Valentine's Day. History, customs and interesting facts. Interesting facts about valentine's day How many roses are sold on valentine's day

tradition to celebrate St. Valentine's Day, he is Valentine's Day came to us from the West. On this day, lovers give each other gifts, confess their love and, of course, give each other special cards - valentines.

There is a beautiful legend about the origin Valentine's Day. According to this legend, the Roman emperor Claudius II, who lived in the third century AD, was an opponent of marriage unions, as they prevented his legionnaires from fighting well. Therefore, the emperor issued a decree forbidding marriage. Priest Valentine, contrary to the decree, continued to secretly marry lovers, for which he was thrown into prison and sentenced to death. The jailer's daughter, seeing Valentine and learning his story, fell in love with him. The priest reciprocated her. Since they could not see each other, the lovers communicated through correspondence. On the day of execution February 14 270(according to other sources 269), the priest sent his last note to his beloved with a signature "From Valentine» .

According to another version of the legend about the origin of the holiday of all lovers, the head of the prison in which he was imprisoned Valentine for his "criminal" deeds, learned about the healing abilities of the prisoner and brought his blind daughter to him Julia. On the day of his execution, Valentine wrote a farewell love letter to Julia. Having received the note, the girl found yellow saffron inside it and a miracle happened - she received her sight.

Under the name Saint Valentine's several early Christian holy martyrs are known. One of them was Valentine, a Roman priest who was executed around 269 AD. Another famous Saint Valentine is the Bishop of Interamna. This saint was known for his miraculous healings. He was executed for converting the mayor's son to Christianity. It is possible that this saint is mentioned in the legend. Holiday February 14 It was erected in memory of both saints in 496 by Pope Gelasius I.

Already in our time, in 1969, as a result of the reform of worship, Saint Valentine was removed from the liturgical calendar of the Catholic Church (along with other Roman saints, information about whose life is contradictory and unreliable). Catholic Church The 14th of February honors the memory of the saints Cyril and Methodius. The Orthodox Church celebrates the memory of Valentine, Presbyter of Rome on July 6 (19).

According to another legend, the roots of Valentine's Day go back to pagan times. It is believed that the "predecessors" of this holiday were the so-called Lupercalia- a celebration of abundance and eroticism. Lupercalia were held in ancient Rome in honor of the goddess of "feverish" love Juno Februates and the patron god of the herds Faun (Luperka) February 15.

young girls wrote love notes men and put them in a special urn for drawing lots. The man who took out such a note had to look after the one who wrote it. On this day, men whipped oncoming women with whips made from the skin of a sacrificial goat. This was supposed to help female fertility, so they gladly exposed themselves to blows.

Pope Gelasius I in 494 AD moved the celebration Lupercalium from the fifteenth to the fourteenth of February. Thus, the Lupercalia coincided with the day of veneration Saint Valentine's. Soon the celebration of Lupercalia came to naught.

celebration Valentine's Day it is in February that they are also associated with the beginning of the mating season in birds. It was believed that if a marriage union is concluded at this time, it will be long and happy.

Throughout the history of Christianity, there have been approximately eight Saint Valentines. Celebrations were held in honor of three of them. Most likely, Valentine's Day was named either after Valentina from Terni, or Valentine from Rome, although some researchers believe that it was the same person.

Whether it was so or otherwise, but, apparently, it was from there that it was customary to write love notes on Valentine's Day - "valentines". And on this holiday they like to arrange weddings and get married. It is believed that this will be the key to eternal love.

In Western Europe, Valentine's Day has become widely celebrated since the 13th century, in the USA - since 1777.

The tradition of giving gifts on this day has grown stronger every year and for some has become a fairly successful business. For example, at the beginning of the last century, Americans it was customary to send brides marzipan which were quite expensive.

IN Japan The tradition of giving sweets on this day appeared at the suggestion of one large manufacturing company. chocolate. They began celebrating Valentine's Day in the 1930s, and chocolate remains the most common gift to this day. By the way, there Valentine's Day slightly reminiscent of "March 8 for men", as Japanese men receive, perhaps, even more gifts than women: men's accessories such as a razor, lotion, wallet, and so on.

Passionate French on Valentine's Day it is customary to give jewelry, and in romantic Denmark people send dried white flowers to each other.

IN Britain unmarried girls on February 14 get up before sunrise, stand near the window and look at the passing men. According to legend, the first man they see is betrothed.

Poles traditionally visit the Poznań metropolis. After all, according to legend, the relics of St. Valentine are stored there, and above the main throne is his miraculous icon. It is believed that the worship of the relics of the saint helps in love.

Italians prefer to give sweets to their beloved. In Italy, Valentine's Day is called therefore "sweet" day. The Italians also send "valentines" mailed in a kiss-sealed pink envelope with no return address.

Very peculiar attitude to Valentine's Day in Germany. The Germans consider love a slight insanity and for them St. Valentine is a patron. crazy. Therefore, on February 14, the Germans decorate psychiatric hospitals with scarlet ribbons, balloons, and a special service is held in the chapels on this day.

And on Rus' There was a Valentine's Day, only it was celebrated not in winter, but at the beginning of summer. He was associated with a legendary love story Peter and Fevronia and is dedicated to Kupala - the pagan Slavic god, the son of Perun.

The holiday of all lovers is spread all over the world, but there are also countries in which it is not customary to celebrate Valentine's Day or even forbidden. These are, first of all, Muslim countries, for example, Saudi Arabia. This is the only country where Valentine's Day prohibited by law. Those who do not comply with this prohibition are subject to heavy fines.

In 2011, in order to prevent the spread of Western culture, Iran banned valentines, ivy bears and other attributes of Valentine's Day. In addition, some religious activists in India and Pakistan are protesting Valentine's Day as a celebration of fornication and shame. They see it as a celebration of the West, where people satisfy their sexual desires.

red heart is a ubiquitous symbol valentine's day. Red is usually associated with the color of blood. Once upon a time, people thought that the heart that pumps blood is the part of the body in which it matures. love feeling. When the Egyptians mummified the remains of dead people, they removed all organs from the body, except for the heart. They believed that without a heart, the body would not be able to go through eternity.

A popular medieval misconception that they choose a couple on February 14 has made them one of the most popular images on Valentine's Day cards. It is known that pigeons choose a friend or girlfriend for life, and are often associated with Venus and other love deities.

In terms of the number of greeting cards sold (about 277 million), Valentine's Day is second only to Christmas.

Approximately one billion "valentines" is sent around the world every year, and at Christmas people receive about 2.6 billion cards.

In 2010, Mexico City broke the world record for the largest crowd in the world. kiss, in which for some reason an odd number of people participated (39,897).

A certain group of feminists began to celebrate on February 14, something like an alternative "Day of Solitude". It is intended for people who "resist the tyranny of pairing."

Symbol ribbons, which often adorns modern valentines, is rooted in Middle Ages. When knights fought in tournaments, their lovers often gave them ribbons as a symbol of good luck.

Lace also often used as decoration for Valentine's Day. The word "lace" (lace) comes from the Latin word "laques", which means "to trap" or "net" that is, to take possession of the heart of a loved one.

According to Welsh belief, one born on Valentine's Day will loving. On the contrary, a calf born on this day will not bring good offspring, and if hens lay eggs on this day, they will go bad very quickly.

On Valentine's Day, the legendary sea captain, pirate and explorer James Cook was killed in Hawaii (1779), Oregon and Arizona became part of the United States (1859 and 1912, respectively), James Polk became the first photographed president of the United States (1848), UPS was formed (United Parcel Service), a private package delivery company (1919), The League of Women Voters was organized (1920), the United States carried out the first nuclear test in Nevada (1976), the Voyager spacecraft took the first photograph of the entire solar system (1990) .

Most Valentine's Day Cards Get teachers. They are followed by children, mothers and wives. Children aged 6 to 10 exchange more than 650 million "valentines" in year.

IN Texas there is a city called Valentine, but not for romantic reasons. Just the first train Arrived here February 14th.

It is believed that Valentine's Day has existed for more than 16 centuries, but the holidays of Love are known from even earlier times - from the time of ancient pagan cultures. For example, the Romans in mid-February celebrated a festival of eroticism called Lupercalia, in honor of the goddess of love, Juno Februata.

The holiday also has a specific "culprit" - the Christian priest Valentine. This story dates back to about 269, at that time Emperor Claudius II ruled the Roman Empire. The warring Roman army experienced an acute shortage of soldiers for military campaigns, and the commander was convinced that the main enemy of his "Napoleonic" plans was marriage, because a married legionnaire thinks much less about the glory of the empire than about how to feed his family. And, in order to preserve the military spirit in his soldiers, the emperor issued a decree forbidding the legionnaires to marry.

But the soldiers did not become less in love because of this. And to their happiness, there was a man who, not fearing the imperial wrath, began to secretly marry the legionnaires with their lovers. They were a priest named Valentine from the Roman city of Terni (Valentine of Terni). Apparently, he was a real romantic, since his favorite pastimes were reconciling those who quarreled, helping to write love letters and giving flowers to the subjects of their passion at the request of the legionnaires.

Of course, as soon as the emperor found out about this, he decided to stop his "criminal activities". Valentine was sentenced to death. The tragedy of the situation was also in the fact that Valentine himself was in love with the jailer's daughter. The day before the execution, the priest wrote a farewell letter to the girl, where he spoke about his love, and signed it “Your Valentine”. It was read after he was executed.

Subsequently, as a Christian martyr who suffered for his faith, Valentine was canonized by the Catholic Church. And in 496, Pope Gelasius (Pope Gelasius I) declared February 14 Happy Valentine's Day.

Since 1969, as a result of the reform of worship, Saint Valentine was removed from the liturgical calendar of the Catholic Church (along with other Roman saints, information about whose life is contradictory and unreliable). However, even before 1969, the church did not approve and did not support the traditions of celebrating this day.

In Western Europe, Valentine's Day has been widely celebrated since the 13th century, in the USA - since 1777.

The tradition of giving gifts on this day has grown stronger every year and for some has become a fairly successful business. For example, at the beginning of the last century, it was customary for Americans to send marzipans to their brides, which were quite expensive.

In Japan The tradition of giving sweets on this day appeared at the suggestion of one large chocolate manufacturing company. They began celebrating Valentine's Day in the 1930s, and chocolate remains the most common gift to this day. By the way, Valentine's Day there is a bit like "March 8 for men", as Japanese men receive, perhaps, even more gifts than women: men's accessories such as a razor, lotion, wallet, and so on.

Passionate French on Valentine's Day, it is customary to give jewelry, and in a romantic Denmark people send dried white flowers to each other.

In Britain unmarried girls on February 14 get up before sunrise, stand near the window and look at the passing men. According to legend, the first man they see is the betrothed.

But there are some countries in the world that have especially distinguished themselves in celebrating Valentine's Day. First of all, this Saudi Arabia, which is the only country in the world where this holiday ... is officially banned, moreover, under pain of heavy fines.

AND in Rus' There was a Valentine's Day, only it was celebrated not in winter, but at the beginning of summer. It was associated with the legendary love story of Peter and Fevronia and is dedicated to Kupala, the pagan Slavic god, the son of Perun.

The celebration of Valentine's Day is gaining popularity every year in all countries of the world. The holiday is named after the Christian priest Valentine, who secretly helped lovers unite hearts and suffered martyrdom for this. Many interesting facts are connected with this romantic holiday, which will not hurt to learn about all those in love.

history of the holiday

The prototype of Valentine's Day was an ancient Roman erotic festival dedicated to the Roman gods of "feverish love". This holiday was introduced in Rome in 276 BC, when the state was threatened with extinction due to a catastrophic decrease in the birth rate. In that year, the Oracle announced that in order to increase the population of Rome, it was necessary to carry out corporal punishment of naked barren women or women who had given birth to few children with sacrificial leather belts. Women believed that such a rite increased their ability to have children and willingly observed it until, in 494 AD, Pope Gelasius I imposed a ban on the holiday, considering it depraved.
This holiday was later replaced by the Catholic Church with St. Valentine's Day, a priest who spoke out against the prohibition of Emperor Claudius II to marry the soldiers of the Roman legion. He secretly married warriors in love, helped them write letters to their beloved and give flowers to girls on their behalf. For violating the ban, the priest was executed on February 14, 269 AD. A few centuries later, the church canonized the Great Martyr and February 14 was declared St. Valentine's Day.
Valentine's Day also has a second name - "bird wedding", since in mid-February the mating season for birds begins.
In European countries, Valentine's Day has been celebrated since the 13th century, in the USA they began to celebrate in the 18th century, and in Russia - in the 21st century.
Valentine's Day is banned in Saudi Arabia and Iran. It is believed that this holiday promotes the sinful traditions of the West and those who celebrate it are fined large sums.

Holiday traditions

The main symbols of the holiday are two hearts pierced by an arrow and two doves.
In the tradition of the holiday, give your beloved "valentines" - postcards offered by numerous stores, as well as handmade, decorated with beads, fur or ribbons.
The custom of decorating “valentines” with ribbons has existed since the Middle Ages, when ladies gave ribbons to their knights for good luck.
In many countries, it is supposed to present hearts to loved ones. They can be chocolate or handmade from fabric, knitted from thread or baked.
Often, lace is used to decorate "valentines" or festive decoration of women's dresses, believing in the popular belief that with their help you can "catch" your loved one in your nets.
There are countries where it is customary to guess in the name of your future half. Girls and boys write different names on pieces of paper and put them in a jug. Taking out a leaf at random from a jug, they learn the name of the one with whom they are destined to go down the aisle.

European traditions of celebrating Valentine's Day

In Germany, it is customary to consider St. Valentine the patron saint of all insane people, and the holiday is called Mental Health Day. On this day, psychiatric hospitals are decorated with red ribbons, and special services are held in churches.
In the Netherlands, February 14 is not considered bad manners when a woman proposes to a man to become her husband. If a man refuses a woman, then as a “moral damage” he is obliged to give the lady a dress.
In Italy, chocolate, sweets and sweet confectionery are traditionally given on the holiday of love. Therefore, the Italians call the holiday - sweet.
In the UK, on Valentine's Day, it is customary for unmarried girls to stand near the window at dawn and look out for men. There is a belief that the first person she sees will become her husband. Even on this holiday, they declare their love here and delight with gifts not only close people, but also their beloved pets.
In Finland, on this holiday, beloved men and their mothers receive gifts, just like we do on March 8th.
France has become the ancestor of the tradition of giving love poems on Valentine's Day, and a traditional holiday gift is a red tomato, which is considered the “apple of love” here.

How the holiday is celebrated in the Americas

Statistics show that almost $700 million worth of chocolate sweets and more than a hundred million roses are bought in the United States for the holiday. One in fifteen American women send themselves a bouquet of their favorite flowers that day.
On Valentine's Day, almost 9 million people in the United States give gifts to their pets.
In Texas, a city is named after Valentine. This was served by the arrival of the first train in the town on Valentine's Day.
In Jamaica, on February 14, “naked weddings” take place, shocking all tourists. The fact is that only wedding rings are present among the clothes of those who are married.

How they celebrate in Japan

In Japan, Valentine's Day is considered a men's holiday, on which women give their lovers various men's accessories and chocolate. For this solemn occasion, it is divided into two groups: chocolate - “giri”, which is given to close people and relatives, and chocolate “homnei”, intended exclusively for the most beloved man.
Men in return give girls and women chocolate and beautiful cards on March 14, which is considered White Day in Japan.
On Valentine's Day, "public" declarations of love are arranged here. Boys and girls rise to a specially installed platform and take turns declaring their love with a loud cry. For the loudest recognition, the winner is awarded a prize.

How Valentine's Day is celebrated in Russia

Known statistics that 53% of women who did not receive a gift for Valentine's Day, break off relations with their men.
Valentine's Day has taken second place (after Christmas) in the sale of greeting cards.
About a billion Valentine cards are sent around the world every year.
There is a belief that children born on February 14 will have a loving character.

And again came the chocolate-heart-floral Valentine's Day, or Valentine's Day. And while love is in the air for everyone, we decided to dig up historical facts about this day that have little to do with falling in love and flowers.

The Roman emperor Claudius II did not allow his soldiers to marry during the war, as he believed that love and marriage were in no way connected. According to the Golden Legend, a collection of Christian legends and the lives of saints, it was under Claudius II that Saint Valentine was executed.

In fact, there are several legends about Saint Valentine. One says that he secretly married lovers, was caught and executed by order of the emperor. According to another, Valentine tried to help Christians who were persecuted in those days escape from prison, was discovered and captured. Fell in love with the daughter of his jailer and wrote her the first Valentine, signing "Your Valentine". Be that as it may, Valentine was executed, and Pope Julius II canonized him, presumably on February 14th.

Red roses were the favorite flowers of Venus, the Roman goddess of love. In general, each flower has its own meaning, so try not to give your girlfriend a hatred bouquet of yellow lilies, for example.

It was King Henry VII of England who in 1537 declared February 14 to be Valentine's Day. Well, his son, King Henry VIII, was also no stranger to romance, since he married so many times.

The city of Verona receives thousands of letters addressed to Juliet, Romeo's lover. Pictured is a statue of Juliet in Verona.

Only in the Middle Ages did Valentine's Day become associated with love, and then only because, for example, in France and England, in February, the mating season began for birds.

Many historians suggest that February 14 was chosen not at all because of St. Valentine, but to replace the ancient Roman pagan fertility holiday Lupercalia in honor of the god Faun, as well as the founders of the city, Romulus and Remus. During the celebration, goats and dogs were sacrificed, men undressed, ran around the city and whipped everyone with animal skins, especially women, since the blow was considered a blessing. Then the leaves with women's names were placed in a vessel, and the men thus chose a mate for themselves for a year, after which they got married.

Valentine cards appeared at the beginning of the 20th century, when typography became not such a complicated process. At that time, it was not customary to openly express your feelings, so valentines were most welcome.

In fact, several Christian martyrs with the name Valentine lived in the 3rd century - the holy martyr Valentin, bishop of the city of Interamna, and the presbyter Valentin of Rome, as well as the martyr Valentin of Dorostol, a warrior who died for an open confession of Christianity.

In the Roman church of Santa Maria in Cosmedin, you can admire the skull of St. Valentine. Yes, this is one of the main attractions of the church. We hope that this is the skull of exactly the “correct” Valentine. Are you going to Rome anytime soon? Great, you can see the rest of his skeleton in the Czech Republic, Ireland, Scotland, Great Britain and France.

In the days of Queen Victoria in England, it was considered bad luck to sign valentines. Probably, this was due to the fact that, again, it was not customary to openly declare one's feelings, since it was possible to compromise the beloved.

The oldest valentine has survived, with a poem sent in 1415 by Charles, Duke of Orleans, to his wife while he was imprisoned in the Tower of London. Unfortunately, his wife passed away before she could get the duke's poem.

At the beginning of the 19th century, doctors actively urged people to eat chocolate to relieve longing for their beloved. And at the end of the 19th century, Richard Cadbury produced the world's first box of chocolates.

In the Middle Ages, most people were illiterate, so when they had to sign any document, they simply put an X in front of witnesses, and then kissed their "signature" as a sign of the sincerity of their decision. Among these documents were marriage certificates.

Probably just a few things:

Once upon a time there lived a lover Valentine, who later became a saint;

This holiday is customary to celebrate in Western countries;

Traditionally, lovers give each other valentines, sweets and flowers.

1. Unfortunately, Valentine's Day has long been recognized as a commercial holiday. Billions of valentines are made every year, and confectionery companies are making hundreds of heart-shaped boxes by February 14 to package their candies. In Japan, for example, chocolate is a traditional gift for a man on this day. And this tradition was originally laid down by a confectionery factory back in the thirties of the last century. Therefore, one cannot judge any romantic beginning of the holiday.

2. It turns out that Saint Valentine has ceased to be a saint since 1969. In the last century, his face was decanonized by the Catholic Church due to the fact that there are many dubious legends about his real life. So, one of them says that Valentine was a doctor who secretly married lovers when marriages were banned in the Roman Empire. According to another version, Saint Valentine turned out to be a martyr and spent a long time in prison for witchcraft. It is also interesting that February 14 is officially recognized as the Day of St. Methodius and St. Cyril.

3. February 14, as a holiday, has become nothing more than a project to combat paganism. The fact is that the day before, on February 15, until the 5th century, a pagan Roman holiday was celebrated - Lupercalia. On this day, it was customary to drink a lot of wine and love each other, so Lupercalia was also called the holiday of eroticism and abundance. The church was against such excesses and provided active support in favor of Valentine's Day.

4. In literature, the first mention of February 14 as a holiday occurred in the fourteenth century from English-language literature. The English poet Dpheffrey Chaucer first describes "Valentine's Day" as romantic in his poem. Until that time, this day was not presented as romantic in any literary work.

In 2005, the most popular YouTube channel video hosting was founded;

In 2003, on February 14, the cloned sheep Dolly died, at that time she was 6.5 years old.