14 february what a holiday is valentine's day. Finnish Valentine's Day. Outdoor activities

16.06.2019

February 14 in many countries of the world, and more recently in Russia, celebrate Valentine's Day, or Valentine's Day. On this holiday, lovers congratulate each other, and those who have not yet found their soul mate make wishes. Where did this holiday come from and what are its traditions, read in our section "Questions and Answers".

What holiday is it?

Valentine's Day is an international holiday of love, which has been celebrated in Europe since the 13th century, and in the USA since 1777. In Russia and the CIS countries, celebrations began on February 14 in the early 1990s.

On this day, it is customary to give souvenirs and gifts to your soul mate. These can be cute trinkets, candies, toys, flowers. DIY crafts are also welcome. For example, heart-shaped cards, which are also called valentines.

How did Valentine's Day come about?

There are two legends about the origin of this holiday. The first story says that Valentine was a prisoner who went to jail for healing the sick with the help of an unknown force. People did not forget their savior and carried notes to him. Once one of these notes fell into the hands of a prison guard. The overseer believed that the young man really had a talent as a doctor, and asked to heal his blind daughter. The doctor cured the girl. When the girl saw her savior, she fell in love with him. The feeling turned out to be mutual.

However, the happy end did not work out. On February 14, the young man in love was executed. Before his death, he wrote his beloved and all his loved ones notes with confessions. It is believed that this is how the tradition of giving each other valentines was born.

The second legend tells that Valentine was a Roman priest. He served in the third century AD. Then there was a ban on the marriage of soldiers. Julius Claudius II believed that wives prevent men from fighting and defending their homeland.

The priest Valentine, contrary to the prohibition, married the soldiers in love. For this he was sentenced to death. In prison, Valentine fell in love with the warden's daughter, the girl also fell in love with the young man. But she learned about the priest's feelings only after the execution. On the night of February 14, the lover wrote a letter to the girl, where he confessed his feelings. In the morning he was executed.

How is Valentine's Day celebrated in Russia and in the world?

In America, it was customary to give marzipans on this day, which are quite expensive. In Japan, a tradition has developed to give sweets on this day. Chocolate is preferred. In the Land of the Rising Sun, February 14 is a holiday for men. The stronger half receive more gifts than women.

It is customary for the French to give jewelry on Valentine's Day. In Denmark, people send dried white flowers to each other. In Britain, unmarried girls get up before sunrise on 14 February. The young ladies look out the window at the passers-by. They believe that the first man they see is the betrothed.

In Russia, it is customary to give gifts in the shape of a heart and a valentine on this day. However, no one forbids giving expensive gifts.

But in Saudi Arabia, this holiday is officially banned. Anyone who breaks the law and, for example, gives a valentine, faces a huge fine.

Does Russia have its own holiday of lovers?

Russia has had its own Valentine's Day for a long time. However, the holiday has gained wide popularity only in recent years. Since July 8, 2008, the Day of Family, Love and Fidelity has been celebrated in all cities of Russia. It is also called the Day of Peter and Fevronia. Peter and Fevronia left earthly life in one day, taking monasticism in old age, and after 300 years they were canonized. The symbol of the holiday is chamomile - a flower that is especially popular with all lovers.

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 confess their love to each other.

Curiously, the commemoration of St. Valentine was originally established as an homage to his martyrdom, without any connection with the patronage of lovers.

Gradually, Valentine's Day turned from a Catholic holiday into a secular one. Many people celebrate this holiday with pleasure, although it is not included in the calendar among official holidays.

History

Valentine's Day has existed for more than 15 centuries, but according to pagan traditions, the "Love" holidays were popular even in ancient times.

So, in ancient Rome, on February 15, every year, they celebrated the feast of abundance - Lupercalia - in honor of the god Faun (Luperk is one of his nicknames), the patron saint of herds. And the day before Lupercalia was celebrated the feast of the Roman goddess of marriage, motherhood and women Juno and the god Pan.

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 look after 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 eternally pursues the nymphs with his love.

There is information 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 St. Valentine. The most beautiful and romantic of them is the story of a Christian preacher who, in 269, married the legionaries of the Roman Empire with their beloved, despite the ban of Emperor Claudius II.

To preserve the military spirit, the emperor issued a decree prohibiting marriage to legionnaires, since it was believed that a married man thinks about how to feed his family, and not about the good of the empire and military prowess.

Romantic action "Knight of Love"

Saint Valentine sympathized with the lovers and tried to help them in every possible way - he reconciled the quarreling lovers, composed letters for them with declarations of love, gave flowers to the young spouses and secretly married the soldiers.

Claudius II, learning about this, ordered to throw the priest in prison, and soon signed a decree on his execution. The last days of St. Valentine's life are also shrouded in a halo of romance.

According to legend, the jailer's blind daughter fell in love with him, but Valentine, as a priest who took a vow of celibacy, could not answer her feelings. However, on the night before the execution on February 13, he wrote her a touching letter, where he spoke of his love. And the girl, having read the message after the execution of the priest, regained her sight.

It is assumed that it is from there that the tradition of writing love notes - "valentines" - on Valentine's Day began.

According to the Catholic Church, Saint Valentine really healed a blind girl - the daughter of the dignitary Asteria, who believed in Christ and was baptized. Claudius then ordered Valentine's execution. That is, Valentine suffered for his faith, and therefore was numbered among the Saints.

There is an assumption that the Church introduced Valentine's Day as a counterbalance 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 Saint 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 the worship service, Saint 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 the beheading by the sword.

Valentine

The very first Valentine's greeting card in the world is considered a note sent by Charles, Duke of Orleans, to his wife from the Tower of London, where he was imprisoned in 1415.

Participants of the flash mob "1000 hearts"

Valentine's cards were very popular in the 18th century, especially in England. They were exchanged as gifts. The lovers made postcards from 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. They also like to arrange weddings and get married on this day.

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 way to the heart was open.

Louis XVI, who presented such a bouquet to Marie Antoinette, is considered the ancestor of the tradition of giving to lovers exactly red roses. 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 the 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 her "Valentine". This meant that between young people for a year there was a relationship similar to those that, according to the descriptions of medieval novels, arose between a knight and his "lady of the heart."

Electric stoves for lovers installed in Sokolniki Park

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.

Italians call February 14 a sweet day and give sweets and candies. 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, the height of passion is to send a love letter 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, there is a very popular competition for the longest serenade - a love song. And it was in France that the quatrain message was first written.

Valery Melnikov

In Japan, on Valentine's Day, which began to be celebrated in the 30s of the 20th century, it is customary to give chocolate to men - 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 a large chocolate 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 grew stronger every year and for some it has become a fairly successful business. At the beginning of the 19th century, the Americans developed a custom - to give marzipan figurines to their beloved on this day. And marzipans in those days were considered a great luxury.

In the post-Soviet space, people first noticed Valentine's Day about two decades ago. And only recent years have been celebrated en masse with valentines, congratulations and declarations of love.

Valentine's Day is also celebrated in Georgia, despite the fact that the country has its own Day of Love, which is celebrated on April 15.

It is curious that the Georgian Day of Love was once introduced as an alternative to Valentine's Day, the tradition of celebrating 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 a taboo was imposed on the holiday of Love. 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.

The material was prepared on the basis of open sources.

Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day, or Valentine's Day- a holiday that is celebrated on February 14 by many people around the world. Named for two of the many early Christian martyrs named Valentine. In some dioceses of the Catholic Church, St. Valentine is commemorated on this day. In Russia, the holiday is of a secular nature, the attitude of the Catholic and Orthodox Churches to this holiday is ambiguous. The attitude of Islam towards this holiday is negative.

Those who celebrate this holiday give their loved ones and dear people flowers, sweets, toys, balloons and special cards (often in the shape of a heart), with poems, love confessions or wishes of love - valentines.

According to the United States Greeting Cards Association, valentines are the most popular holiday cards after Christmas.

Sending valentines was fashionable in 19th century Britain. In 1847, Esther Howland started a successful hand-crafted British Valentine's Day card business at her home in Worcester, Massachusetts. Since the 19th century, homemade valentines have almost completely given way to mass-produced greeting cards. The popularity of such cards in 19th century America was a harbinger of the subsequent commercialization of holidays in the United States.

History

Lupercalia of ancient Rome

The history of Valentine's Day dates back to the Lupercalia of ancient Rome. Lupercalia - a festival of eroticism in honor of the goddess of "feverish" love Juno Februata and the god Faun (Luperk is one of his nicknames), the patron saint of herds, which was celebrated annually on February 14.

In ancient times, infant mortality was very high, In 276 BC. NS. Rome nearly died out as a result of an "epidemic" of stillbirths and miscarriages. The oracle announced that in order to increase the birth rate, a rite of corporal punishment (flogging) of women with the help of sacrificial skin is necessary. People who, for whatever reason, had few or no children, were viewed as damned and resorted to mystical rituals to gain the ability to bear children.

The place where the she-wolf, according to legend, brought up Romulus and Remus (the founders of Rome), was considered a saint by the Romans. Every year, on February 15, a holiday called "Lupercalia" (lat. lupo- "she-wolf"), during which animals were sacrificed. Scourges were made from their skins. After the feast, the young people took these whips and went out into the city to smack the women.

According to William M. Cooper's Illustrated History of the Family, the main part of the Lupercalia festival was naked people carrying goat-skin straps who ran past and beat women; women willingly expose themselves, believing that these blows will give them fertility and easy childbirth. This became a very common ritual in Rome, in which even members of noble families participated. Records say that even Mark Antony fled as Luperzi.

At the end of the celebrations, the women also stripped naked. These festivals became so popular that even when many other pagan festivals were canceled with the advent of Christianity, this one existed for a long time.

Saint Valentine

In Russia

Valentine's Day, celebrated on February 14, has become a full-fledged holiday for almost half of Russians. This is evidenced by the survey data of the All-Russian Center for the Study of Public Opinion (VTsIOM) and the Analytical Center of Yuri Levada. According to VTsIOM, this holiday is the most popular among young people. More than 81% of boys and girls aged 18 to 24 celebrate this holiday. In the course of a study conducted by the Levada Center, it turned out that at the moment 53% of Russians consider themselves to be in love. Meanwhile, there are those who are ready to fight the “alien” tradition of celebrating this day. In principle, there is nothing wrong with the very presence of a holiday dedicated to the most sublime feeling. Moreover, modern society is experiencing an acute lack of love and elementary human warmth. Psychologists associate chronic stress and fatigue of the modern man in the street with a deficit of sincere feelings. However, in Russia, as in the rest of the world, the holiday of "pure and light love" has acquired a commercial connotation. Retailers expect sales of holiday paraphernalia to grow: souvenir hearts, postcards, etc. The bulk of buyers, according to statistics, are young people. Meanwhile, a significant part of the religious community has a negative attitude towards this "holiday". They believe that the tradition of celebrating Valentine's Day is based on the Roman pagan festival "Lupercalia", during which promiscuous sexual relations and sexual promiscuity were encouraged. The Russian Orthodox Church also has a negative attitude to the holiday. Not only Orthodox Christians, but also Catholics refuse to celebrate Valentine's Day. The Catholic Church does not officially hold any special festive services on Valentine's Day, considering it a folk celebration, not a church tradition. In the church, however, the "memory", and not the "feast" of the saint is celebrated. ...

A sharply negative attitude towards the feast of St. Valentina is demonstrated by representatives of some youth associations who consider this holiday alien to Russian culture and see it as a negative influence of the West.

Celebration

Notes (edit)

history of the holiday

This holiday has existed for a very long time - more than 1500 years. So, on February 14, Valentine's Day in Europe began to be celebrated somewhere in the 13th century. America joined the celebrations in 1777. The countries of the former Soviet Union discovered Valentine's Day for themselves only in the early 90s.

So, whose holiday is this and why is it called that?

This story begins in 269 in the Roman Empire. Then the state was ruled by the harsh emperor Claudius II. And the main goal of the Empire was the conquest of lands. The sovereign military leader faced the problem of shortage of soldiers in the army for military campaigns. And Claudius II found an explanation for this - marriages. The emperor came to the conclusion that the legionnaires, whose wives and children are waiting at home, are less interested in the victories of the Motherland. Where should they think about conquests, when they need to take care of feeding their families. And Claudius II found a wonderful, as he thought, way out: he issued a decree prohibiting marriage. Thus, he tried to maintain the soldier's morale.

However, the ban on creating a family could in no way prevent men from falling in love. And, fortunately for the legionnaires, there was a man in the empire who supported them. It was a Christian priest from the city of Terni - Valentin. Despite the strict prohibition of the emperor, he secretly performed wedding ceremonies of legionnaires with their beloved in his church. Probably, Valentine was a real romantic, since he not only united people by marriage, but also helped the lovers in every possible way: he helped compose tender messages and gave flowers on behalf of the legionnaires to the objects of their passion.

Of course, everything floated out and became known to the Emperor. And since in the Roman Empire the law was above all, the activities of the priest were sharply suppressed. Valentine was put in jail. And soon the emperor signed a decree on the execution of the priest.

The last days of Valentine, which he spent in prison, are shrouded in a halo of romance. They say that the daughter of the chief of the guard was in love with him. However, Valentine, who gave an answer to her feelings, could not. On the last night before being hanged, February 13, he sent her a letter in which he told about his feelings. The girl read the message only after the execution of her lover.

Saint Valentine

Valentine's Day is named after him. Of course, there is no evidence that everything was exactly as described above. After all, no material evidence of this has survived. But it is clear that the young Christian priest died in the name of love. And for his short life, so much of this feeling was released to him: love for a beautiful woman, for God, for the people he helped. He was a wonderful person with a huge soul, striving to do good. It is not surprising that Valentine's Day is named after him.

Later, the Catholic Church considered Valentine a Christian martyr who died for the faith, and declared him a saint. And in 496, Pope Gelasius I announced that February 14 was Valentine's Day.

However, with the reform of the worship of 1969, St. Valentine was removed from the Catholic liturgical church calendar. The same was done with some other saints, about whose life there was no reliable information. However, even up to that time, the church did not approve of the celebration of this day without much approval.

Celebrations of love

Valentine's Day is a holiday that has existed for more than 16 centuries. However, since the 18th century and much earlier, the most diverse national celebrations of love have been known.

There is a version that the first was the Roman festival of eroticism Lupercalia. It was held in honor of the goddess Februat, who was considered a symbol of "feverish" love. The purpose of this celebration was to find your other half. Therefore, at the end of it, many new marriages were created.

The day before the feast of Lupercalia, which was held on February 15, the celebration of the Roman goddess of motherhood, marriage and women, Juno, was celebrated. On this day, all unmarried girls had to write and put it in a large urn. And men - draw out a letter. It was believed that every man had to take care of that beauty, whose ardent and passionate message he got.

In ancient Greece, the holiday was called Panurgy. It was a festival dedicated to the deity Pan, who was considered the patron saint of flocks, fields and fertility. Pan was portrayed as a little merry man playing the pipe and chasing beautiful nymphs with his love.

All of the above is a pagan contribution to Valentine's Day. Whose holiday served as the basis, it is not possible to determine. Most likely, the pagan traditions of different peoples are reflected in the modern celebration.

Valentine

At the end of the 17th century, the English court chronicler recorded that Valentine's Day is a holiday during which lovers can exchange passionate notes, present each other with all kinds of gifts, such as rings, sweets, gloves, cakes, etc. But there was an important condition: all souvenirs are in the shape of a heart. Whether this was really so is unknown, but, most likely, it was from there that the tradition began to send special messages on such a day - valentines.

Today this word refers to love letters in the form of hearts. Valentine's cards cannot be signed. The recipient must guess who she is from.

On Valentine's Day, people want to show their feelings and tenderness to their soulmate. They give roses, symbolizing love, send cute cards, make an offer. It is a celebration of love all over the world. But each country has its own Valentine's Day traditions.

and Italy

On February 14, both the French and the Italians traditionally give flowers and gifts. The difference is, perhaps, in the choice of the latter.

In France, jewelry is considered the best Valentine's Day gifts. In extreme cases, jewelry is also suitable. The French were the first to come up with original and popular today all over the world congratulations on Valentine's Day - rhymed quatrains. France is a land of love. And its inhabitants justify such a name. February 14 is an abundance of flowers, gifts, pink and declarations of love.

An Italian holiday is a sweet day. Traditionally, it is customary to arrange a sweet treat for your loved ones. Therefore, cakes, sweets, chocolate, yoghurts and other goodies are used.

Love and Germany

What is Valentine's Day in Germany? You will be surprised. But February 14 for the Germans is a holiday of the mentally ill.

On this day, divine services are held throughout the country at which people can pray for the health of mentally ill loved ones, as well as for the peace of Valentine's soul. The orderlies decorate the wards and corridors of psychiatric hospitals with scarlet ribbons. Therefore, if you see a beautifully decorated building on this day, you should know that this is a "psychiatric hospital".

But lately German youth have been striving to imitate the rest of the world. And even if unofficially, it still celebrates the holiday of love. In Germany, a pig is also added to the traditional European symbols of the celebration. All kinds of figurines in the shape of this animal, chocolates, soft toys and much more are used.

Celebrations in the USA and Canada

Valentine's Day traditions in America are mostly similar to those in Europe. But still, the main gift for loved ones on this day are red roses. Statistics showed that in the States on February 14, 20,000 roses are sold per minute. And more than a million of these beautiful flowers are bought a day!

Children also rejoice in the holiday - the script of all school plays and plays. The guys dress up as angels and deliver valentines addressed to both classmates and teachers. By the way, a lot of weddings take place in the USA on this day. The famous city of Las Vegas, located in the state of Nevada, is especially popular.

In Canada, on February 14, a girl can propose to her beloved man. And if he decides to refuse, he will face sanctions: from a fine to imprisonment! This does not apply to those representatives of the stronger sex who have already found their soul mate. But if a person is free and decided to refuse a lady in love with him, he will be dragged into a "jail".

A holiday of love in Britain

Real English gentlemen give roses to their ladies. And certainly scarlet. And women who have not yet found their lover prefer to do fortune-telling. It is believed that if you stand near a window on the morning of February 14 and look at an empty street, then the first passer-by who appears on the horizon will look like your future husband. If the girl has time to call him, then he may even become one.

The British are famous for their quirks. They congratulate not only their soulmates, but also pets. Horses and dogs are especially fond of. On February 14, you can buy heart-shaped food in pet stores to please your pets.

Love day in Japan

This holiday in Japan is somewhat similar to our day on February 23rd. Japanese men receive many more gifts on this day than women. The girls present their lovers with wallets, razors and the obligatory Honmei chocolate. Such sweet gifts came from the largest confectionery factory of the same name. It is believed that "Honmei" chocolate can only be presented to the most beloved man. So this is a kind of confession.

In Japan, a competition is held annually on February 14th. Young people rise to a special tribune and shout words of love to their girls, as far as they can. Of course, a valuable prize awaits the winner.

Love traditions of Denmark and Holland

On this day, festive parties dedicated to St. Valentine and all lovers are held throughout Denmark. Numerous concerts, game shows, exhibitions are held. The whole country is celebrating. The Danes have an interesting tradition. On Valentine's Day, men send a dried flower with which their beloved is associated. So girls will learn a lot about themselves and about the tastes and fantasies of their chosen ones.

If you really want to get married, you need to go to Holland. There is a tradition there that on February 14, if a girl made an offer, she cannot be refused. Of course, tying a man in marriage against his will is unlikely to work. But even if the offer is refused, then there is an opportunity to ask the chosen one for a silk dress. Moreover, any brand and at any price. No man can refuse this. The only condition is that the dress must be red. It is believed that only such an outfit can comfort an outcast woman. So the Dutch women in any case will not be left at a loss.

Friends Day

In Estonia and Finland it is Friendship Day. Of course, lovers celebrate it too. But the peculiarity of the holiday is that real friends also receive cards and gifts. This is done so that almost everyone can join the holiday, not just happy lovers.

One way or another, but on this day, as in the whole world, people send valentines, cute little things, gifts, soft toys, sweets and other gifts made in the shape of hearts. Flowers are less popular here, as practical Finns and Estonians prefer material expressions of their feelings of love and friendship.

Ban on love

Iran and Saudi Arabia are the only countries in the world where Valentine's Day is officially banned. The traditions of the holiday are considered here pernicious and pernicious, confusing young minds. Saudi Arabia even has a Commission for the Prevention of Sin and the Implementation of Virtue. It was she who issued a decree banning the celebration of Valentine's Day. The commission concluded that "this Western holiday exalts man's original sin."

Therefore, all shops and supermarkets of the country on February 14 are not entitled to sell flowers, valentines, plush toys and any other attributes of the holiday. And everyone who decides to celebrate this celebration will face a huge fine.

Valentine's Day in Russia

As mentioned above, in Russia Valentine's Day is celebrated not so long ago. However, many have already liked the holiday. Especially those who are in love. Russia has already developed its own holiday traditions. This day is perceived as a triumph of joy and love. In all corners of the country, lovers send valentines, present gifts and flowers, arrange romantic evenings by candlelight and date under the moon.

By the way, Russia also has its own Valentine's Day. The Orthodox holiday is called Valentine's Day. Russians celebrate it This holiday is a tribute to the legendary love of Fevronia and Paul. And in 2008 he was declared official of fidelity and love.

Valentine's Day history

Every February across the country, lovers exchange sweets, flowers and gifts, all in the name of Valentine's Day. So what is this mysterious saint? And why are we celebrating this holiday? The history of Valentine's Day is shrouded in mystery. However, we know that February has been a month of romance for quite a long time. Valentine's Day, as we know it now, contains a little of both Christianity and the traditions of Ancient Rome. Well, who is Saint Valentine and how did we start celebrating this ceremony? Currently, the Catholic Church distinguishes at least three different saints named Valentine or Valentinus, each of whom was a martyr.

One legend states that Valentine was a priest who existed in the third century in Rome. When Emperor Claudius II decided that a single man would be a much better soldier than a man with a wife and family, he issued a decree prohibiting marrying young men of military age - potential soldiers. Valentine, realizing all the injustice of this decree, that realizing the injustice of the decree, violated it and secretly continued to marry young couples. When this was revealed, Claudius ordered Valentine's execution.

Other stories suggest that Valentine may have been killed for trying to help Christians escape from the brutal Roman prisons, where they were often beaten and tortured.

According to another legend, Valentine was actually the first person who sent a congratulation - "Valentine". It is assumed that while he was in prison, he fell in love with a young girl (possibly the daughter of his prison guard) who visited him during his imprisonment. It is assumed that before his death, he wrote her a letter, which he signed "From your Valentine" - an expression that is used to this day. Of course, the truth in these legends about Valentine is quite difficult to discern, since in the stories everything is exaggerated and described with heroic, and most importantly, romantic undertones. Therefore, it is not surprising that during the Middle Ages Valentine was one of the most popular saints in England and France.

The creation of the first Valentine is attributed to Charles, Duke of Orleans (1415), who was at that time in prison, in solitary confinement, and who decided to fight boredom by writing love letters to his wife. However, valentines reached their greatest heyday by the eighteenth century. Now, "Valentine" means greeting cards in the form of hearts, the so-called "Valentines", with best wishes, declarations of love, marriage proposals or just jokes that are not signed, and the recipient must guess who they are from. In addition to them, people give their loved ones roses (since they are believed to symbolize love), candy hearts and other objects with images of hearts, kissing birds and, of course, the justly recognized symbol of Valentine's Day - the little winged angel Cupid.

Little is known about Valentine, who gave his name to the holiday. It is said that he lived in the 3rd century AD, in the Roman city of Terni. According to some sources, he was a simple Christian priest, other legends elevate him to the rank of bishop. Based on the totality of data, it can be assumed with sufficient confidence that Valentine was relatively young, handsome, kind and sympathetic. There is information that, along with his main profession, Valentin was engaged in natural sciences and medicine.

The time of Valentine's life and activity coincided with the time of the reign of the Roman emperor Claudius II, who greatly respected the military prowess of the famous Roman legions and did not really like Christians. To preserve the military spirit, the emperor issued a decree prohibiting the legionnaires from marrying, because the married person spends too much time in the family and is busy thinking not about the good of the empire and military valor.

Fearing the imperial wrath, the young Christian priest Valentine continued to secretly marry legionnaires in love. According to some reports, his patronage of lovers extended even further - he reconciled those who quarreled, wrote love letters for tongue-tied and stupid warriors, gave flowers to spouses.

There was no way to keep all this secret, and since the Roman Empire was famous for its respect for the laws (to this day we live in many respects according to Roman Law), day by day clouds were gathering over the priest's head. At the end of 269 A.D. thunder struck - Valentine was taken into custody, and soon a decree on his execution was signed.

The legend envelops the very last days of Valentine's life with a romantic flair. According to some ideas, the jailer's blind daughter fell in love with him. Valentine, as a priest who took a vow of celibacy, could not answer her feelings, but on the night before the execution (February 13) he sent her a touching letter. According to another version, Valentin himself fell in love with a beautiful girl, moreover, using his medical knowledge, while awaiting execution, he cured her of blindness.

How everything really happened, we do not know and will never know, but one thing is certain - the young Christian priest really died in the name of Love. And this Love was released to him surprisingly much for his one short life - love for God, love for a beautiful girl, love for people in general, whom he helped both as a priest, and as a doctor, and as just a wonderful person with a huge, doing good soul ...

It is not surprising that Valentine was not forgotten and was chosen as the patron saint of All Lovers. As a Christian martyr who suffered for the faith, he was canonized by the Catholic Church. In Western Europe, Valentine's Day has been celebrated since the 13th century, in the USA since 1777. Now we have one more holiday, although Russia had its own holiday of lovers. It was celebrated on the 8th of July and was associated with the legendary love story of Peter and Fevroni.

14 february what a holiday is valentine's day. Finnish Valentine's Day. Outdoor activities

History

Saint Valentine

Valentine

Traditions

History

Lupercalia of ancient Rome

Saint Valentine

In Russia

Celebration

Notes (edit)

see also

See what "Valentine's Day" is in other dictionaries:

history of the holiday

Saint Valentine

Celebrations of love

Valentine

and Italy

Love and Germany

Celebrations in the USA and Canada

A holiday of love in Britain

Love day in Japan

Love traditions of Denmark and Holland

Friends Day

Ban on love

Valentine's Day in Russia