What is celebrated on Valentine's Day. Alternative versions of the origin of Valentine's Day. Love rituals associated with this celebration
Valentine's Day: Everything You Need to Know About the Holiday
From open sources
Valentine's Day has many fans and opponents alike. The first adore pink and plush paraphernalia and other "tenderness", while the second see the holiday as a marketing ploy and an element of mass culture. Celebrating 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, celebrates Valentine's Day or Valentine's Day on February 14. 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 have been killed. 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 people. 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 to put him to death.
Other stories suggest that Valentine may have been killed for trying to help Christians escape the 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 the daughter of his jailer. Before his death, he claimed to have written her a letter signed "From your Valentine," an expression that is still used today. While the origins of the legends about Valentine are still unclear, they all highlight him as a sympathetic, heroic, and most importantly, romantic figure. During the Middle Ages, perhaps because of 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 mark the anniversary of the saint's death or burial, others argue that the Christian church may have decided to place Valentine's Day at this time in an attempt to “Christianize” the pagan celebration of Lupercalia. Lupercalia was a fertility festival dedicated to Faunus, the Roman god of agriculture, and to the founders of Rome, Romulus and Remus.
At the beginning of the feast of Lupercalia, the Roman priests gathered in the sacred cave, where the babies Romulus and Remus, the founders of Rome, were believed to have been suckled by a she-wolf. The priests sacrificed a goat and a dog, then cut the skin of the goat into strips, dipped them in sacrificial blood and lashed passers-by with these strips. It was believed that the touch of the skin brings fertility, and women provide an easy delivery.
At the end of the 5th century, Pope Gelasius outlawed Lupercalia and decided to celebrate Valentine's Day on February 14. In the Middle Ages, in France and England, February 14 was considered the beginning of the mating season for birds, and over time this day became the day of lovers and romance.
In the Roman Catholic Church of St. Valentine is officially considered the patron saint 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, one young man with epilepsy prayed for a long time and recovered.
In total, Roman Catholics have 16 Valentine saints and two Valentine saints. In 1969, the patron saint of lovers was removed from the calendar of saints as one whose historicity was questioned. However, in modern calendars of the RCC, February 14 is celebrated as the day of commemoration of St. Valentine.
Among the Christians of the Eastern rite, the memory of the three Valentine saints is honored on May 7, July 19 and August 12. As for the holiday on February 14, the attitude towards it is ambiguous: Orthodox priests warn that it is necessary to distinguish between physical and spiritual love. They consider the best way to prove the purity of their intentions to go to the temple that day with their soul mate.
In the late 19th - early 20th centuries, in the then very popular performances of home theaters, one of the most beloved was a play based on the old Kiev legend about Kiev 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 delicacies, flowers and small souvenirs. As the chronicler Samuel Pepys wrote in the 17th century, on February 14, lovers exchanged small gifts: gloves, rings, a treat. Valentines, red roses, pigeons and cupids remain invariable attributes of the holiday. It is believed that the first Valentine's Day greeting that has survived to this day was written by Charles, Duke of Orleans, to his wife in 1415, while he was imprisoned in the Tower of London after his 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 ones and copied them into a "valentine card". From this began the production of "valentines" on an industrial scale. This idea originated with the American Esther Howland. In just a year, she sold $ 5,000 worth of postcards.
In terms of the number of sales, "Valentines" take the first place, second only to Christmas cards. Most "valentines" are bought by women, men are more "specialized" in sweets, chocolates and bouquets of roses. As such, pragmatic people see Valentine's Day as a grand marketing ploy.
Signs
Once the girls believed in a belief: if a girl sees a robin on 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 handmade) as a token of appreciation and love. Moreover, there are two types of chocolate. The first is called giri-choco and is given to male friends, colleagues, and 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 this chocolate is made individually.
In Poland, it is customary on February 14 to visit the Poznan metropolis, where the relics of St. Valentine are buried, and his miraculous icon hangs over 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 one must ask the name of the first man who meets 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 spoon out of wood, decorate it with hearts, keys and keyholes and give it to each other. Such a gift literally means: "You have found a way to my heart."
In Denmark, men send unsigned valentines to their girlfriends. If the girl guesses who the sender is, then she must send him a chocolate egg in response to Easter.
The most romantic holiday falls on the middle of February. For many, it has already become customary to celebrate Valentine's Day, people congratulate each other, exchange small pleasant gifts. Some even specially timed a wedding or engagement for Valentine's Day. But not everyone knows what the story of Valentine's Day is.
Unfortunately, no one can say exactly where the tradition of celebrating Valentine's Day came from. Even the true history of St. Valentine is unknown, since at least three saints bearing this name have been canonized by the Catholic Church. But there is a beautiful legend about the origin of the holiday.
Legend
According to legend, the history of the most romantic holiday dates back to the third century. The ruling at that time the formidable emperor of Rome named Claudius II dreamed of conquering the whole world. And he didn’t want anything to prevent him from achieving his goals.
The emperor believed that the best warrior is a single warrior, since he is a married man, he wants not to fight, but to live in a family and raise his children. Therefore, the emperor issued a decree that categorically forbade the legionnaires to marry.
However, the warriors from the army of Claudius were not robots, but people. And people tend to fall in love. A priest named Valentine, perfectly understanding the danger that threatens him, nevertheless secretly married lovers.
The emperor, upon learning that his decree was grossly violated, became terribly angry. The disgraced priest was captured, imprisoned and sentenced to death. The young daughter of the jailer, having learned about the tragic story of Valentine, wanted to get to know him. An ardent feeling flared up between the young people. But Valentine did not have long to live. In a day before the execution, which fell on February 14, the priest gave his beloved the last love note.
There is another version of the legend. According to her, the young daughter of the jailer was beautiful, but blind. But, having received a farewell note from Valentine, in which he put a sprig of saffron, the girl regained her sight.
Who was Valentine?
Several early Christian priests can “pretend” to be the founder of Valentine's Day. Thus, Valentine could be a Roman priest, executed by order of the emperor in 269. But perhaps the title of the most romantic saint deserves the bishop of Interamna, who had the ability to heal the sick. This priest was also executed because, thanks to him, many young people were converted to Christianity.
When did the holiday start?
The day dedicated to Saint Valentine was established in 496 by the papal decree of Gelasius I.
However, in the second half of the twentieth century, in the course of reforms in the Catholic Church, Saint Valentine was deleted from the canonical calendar. Of course, this fate befell not only Valentine, but also a large number of Roman saints, about whose life and work no reliable information has been preserved.
So the modern Valentine's Day is an exclusively secular holiday, not a church one.
On February 14, according to the Catholic calendar, is the day of veneration of Saints Cyril and Methodius. In the Orthodox Church, Valentine's Day is present, but it falls on July 19 (according to the new style).
Echoes of paganism
Many Christian holidays are based on pagan festivities. Valentine's Day is no exception. Many believe that the history of the holiday begins much earlier than the appearance of Christianity.
In the days of Ancient Rome, the holiday of Lupercalia was very popular among young people. It was dedicated to eroticism and fertility. A holiday was held in honor of two deities at once - the goddess of love Juno and the satyr god Faun. This holiday was celebrated in mid-February. This month was New Year's (the year for the Romans began on March 1), so at this time it was necessary to take stock and make plans for the next year.
The holiday began at the Capitol Hill, where animals were sacrificed to the Faun, who patronized cattle breeding. Belts were cut from the skin of the slain bulls, which were distributed to young men. The guys, having previously stripped naked, ran around the city, lashing with belts oncoming girls and women. Interestingly, this method of "courting" did not cause any protests among the ladies. Moreover, they willingly substituted their sides and backs, since it was believed that this rite would make women more fertile and provide them with easy childbirth.
The holiday continued the next day. On this day, girls dominated. They put their name plates in a large vase. And the men had to take out one tablet at a time. That is, a kind of lot was held. The girl whose name plate the guy removed should be his girlfriend this year. Nobody asked the guy's opinions about whether he liked the girl, whom he would have to take care of.
A holiday, somewhat similar to the ancient Roman Lupercalia, celebration in Russia during the period of paganism. True, it was celebrated not in February, but at the end of June (according to the old style, if we count in the new, then at the beginning of July), and was dedicated to Kupala - the god of fertility and the Sun.
Young boys and girls adorned themselves with flowers, sang songs, danced in circles, jumped over bonfires.
Nowadays, the holiday is known as Ivan Kupala night, since after the introduction of Christianity, this day fell on the day of the memory of John the Baptist.
Tradition and modernity
The traditions of celebrating Valentine's Day have, of course, changed somewhat over the years. But one thing has remained unchanged - the custom of exchanging love notes, which have come to be called "valentines."
The oldest known valentine is a love letter in verse sent by the Duke of Orleans to his young wife from a cell in the Tower of London. This "valentine" is dated 1415.
And since the middle of the 18th century, in the countries of Europe and America it has become a habit to exchange small tokens and notes with declarations of love. In the twentieth century, homemade "valentines" were practically supplanted by ready-made postcards printed in printing houses. But nowadays it has become fashionable again to give hand-made "valentines".
At the beginning of the last century, It has become fashionable for young people to send sweet gifts to their beloved ones - marzipans. Then this delicacy was not cheap, so it was a very generous gift. Over time, chocolate replaced marzipans. And the confectioners quickly figured out how to get additional profit, and began to produce sweets in the form of hearts.
In Japan Valentine's Day began to be celebrated only in the 30s of the last century. But in the land of the Rising Sun, special traditions have developed. On this day, it is customary to congratulate only men. Girls give their chosen ones purely male accessories (razors, belts, etc.).
Holiday in Russia began to be celebrated in the 90s of the last century. But it has already become incredibly popular, it is celebrated by people of all ages, from kindergarteners to retirees, because, as you know, love knows no age.
Why did this holiday so quickly become a favorite in Russia? The answer is simple: during a long winter, any person wants more warmth and love. And then there was another reason to remember your loved ones. Therefore, people are happy to exchange pleasant gifts and confessions.
Valentine's Day, Valentine's Day, February 14 - History, traditions and legends.
An interesting story about the holiday Valentine's Day for children and adults.
Valentine's Day is celebrated on February 14 - the patron saint of all lovers. This is the most romantic holiday in the world, when everyone confesses their love to each other, gives touching gifts and valentines to their beloved. For more than eighteen centuries, there has been a tradition to celebrate this holiday. Despite the fact that the name of the holiday contains the word "saint", it has nothing to do with religion, since it is a secular holiday. Nevertheless, we associate February 14 with Saint Valentine.
The history of the holiday St. Valentine's Day. Story of Valentine's Day. Who is Valentine?
There are a lot of legends and rumors about Valentine's Day. So who is Saint Valentine, who presented this holiday as a gift to the whole world?
There is an opinion that in fact there were two Saint Valentines who were venerated on the same day and died in Ancient Rome in 269 (270?). But now no one reliably remembers which of them the holiday was dedicated to. It is only known that one of the saints, a younger one, served in Rome as a preacher and worked as a doctor. During the persecution of Christians by the emperor Claudius, he was executed. Another Valentine, Bishop of Ternii, lived near Rome and died a martyr's death at the hands of pagans in the same year 269 (270?).
Many legends about Saint Valentine converge and intertwine, but each of them has its own peculiarity that makes it different from the others.
Most versions agree with the first Valentine, who was a preacher and doctor and lived in the III century in the Roman Empire during the reign of Emperor Claudius. A hard and cruel fate fell to his lot. The fact is that the military emperor issued a decree according to which his soldiers could not marry, so that the joys of family life would not distract them from service. Valentine, on the other hand, neglected the prohibition of Claudius and married the lovers in secret. For these unlawful acts he was seized and imprisoned.
The priest's jailer, having learned that the prisoner, among other things, had the gift of healing, brought his blind daughter to him. Valentine healed the girl, the young people fell in love, but their happiness was not destined to develop - Valentine was executed.
However, the day of his death - February 14 - forever remained in the memory of people as a symbol of the all-conquering power of love. It is also symbolic that the date of the execution of Saint Valentine coincided with the Roman festivities in honor of the goddess of love Juno. Later, Valentin was buried in Rome (according to other sources, part of his relics is in his homeland in the city of Terni, and part - in the church of St. Anthony in Madrid). It is not surprising that Valentine was not forgotten and was chosen as the patron saint of all people in love. As a Christian martyr who suffered for the faith, he was canonized by the Catholic Church. In 496, Pope Gelasius proclaimed February 14 as Valentine's Day.
Since then, every year on February 14, people remembered Valentine and arranged a holiday for all lovers. On this day, girls and boys gathered together, wrote names on pieces of paper and threw these pieces of paper into a jug, then each taking out one piece of paper and recognized the name of his beloved.
How everything really happened, we do not know and will never know, but one thing is obvious - Saint Valentine died in the name of love.
There is another version of the origin of the holiday.... According to her, Valentine's Day originated from the Roman holiday of Lupercalia, celebrated in honor of the god Faun (Luperca), the patron saint of herds. The celebration took place annually on February 15th. In ancient times, on this day, all the Romans gave up their business and began to have fun. Over time, the holiday changed, new rituals appeared.
The main task that everyone had to accomplish that day was to find their soul mate. So after the end of the holiday, a large number of new families were created.
Traditions of celebrating Valentine's Day in different countries
Over time, Valentine's Day acquired its own rites, some of which have survived to this day. In each country, the traditions were different, although the same and unchanged for all peoples and times was that on this day it is very popular to arrange weddings and get married.
Some beliefs also say that on this holiday a woman can approach her dear man and politely ask him to marry her. If the young man is not yet ready to take such a decisive step, then he must politely thank for the honor shown and give the woman a silk dress, and get himself a silk cord with a heart strung on it.
In other countries, the tradition of donating clothes has been somewhat modified. So, unmarried women, lovers present clothes as a gift. If a girl accepts and leaves a gift, it means that she agrees to marry this person.
At different times in different countries there were different beliefs. For example, the first man a girl meets on that day should be her Valentine, regardless of his wishes.
Some people believed that if a girl saw a robin on Valentine's Day, then her husband would be a sailor, if a sparrow, he would marry a poor man, but he would be happy with him, and if a goldfinch, he would become the wife of a millionaire.
Valentine's Day in England
In medieval England, this custom was popular: several guys got together, wrote the names of the girls on pieces of paper, put them in a hat and drew lots. That girl, whose name fell out to a young man, became his "Valentina" for a year, and he became her "Valentine".
“Valentine” had to treat his “Valentine” in a special way: compose sonnets in her honor, play the lute, and was also obliged to accompany the girl everywhere; in short, behave like a real knight.
There was a tradition of dressing up children as adults. Reincarnated in this way, the children went from house to house and sang songs about Saint Valentine.
Nowadays, the British understand love a little differently, this concept has expanded, since not only people, but also beloved animals, such as horses or dogs, are congratulated on Valentine's Day.
In Wales on February 14, in the old days, wooden "spoons of love" were carved, which were then presented to their loved ones. The spoons were decorated with a variety of hearts, keys and keyholes, which said: "You have found a way to my heart."
Valentine's Day in America
The Americans also had their own traditions. In the early 19th century, on Valentine's Day, they sent marzipan products to their brides. However, the treat included sugar, which was very expensive in those days. This custom became truly widespread after the processing of sugar beets began in 1800. The Americans urgently set up the production of caramel on the continent and began to scratch the words corresponding to the holiday on the sweets. Caramels were made in red and white, as red symbolized passion, and white - the purity of love. In the 50s of the 19th century, sweets began to be packed in heart-shaped cardboard boxes.
Valentine's Day in Japan
In Japan, Valentine's Day began to be celebrated in the 1930s. This tradition did not go on by itself, but at the suggestion of one large company engaged in the production of chocolate. Chocolate, by the way, is still the most common gift on this day.
Nowadays, the Japanese have turned this holiday into "March 8 for men." On this day, the representatives of the sterner sex are generally accepted in Japan. And, accordingly, it is customary to give various men's accessories; razors, lotions, beads, etc.
And on this day, the inhabitants of Japan hold an event called "The Loudest Love Confession" - boys and girls climb onto the platform and take turns shouting love confessions with all their might.
How Valentine's Day is celebrated in other countries
It is customary for the French to give jewelry on Valentine's Day. And the romantic French were the first to introduce valentines as love messages-quatrains.
Balanced and calm Poles prefer to visit
Poznan metropolis, where, according to legend, the relics of St. Valentine are buried, and his miraculous icon is located above the main altar. Poles believe that if you pray to the image, it will definitely help in love affairs.
In Italy, Valentine's Day is celebrated in a very different way. The men of this country consider it their duty to present their beloved gifts, mainly sweets, on this holiday. This is most likely why in Italy this day is called “sweet”.
Conservative Germans adhere to the point of view according to which Valentine is the patron saint of the mentally ill, so on this day they decorate psychiatric hospitals with scarlet ribbons, and special services are held in chapels.
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 the talent of 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 ending 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 around 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 presenting 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.
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. At the dawn of Christianity, three people who bore the name Valentine died martyrdom for their faith. The only thing known about the first of them is that he died in Carthage along with a group of fellow believers. The second Valentine was the bishop of Interamna (now the city of Terni, Italy), he was executed during the persecution of Christians and was buried at the Via Flaminia in the vicinity of Rome. The third martyr, Presbyter Valentine, was beheaded between the years 268 and 270, and was buried at the Via Flaminia. The relics of Presbyter Valentine rest partly in Rome, partly in Dublin, and the relics of the bishop in the city of Terni.
During the reform of the Roman Catholic calendar of saints in 1969, the celebration of Valentine's memory as a church-wide saint was abolished on the grounds that there is no information about this martyr, except for the name and information about the beheading by the sword. In the Catholic liturgical calendar on February 14, the memory of Saints Cyril and Methodius is celebrated.
In the Orthodox Church, both Valentine's Martyrs have their own commemoration days. Valentine the Roman - presbyter - is venerated on July 19, and the Holy Martyr Valentine, Bishop of Interamna - on August 12.
The history of the emergence of the image of St. Valentine as the patron saint of lovers belongs to the Middle Ages and their romantic literature, and not to the circumstances of the life of real martyrs who died at the dawn of Christianity.
In Moscow in 2012 on this day on skating rinks and in parks. Congratulations were heard in the metro for lovers. In the program of cinemas, in addition to box-office films, a concert film "Three Tenors" was shown, which captures the performance in Rome of famous opera singers Luciano Pavarotti, Placido Domingo and Jose Carreras.
In most Moscow restaurants, the menu featured dishes for two, new cocktails with romantic names, and the program included performances by various performers.
In 2012, users of one of the most popular microblogging services in the world, Twitter Valentine's Day, brought two opposite trends dedicated to the holiday into the main world topics of the resource.
Some of the Twitter users who celebrate Valentine's Day actively posted posts on the service with the phrase Happy Valentine's Day, congratulating their subscribers on the holiday.
Another part of users, who did not share the desire to celebrate this holiday, published messages in 2012, in which they wrote that today is only Tuesday. Holiday-skeptical users managed to trend the phrase Today is Tuesday.
On February 14, 2012, the most popular query in the Russian search engine Yandex was "Valentine's Day" - users.
Before February 14, according to Yandex, the number of requests for flower delivery, for "cakes in the shape of a heart" and romantic recipes also increased significantly. At the same time, despite the general increase in interest in the love theme, shown on February 13, among the most popular queries was also "I hate Valentine's Day."
In Russia, the analogue of Valentine's Day has become, timed to commemorate Saints Peter and Fevronia. This holiday has been celebrated on July 8, starting in 2008. Since ancient times, the Orthodox saints Peter and Fevronia of Murom have been considered the patrons of the family and marriage.
The material was prepared on the basis of information from RIA Novosti and open sources