holiday of Lupercalia was noisy, lively, and had a pronounced sexual and erotic character. At a time when the birth rate had fallen sharply, the oracle announced that a rite of flogging women with a whip from the skin of sacrificial animals was necessary, and this would ensure their fertility and easy childbirth.
And so, on February 15, naked men filled the streets of Rome and whipped women. Those willingly substituted under blows. At the end of the festival, women also threw off their clothes.
Women threw shreds with their names into the urn, and men drew lots from the urn, and the one whose name fell out became the partner of the man who chose her for a whole year, until the next holiday. The celebration of love ended with a general orgy.
This holiday of free love was very tenacious among the people. Even with the advent of Christianity on February 15 people were covered with a wave of sexual pleasures.
In order to somehow rein in the people and add piety to the lives of believers, Pope Gelasius declared February 14 the day of veneration of St. Valentine. The celebration of the Lupercalia was banned.
Instead of the names of women, the names of saints were taken out of the urn, and it was believed that for the whole next year people would inherit the life path of the chosen saint. So the clergy hoped to replace the holiday of depravity in the human mind with a feast of modest and chaste. This is the history of Valentine's Day.
Apparently it was at that time that the name of St. Valentine was overgrown with legends and myths about the secret weddings of soldiers and secret notes with love confessions.
For some reason, no reliable facts from the life of these (or this) saints confirming these cases have been recorded.
Maybe there were all these romantic events, or maybe there weren’t, and this whole story of Valentine’s Day is fiction? It's just that people needed a beautiful holiday, and they made it.
These are the ambiguous facts and versions about the history of the emergence of the holiday Valentine's Day.
How Valentine's Day is celebrated in different countries
Perhaps that is why there is a rather ambiguous attitude towards St. Valentine in different countries and celebrate this holiday in different ways.
For example, I will tell you how Valentine's Day is celebrated in different countries of the world.
Valentine's Day in Japan. Hadaka Matsuri
I wonder how they celebrate Valentine's Day in Japan. Valentine's Day in Japan is a romantic holiday more for men.
It is men who are given sweets and gifts. Chocolate takes a special place on Valentine's Day in Japan. It even has special names on this day.
Colleagues and acquaintances are given "weights" - the usual set of chocolate. And the dearest person is given a special kind of chocolate called "honmei". But that is not all.
On February 14, Valentine's Day, Japan celebrates the festival of naked men - Hadaka Matsuri. Crowds of men in nothing but loincloths run around the city chasing similarly naked people. It is believed that on the day of Hadaka Matsuri, touching a naked man will bring protection from misfortunes and troubles.
Valentine's Day in Germany
And in Germany, Saint Valentine is considered the patron saint of the mad. Priests are advised to visit mentally ill relatives on this day, if any.
On Valentine's Day in Germany, wards in special institutions and hospitals are decorated with scarlet ribbons.
By the way, we also have an unspoken rule for Catholics to visit mentally ill relatives on February 14th. And consider Saint Valentine the patron saint of the insane.
If you understand and look at all the candy-heart fuss that reigns in mid-February, and the depressive states of those left without gifts, it is clear that they are not so wrong.
Valentine's Day in France, England and Holland
How do other European countries celebrate Valentine's Day?
France is not very original and focuses on flowers, hearts, chocolate and love poems.
It is believed that France is the birthplace of romantic quatrain messages on valentines.
In England, on this day, declarations of love are written, gifts and sweets are given not only to loved ones, but also to beloved pets (they didn’t go so far from Germany).
In Holland, on Valentine's Day, a woman who is desperate to wait for a proposal from a man can propose marriage herself. And in case of refusal, he has the right to pay off: a beautiful silk dress.
Here's how Valentine's Day is celebrated in different countries. But that's not all about February 14th.February 14 - Day of the geek
On February 14, the unofficial, but widely known in narrow circles, “Computer Day” is celebrated. Therefore, on February 14, you can safely congratulate unromantic programmers (romantic, by the way, is also possible), as well as all cybernetics and electronics engineers.
Why is Computer Scientist Day celebrated on February 14th? Of course, this has nothing to do with Saint Valentine. In 1946, on this day, the real working computer ENIAC I was presented to the world community for the first time. It was from him that modern computer technology inherited the binary system.
Naturally, up to this point, there were also attempts to present such computers, but only not entirely successful and sometimes completely non-working prototypes.
But ENIAC I could really solve the tasks assigned to it. Such a miracle was created, of course, for the needs of the military industry.
This is such an ambiguous holiday - Valentine's Day. For someone romantic, for someone sexy, and for someone purely professional.
But to celebrate it or not, everyone decides for himself. But it is hardly worth waiting for Valentine's Day to confess your love, give sweets or hug your loved one.
Love does not need special dates, holidays and recognizable symbols that are flaunted. Love itself is already a holiday. Love each other every day.
And as for Valentine's Day, I described the history of the holiday, versions and facts. Valentine's Day is celebrated in various ways in different countries, how you celebrate it is up to you.
Also on our website you can find a hint, or think with us about.
Valentine's Day, which falls on February 14, is celebrated in our country relatively recently, only a couple of decades, while in Europe it has long traditions and roots dating back to the history of the ancient world.
How is Valentine's Day celebrated?
The external manifestations of this holiday are known to everyone: in a couple of weeks, all the counters are full of hearts of all shapes and sizes, everyone gives each other the so-called "valentines" - postcards, also made in the form of hearts. Traditionally, most of them are anonymous, and the recipient is asked to guess who the sender is on their own. However, it is believed that these postcards appeared much later than the holiday itself, whose age is about 18 centuries, while The wife of the Duke of Orleans received the first Valentine in 1415.. He was in prison, and decided in such an original way to show his love for his lawful wife. Who would have thought that the fashion for them would go so far and last so long! Some muster up the courage and confess their love on this day. Many, in addition to traditional souvenirs, give something more substantial, but this differs from the classical canons of the holiday.
The classic version of the origin of Valentine's Day
Today, probably, only the lazy one, or the one who completely denies what is happening these days, does not know her. This story happened, as the legend says, because there is no documentary evidence for all the events described below, and hardly existed, in 269 AD. Then Emperor Claudius II ruled, and Christianity was a very young religion. Then the adherents of Christianity were still persecuted by the worshipers of paganism, and Christian marriage, in the modern sense, almost did not exist. However, there was some christian priest valentine, who not only performed the sacrament of Christian marriage - he married legionnaires, to whom marriage bonds were prohibited by the nature of their service in general. As the legends say, the priest was not just a religious figure of that time, he was also engaged in science and medicine, and was also engaged in resolving conflicts and quarrels between lovers. 
Some legends say that he was an ordinary ordinary priest, some believe that he was a bishop, be that as it may, his activities did not go unnoticed by the authorities, and he went to prison, after which he was executed. Judging by some sources, love did not bypass him either, and already in prison he learned about this feeling that the blind daughter of the jailer had for the saint. She wrote him a letter, where she confessed her ardent passion, but since the priest could not take off his vow of celibacy, all actions on his part were limited to a touching letter that the girl received on the eve of his execution, February 13. However, there is a more optimistic, but less real version, according to which Valentine and this girl had mutual feelings for each other. Moreover, on the night before the execution, using his knowledge in medicine, he cured his beloved of blindness, after which he already went to the execution, which was carried out by cutting off the head with a sword. The priest who accepted death for his convictions was canonized, having been made a saint, and since the 8th century in Western Europe, February 14 was considered the feast of all lovers. In America, they began to celebrate it a little later, since 1777, and even more so in Russia: as already mentioned, we became aware of it about 20 years ago.
The external attributes of the holiday remain almost unchanged throughout the entire time that it is celebrated: hearts, hearts and hearts again, sweets, postcards and souvenirs are made in the form of them.
The meaning of the holiday has changed somewhat over time. So, in the Middle Ages in Britain, both in its English and Scottish parts, a kind of lottery was arranged on this day, pulling out the name of a beloved for a year. Thus, the holiday was important not only for couples, but also for those who have not yet found happiness in love, and thus gave the latter hope for happiness. Today, the official Catholic Church does not recognize Saint Valentine., and does not celebrate this day. The explanation is the lack of substantiated information on this issue, because all the data regarding the circumstances of the case and the personality of the priest are in the nature of myths and fairy tales, and do not have documented sources. The only thing known is the way the priest was executed. Guided by these data, or rather their absence, since 1969 the Catholic Church has excluded this holiday from the officially approved ones, it has not supported and does not support the traditions of its celebration. Today it is fashionable to get married on this day, it is believed that such a marriage will be strong and happy, and love in it will be eternal.
Another version of the appearance of Valentine's Day
This option is not at all romantic, and therefore not popular. The origins of this version also refer to antiquity, and is connected with the fact that earlier in mid-February it was necessary celebration of lupercalia- a holiday of female fertility, widely celebrated in ancient Rome. As part of the celebration, women stripped naked and put their bodies under the blows of whips, which were also distributed by naked Romans running through the streets of the city. It was believed that to receive your portion of blows is to ensure high fertility and easy childbirth, which was especially appreciated with the level of medicine of that time. 
Rome, as a state, in every possible way encouraged the manifestations of this holiday, since it was believed that as a result, even the most hopeless representatives of the human race acquired the ability to bear children. In those days, infant mortality, both in childbirth and in the first year of life, had a terrifying level, which more than once put Rome on the brink of extinction. Such a holiday dedicated to the goddess of "feverish" love "and the Faun, the patron saint of herds, each year led to a surge in the birth rate, which was welcomed by the state. With the advent of Christianity on the world stage, more than one holiday was transformed and took on a more civilized appearance. This custom did not bypass the lupercalia, where pagan roots were disguised by a civilized Christian cover. However, not all historians support this version, many of them believe that these two holidays are connected only by the fact that they relate to love and coincide chronologically, having completely different origins and manifestations.
How Valentine's Day was celebrated at different times
Everyone knows how this day is celebrated today, but people did not come to this order immediately, and in different countries it was celebrated in different ways.
England
In this country, as mentioned above, a kind of lottery was held on this day: on Valentine's Day, young people pulled out tickets with the names of their companions for the next year. Many couples created on this day formalized their relationship in the future, those who were unlucky got another chance the next year. This fun was the lot of the common people, and the aristocrats amused themselves on this day by trying to outdo each other with the splendor and richness of gifts presented to their mistresses.
Giving gifts to wives on Valentine's Day was considered the height of indecency. The first Valentine, however, was presented in England, and it was to the legal wife, as mentioned above.
In general, this holiday in Britain was so popular that servants in rich houses could abandon their work while waiting for mail with heartfelt messages, and not be subjected to cruel punishment.
America
Until the 18th century, poverty and its accompanying puritanical customs reigned in this country, severely limiting the number of holidays and entertainment. For a long time they did not even celebrate Easter and Christmas there, not finding direct permission in the Holy Scriptures to mess around on this day. Even Thanksgiving was only a day for the Presbyterian church, and was celebrated with great restraint. Needless to say, St. Valentine's Day did not fit into the strict and Spartan way of those centuries at all, however, when the traditions of celebrating it with roses and postcards gradually penetrated from across the ocean, Americans liked it. By that time, a fairly good level of prosperity had already been achieved in the country, and commerce was connected to the production of hearts and other holiday accessories. Their production and sale were put on stream, and soon its celebration began to be carried out on a large scale.
Japan
In this country, Valentine's Day began to be celebrated after the end of World War II, when Japan, until that time completely closed from the rest of the world, began to transfer American and European traditions into its life. However, here the celebration has its own characteristics: firstly, most gifts and souvenirs were made from chocolate, and secondly, it has historically developed that for the most part it was the day of men, they were mostly presented with sweet gifts. At present, this trend has continued.
Do you know what no one will tolerate? Savings, even on small things! What is the best birthday greeting for a teacher? about it in our article. What kind of breakfast can you make on Valentine's Day if you don't know how to cook? At the following address, we have prepared some simple recipes for you.
Germany
St. Valentine's Day also penetrated into this country after the end of the war, and basically its celebration was carried out in European traditions, but had its own bias. So from the beginning of the celebration it was customary that this day was not just a holiday for lovers, but also for those who intended to enter into legal marriage. These young people were supposed to come to the bishop of the area where they lived on February 14 and ask him for an official blessing for the marriage procedures. It was believed that such a marriage would be more durable and happy. At present, the custom has been preserved only for religious couples, which, however, are many in Germany. In conclusion, we offer you a short video in which we will also learn a little about the traditions of celebrating Valentine's Day in Ancient Rome and how it is done in our time in different countries of the world. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-GH-hvEtvY
Valentine's Day or Valentine's Day, the most romantic holiday, is celebrated in most countries of the world on February 14 - on this day for more than one and a half thousand years people have confessed their love to each other.
It is curious that initially the celebration of the memory of St. Valentine was established as a veneration of his martyrdom, without any connection with the patronage of lovers.
Gradually, St. Valentine's Day turned from a Catholic holiday into a secular one. Many people celebrate this holiday with pleasure, although it is not listed on the calendar among official holidays.
History
Valentine's Day has existed for more than 15 centuries, but according to pagan traditions, the holidays of "Love" were popular even in ancient times.
So, in ancient Rome on February 15 every year they celebrated the holiday of abundance - Lupercalius - in honor of the god Faun (Luperk is one of his nicknames), the patron saint of herds. And the day before the Lupercalia, the feast of the Roman goddess of marriage, motherhood and women Juno and the god Pan was celebrated.
On this day, the girls wrote love letters, which were placed in a huge urn, and then the men pulled the letters. Then each man began to court the girl whose love letter he pulled out. In ancient Greece, this holiday was called Panurgy - ritual games in honor of the god Pan (in Roman mythology - Faun) - the patron saint of herds, forests, fields and their fertility. According to mythology, Pan is a merry fellow and a rake, plays the flute beautifully and always pursues the nymphs with his love.
Information has been preserved that this day was also called the "Bird's Wedding", since it was believed that birds form mating pairs precisely in the second week of the second month of the year.
Saint Valentine
There are many legends associated with the name of Saint Valentine. The most beautiful and romantic of them is the story of a Christian preacher who, in 269, married the legionnaires of the Roman Empire with their lovers, despite the prohibition of Emperor Claudius II.
To preserve the military spirit, the emperor issued a decree prohibiting legionnaires from marrying, since it was believed that a married man was thinking about how to feed his family, and not about the good of the empire and military prowess.
St. Valentine sympathized with the lovers and tried in every possible way to help them - he reconciled quarreling lovers, composed letters for them with declarations of love, gave flowers to young spouses and secretly married soldiers. Claudius II, having learned about this, ordered the priest to be thrown into prison, and soon signed a decree on his execution. A halo of romance is shrouded in the last days of the life of St. Valentine.
According to legend, the blind daughter of the jailer fell in love with him, but Valentine, as a priest who had taken a vow of celibacy, could not return her feelings. However, on the night before the execution on February 13, he wrote a touching letter to her, where he spoke about his love. And the girl, having read the message after the execution of the priest, received her sight.
It is assumed that it is from there that the tradition of writing love notes on Valentine's Day - “valentines” originates.
According to the Catholic Church, Saint Valentine really healed a blind girl - the daughter of a dignitary Asterius, who believed in Christ and was baptized. Claudius then ordered the execution of Valentine. That is, Valentine suffered for the faith, and therefore was canonized as a saint. There is speculation that the Church introduced Valentine's Day as a counterweight to the popular pagan holiday of Love, which could not be eradicated with the advent of Christianity.
Around the same time, a legend appears to explain why St. Valentine patronizes lovers.
One way or another, two hundred years later, Valentine was proclaimed a Saint, the patron saint of all lovers.
However, in 1969, as a result of the reform of worship, St. Valentine was removed from the liturgical calendar of the Catholic Church. The reason for this was the fact that there is no information about this martyr, except for the name and information about beheading with a sword.
valentine
The very first valentine greeting card in the world is considered to be a note sent by Charles, Duke of Orleans to his wife from the Tower of London, where he was imprisoned in 1415.
Valentine cards were very popular in the 18th century, especially in England. They were exchanged as gifts. Lovers made postcards from multi-colored paper and signed with colorful ink. By the beginning of the 20th century, with the improvement of printing technology, handwritten postcards were replaced by printed ones. Today, on Valentine's Day, it is customary to give each other valentines in the form of hearts, with declarations of love, marriage proposals, or just jokes. On this day, they also like to arrange weddings and get married.
Traditions
In Europe, this holiday has been widely celebrated since the 13th century. In England, they used to carve wooden "spoons of love" and give them to their loved ones. They were decorated with hearts, keys and keyholes, which symbolized that the path to the heart was open.
The ancestor of the tradition of giving red roses to loved ones is considered Louis XVI, who presented such a bouquet to Marie Antoinette. According to legend, Aphrodite stepped on a bush of white roses and stained the roses with her blood, so red roses appeared.
According to an ancient custom, in England and Scotland on the eve of the holiday dedicated to St. Valentine, young people put tickets in an urn with the names of young girls written on them. Then each took out one ticket.
The girl, whose name went to the young man, became his “Valentina” for the coming year, and he became her “Valentine”. This meant that for a year relationships arose between young people, similar to those that, according to the descriptions of medieval novels, arose between a knight and his “lady of the heart”.
According to legend, in Britain, unmarried girls on February 14 get up before sunrise, stand near the window and look at the passing men - the first man they see is the betrothed. The Italians call February 14 a sweet day and give sweets and sweets. Valentines are mailed in a pink envelope with no return address. In romantic Denmark, dried white flowers are usually sent to each other, and in Spain it is considered the height of passion to send a love message with a carrier pigeon.
In France, it is customary to give jewelry on Valentine's Day. On Valentine's Day, the French also hold various romantic contests. For example, the competition for the longest serenade - a song about love - is very popular. And it was in France that the first quatrain message was written.
In Japan, on Valentine's Day, which began to be celebrated in the 30s of the XX century, it is customary to give men chocolate - usually in the form of a Valentine's figurine. This is not so much a declaration of love as a sign of attention. The tradition of giving sweets on this day appeared at the suggestion of one large chocolate manufacturing company. In addition, the Japanese hold a competition for the loudest and brightest love message. Boys and girls climb onto the platform and shout from there about their love.
Valentine's Day has been celebrated in the United States since 1777. The tradition of giving gifts on this day has grown stronger every year and for some has become a fairly successful business. At the beginning of the 19th century, Americans had a custom to give marzipan figurines to their loved ones on this day. And marzipans in those days were considered a great luxury.
In the post-Soviet space, people first paid attention to Valentine's Day about two decades ago. And only recent years are celebrated massively with valentines, congratulations and declarations of love.
Valentine's Day is also celebrated in Georgia, despite the fact that the country has its own Love Day, which is celebrated on April 15th.
It is curious that the Georgian Day of Love was once introduced as an alternative to St. Valentine's Day, a tradition to celebrate which came to the newly independent states from Western countries. Romantic Georgians, like many other countries that have their own alternative day of Love, today celebrate both holidays, according to the principle, the more, the better. But there are countries in the world where the Love holiday has been tabooed. First of all, this is Saudi Arabia, which is the only country in the world where this holiday is officially banned, moreover, under pain of heavy fines.
In its modern form, there are more than 16 centuries. But the holiday takes its origins much earlier - its prerequisites appeared several centuries before our era.
Lupercalia is an ancient Roman celebration of fertility. They arose in honor of the love of the goddess of passion Juno Februata and the god Faun (Luperka). From the nickname of God, the name of the holiday subsequently arose, which for a long time was celebrated on February 15th.
A few centuries before our era, ancient Rome was overwhelmed by a wave of miscarriages, stillborn children and infant mortality. The people were on the verge of extinction. Therefore, families without children or families with one or two children participated in various rituals to receive blessings from the gods for the birth of a child. So, every year on February 15 in the same place in Rome, where, according to legend, the she-wolf (Lupa - from Latin) fed the founders of the city (Remus and Romulus), the celebration of Lupercalia took place. Animals were sacrificed to the glory of the gods, from the skins of which whips were made. Men stripped naked and ran around the city with whips in their hands. They were scourges of all the ladies they met, and they, in turn, were happy to substitute them. It was believed that such blows increase the ability to bear children and ensure easy childbirth. At the end of the celebration, women were also completely naked.
Famous people also took part in the celebration of eroticism. For example, it is known for certain that Mark Antony played the role of Luperk more than once.
The Romans were very fond of such celebrations. Therefore, even with the advent of Christianity, it was Lupercalia that survived longer than all pagan customs.
In 494 AD, Pope Gelasius nevertheless canceled the Lupercalia and, according to some sources, transformed the pagan holiday into the Christian Valentine's Day, and ranked Valentine among the saints. It is not known for certain whether Gelasius founded this holiday, but that the holiday was named after a real person named Valentine, who sacrificed his life in the name of love, is beyond doubt.
Legends of Valentine
In the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, various versions of the life of the Christian Valentine appeared in Europe. There are several versions of what exactly he did to go down in world history forever.
"Golden" legend
During the reign of the cruel emperor Claudius II, the Romans were forbidden to marry. The emperor believed that the family and children had a detrimental effect on men - they were distracted by feelings and showed themselves worse on the battlefield. It is possible to forbid formalizing relations, but not a single emperor can impose a ban on love. People continued to fall in love, and a simple doctor and priest Valentine helped them legitimize their relationship before God. He sympathized with loving couples, and married them at night.
Upon learning of Valentine's "forbidden activities", the emperor ordered his death. In prison, the benefactor fell in love with the warden's daughter, Yulia. He wrote her a love letter (Valentine), signing - "your Valentine". Julia read it only after the death of her beloved. The saint was executed on February 14, 269.
"Salvation of the Servants"
According to another version, Valentine belonged to a famous Italian family. He secretly converted to Christianity and made his servants Christians. During the wedding of two lovers who served Valentine, all three were captured and placed in prison. Since the patricians (representatives of the ruling class) had immunity, nothing threatened Valentine. But the servants were sentenced to death. A Christian wrote a letter in the form of two red hearts - symbols of Christianity. A blind girl was supposed to hand it over, but Valentine himself showed up in prison. He persuaded the jailers to exchange two lovers for his life. Before his death, Valentine gave the blind girl a letter full of love and hope. Her eyesight returned and she grew into a real beauty.
Celebration in Medieval Europe
The tradition of celebrating Valentine's Day was finally strengthened in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. This was especially facilitated by English and French poets. In the poem "Bird Parliament" by Jeffrey Chaucer and the ballads of J. Gower, the name of the holiday is mentioned more than once in the version we are used to. In the works on February 14, birds begin to look for their pairs.
An invariable attribute of Valentine's Day - valentines. Postcards in the form of scarlet hearts were created by the Duke of Orleans at the beginning of the 15th century. While imprisoned in the Tower, he missed his wife and sent love letters to pass the time. In the 18th century, valentines became widespread.
How is the holiday celebrated now?
Valentine's Day does not go unnoticed by lovers in almost any country. But the traditions of celebrating everywhere have their own peculiarities.
In Russia
In Russia and throughout the post-Soviet space, February 14 has been celebrated only since the beginning of the 20th century. The holiday is secular. Representatives of the Catholic and Christian churches are ambivalent about the veneration of St. Valentine. Some note that the veneration of the martyr Valentine continued for a long time - until the reform of the 1960s. Others call the celebration in honor of the saint "optional". But in any case, all lovers do not forget to congratulate their “halves”, presenting them with valentines, teddy bears, flowers or sweets.
In Great Britain
Thanks to the “Bird Parliament” by J. Chaucer, who said that birds form families on February 14, in England, not only people, but also English pets (especially dogs and horses) receive love messages. Unmarried ladies on this day guess as follows: they get up before dawn and stand at the window. The man who catches their eye will be the betrothed.
An obligatory attribute of the celebration in Wales is handmade wooden spoons and decorated with keys, locks and hearts. This tells the recipient that they have found their way into the heart of the giver.
in Italy
February 14 in this southern European country is called "sweet". This holiday got its name due to the fact that the Italians on this day without fail give their beloved any sweet gifts. It is also customary to send incognito postal valentines in a pink envelope.
In Spain
A message to a valentine by mail in this hot country is accepted as standard. But the use of carrier pigeons is the height of the manifestation of passionate feelings for the addressee.
In Finland
February 14 in Suomi is considered the Day of Love. Finns give heart-shaped gifts not only to their loved ones, but also to mothers. Since there is no analogue of March 8 there.
In Japan
It has been celebrated since the 1930s. On this day, the Japanese arrange a traditional competition for the loudest declaration of love. Those wishing to take turns from the bridge confess their feelings to their halves. Whoever does it the loudest wins.
The main gift is chocolate. Moreover, a woman should do it to her lover and friends (polite chocolate). A gift from a husband or boyfriend on February 14 is regarded as an unmanly act. A man should make a return compliment a month later on a “white” day. A woman receives white chocolate from her betrothed.
In Denmark
In this country, Valentine's Day is celebrated cheerfully and noisily, arranging parties, concerts, and performances. Traditionally, they give dried or fresh white flowers, postcards with love content. Congratulations to all - loved ones, friends, colleagues.
In France
It was the French who introduced the tradition of composing quatrains for their loved ones in honor of the holiday. Of the gifts in the highest esteem - jewelry. The French also like to give: romantic trips, pink yogurts, lottery tickets, heart-shaped sausage, underwear, chocolate mousses, lottery tickets.
Also, the French like to arrange all kinds of romantic competitions, for example, for the longest serenade.
The tradition of giving red roses was introduced by Louis XVI. It was he who gave these flowers to Marie Antoinette. According to legend, Aphrodite stepped on white roses and stained them with her blood.
In Holland
On this day, ladies have every right to approach the man they like and say: “Be my husband!”. And it won't look vulgar. If a man does not agree to start a family with a brave woman, he will be obliged to buy her a silk dress.
IN THE USA
The celebration of Valentine's Day in North America began in the late 18th century. Very quickly, the holiday was commercialized - now almost no one makes valentines with their own hands. But everything is in order in the trade sphere: valentines take the second place, after Christmas, in the volume of sales of greeting cards.
Since the 19th century, there has been a tradition of giving marzipans and figurines made from them. In those days, these products were very expensive due to the inclusion of scarce sugar in the composition. On February 14, Americans congratulate not only their soul mates, but also their parents, grandparents, and friends.
In Georgia
An alternative holiday to Valentine's Day is Love Day. It is celebrated on April 15th. However, this does not prevent romantic Georgians from celebrating and confessing tender feelings to their loved ones at least twice a year - the more often, the better!
In Germany
Valentine among the Germans is considered the patron saint of mentally ill people, not lovers. Therefore, on February 14, it is customary to decorate psychiatric clinics with red ribbons. There is a special service in the chapels.
In Poland
The Poles are sure that the relics of St. Valentine are located on the territory of modern Poland - in the Poznań Metropolis. Therefore, many lovers go there to bow to the miraculous icon. They are sure that it will help in love affairs.
In Saudi Arabia
Celebration is prohibited. Otherwise, serious fines are imposed on the violator.
Valentine's Day: Everything you need to know about the holiday
From open sources
Valentine's Day has many fans and detractors. The former adore pink and plush paraphernalia and other "tenderness", while the latter see a marketing ploy and an element of mass culture in the holiday. To celebrate this holiday or not is an individual matter, but for now we will tell you where it came from
The whole world, and with it Ukraine on February 14 celebrates Valentine's Day or Valentine's Day. The holiday gained popularity in Ukraine relatively recently, about 15-20 years ago, and is now celebrated everywhere, without reference to religion, but rather as an additional reason to tell your soulmate about feelings and arrange something especially romantic.
history of the holiday
The Catholic Church recognizes at least three different saints named Valentine who were murdered. One legend claims that Valentine was a priest who served in the third century in Rome. When Emperor Claudius II decided that single men were better soldiers than those with wives and families, he forbade marriage for young men. Valentine, realizing the injustice of the decree, challenged Claudius and continued to marry the lovers in secret. When Valentine's actions were discovered, Claudius ordered that he be put to death.
Other stories suggest that Valentine may have been killed for trying to help Christians escape harsh Roman prisons, where they were often beaten and tortured. According to one legend, the imprisoned Valentine actually sent the first "valentine" after falling in love with a young girl, possibly his jailer's daughter. Before he died, he claimed to have written her a letter signed "From your Valentine", an expression that is used to this day. Although the origin of the legends about Valentine is still unclear, they all emphasize him as a sympathetic, heroic and, most importantly, romantic figure. During the Middle Ages, perhaps due to this reputation, Valentine became one of the most popular saints in England and France.
Saint Valentine From open sources
While some believe that Valentine's Day is celebrated in mid-February to commemorate the anniversary of the saint's death or burial, others argue that the Christian church may have chosen to place Valentine's Day at this time in an attempt to "Christianize" the pagan celebration of the Lupercalia. Lupercalia was a fertility festival dedicated to the Faun, the Roman god of agriculture, and the founders of Rome, Romulus and Remus.
At the beginning of the Lupercalia, the Roman priests gathered in the sacred cave where the infants Romulus and Remus, the founders of Rome, were believed to have been nursed by a she-wolf. The priests sacrificed a goat and a dog, then cut the goat's skin into strips, dipped them in sacrificial blood, and whipped passers-by with these strips. It was believed that the touch of the skin brings fertility, and women will ensure easy childbirth.
At the end of the 5th century, Pope Gelasius outlawed the Lupercalia and decreed that February 14 should be celebrated as Valentine's Day. In the Middle Ages in France and England, February 14 was considered the beginning of the mating season of birds, and over time this day became a day of lovers and romance.
In the Roman Catholic Church of St. Valentine is officially considered the patron not of lovers, but of people suffering from nervous diseases: icons often depict Valentine in the clothes of a priest or bishop, who heals a young man from epilepsy. According to church tradition, at the grave of St. Valentina, a young man with epilepsy, prayed for a long time - and recovered.
In total, Roman Catholics have 16 Saint Valentines and two Saint Valentines. In 1969, the patron saint of lovers was removed from the calendar of saints as one whose historicity was questioned. However, in the modern calendars of the RCC, February 14 is marked as the day of remembrance of St. Valentine.
Eastern Rite Christians commemorate the three Saint Valentines on May 7, July 19, and August 12. As for the holiday of February 14, the attitude towards it is ambiguous: Orthodox priests warn that it is necessary to distinguish between bodily and spiritual love. the best way to prove the purity of their intentions, they consider going to the temple that day with their soulmate.
At the end of the 19th - beginning of the 20th century, in the then very popular home theater performances, one of the most beloved was a play based on the Old Kiev legend about Kyiv lovers, who were helped to keep their love by St. Olga and St. Valentine.
"Valentines"
Traditionally, on Valentine's Day, people give each other various heart-shaped treats, flowers and small souvenirs. As the chronicler Samuel Pepys wrote in the 17th century, on February 14, lovers exchanged small gifts: gloves, rings, delicacy. The invariable attributes of the holiday are "valentines", red roses, doves and cupids. It is believed that the first Valentine's Day greeting that has survived to this day was written in 1415 by Charles, Duke of Orleans, to his wife, while he was imprisoned in the Tower of London after its capture at the Battle of Agincourt. A few years later, King Henry V hired a writer named John Lydgate to compose a Valentine's card for Catherine of Valois.
From open sources
The first "valentines" were created with their own hands. The most talented wrote acrostics, and later in Britain they began to print collections of poems - lovers chose the best and copied them into a "valentine". With this, the production of "valentines" on an industrial scale began. This idea came from the American Esther Howland. In just one year, she sold $5,000 worth of postcards.
By the number of sales, "valentines" take the first place, second only to Christmas cards. Most of the "valentines" are bought by women, men "specialize" more in sweets, chocolates and bouquets of roses. In this regard, pragmatic people consider Valentine's Day a grandiose marketing ploy.
Signs
Once upon a time, girls believed in a belief: if a girl sees a robin bird that day, then she is destined to marry a sailor, if a sparrow, then a poor man sued her, with whom she would still find her happiness, and the goldfinch promised a millionaire husband.
In Japan, this day is considered a holiday for men, respectively, and gifts on February 14 are most often received by the stronger sex. Traditionally, women give gifts to men (usually confectionery, chocolate, purchased or homemade) as a token of appreciation and love. And there are two types of chocolate. The first is called giri-choco and is given to friends, colleagues and male relatives. This gift does not carry a love connotation and is perceived by the recipients as a courtesy. The second type of chocolate, the so-called hon-mei, is bought only for beloved men: husbands or boyfriends. Often such chocolate is made individually.
In Poland, it is customary to visit the Poznan metropolis on February 14, where the relics of St. Valentine rest, and his miraculous icon hangs above the main altar. Lonely people, making a pilgrimage to this metropolis, believe that Valentine will help them find a soul mate. In addition, there is a belief that you need to ask the name of the first man who met an unmarried girl on Valentine's Day in order to find out the name of the future groom.
In Wales, before the holiday, lovers carve a wooden spoon, decorate it with hearts, keys and keyholes, and give it to each other. Such a gift literally means: "You found the way to my heart."
In Denmark, men send unsigned "valentines" to their girlfriends. If the girl guesses who the sender is, she should send him a chocolate egg in response to Easter.