What is Valentine's Day? Happy Valentine's Day. Valentine's Day - the history of the holiday. The disappearance of Valentine's Day. Valentine's Day Holiday Origins: Pagan Roots
- these are roses, flowers, nice gifts and a date with the second half. Do you know the true history of the holiday? Who said that it is about great and pure love?
It is unlikely that it will be possible to establish reliable facts about the origin of Valentine's Day, but one thing is clear - this holiday is not as romantic as it is commonly thought. Who is Valentine?
Meet Saint Valentine
The Catholic Church recognizes three martyr saints named Valentine. One legend tells of Valentine, who lived in the third century. He was a priest and served Rome. When Emperor Claudius II decided that single male soldiers were more useful than married and married ones, he forbade young men from marrying. Valentine challenged Claudius and continued to secretly hold weddings of lovers. When everything was revealed, the emperor ordered the execution of the priest.
There is another version that Saint Valentine was killed for trying to save Christians from harsh Roman prisons, where they were beaten and tortured. According to legend, an imprisoned martyr sent the first "valentine" when he fell in love with a sweet girl (presumably the jailer's daughter). He wrote a suicide letter signed "From your Valentine". This is how we most often sign today's love messages.
There is a less dramatic version. It is believed that Valentine's Day was invented by Father Gelasius I as a replacement for the ancient Roman festival Lupercalia. Lupercalia - ancient Roman pagan holiday fertility, named after the god Faun - Luperkava. Such a festival was celebrated annually from February 13 to 15 at the foot of the Palatine Hill - the central of the 7 on which Rome arose.
The festival was held according to the following scenario: local youth and priests made a sacrifice on the altar - a young goat or a dog. They cut the skins of dead animals into pieces, stripped naked and went on a run for a frisky walk through their possessions.
Important: everyone along the way had to be beaten with goat skins. Caught under the distribution, did not dare to complain! For women, such slaps promised fertility, and then easy childbirth.
In 1910, Hallmark launched "Valentine's Day" postcards.
There are also other versions. For example, professor in English University of Kansas, the late Jack B. Oruch did research and concluded that the poet Geoffrey Chaucer was the first to christen February 14 Love Day in "Parlement of Foules" ("Bird Parliament") and "The Complaint of Mars" ("Complaint of Mars") . According to this version, the holiday was born in the XIV century.
This date was considered the beginning of the bird mating season, and therefore the perfect day to celebrate the love of all living beings. This is the 34th and 35th ballad of the English poet John Gower.
It is unlikely that we will ever know the truth about Saint Valentine, but something unites all the legends - this is one of the most popular saints in France and England.
What else is interesting?
Some people celebrate February 14 as Geek Day, others celebrate the founding of the worldwide YouTube service. Someone continues to honor the memory of Anna German, who was born on this day. For Germans, February 14th is Mental Health Day.
An important point - if not for this holiday, it is not known when we would have tasted the first box chocolates! Today such nice little thing complements every gift, and it was invented by Richard Calbury for Valentine's Day.
The holiday has its haters, but more and more people prefer carefree walks and public declarations of love. In 2001, on February 14, a record was set: 34 couples from 22 countries played a wedding under water at a depth of ten meters, near the island of Kradan in southern Thailand. This is the most massive underwater marriage. There are not so many weddings in Jamaica on Valentine's Day, but what! They are called "naked" because only rings are worn on the spouses.
And in Mexico City, they decided to get into the Guinness Book of Records by organizing a kissing flash mob - there were 40,000 participants.
On Valentine's Day, 150 million valentines are sent every year.
In Japan, Valentine's Day men's holiday. Stronger sex It is customary to give gifts, compose poems. But this is not sexism, women will definitely be congratulated a little later - on White Day, exactly one month later.
Sweet tooth should celebrate the holiday somewhere in Italy. Not only is it romantic and atmospheric, Valentine's Day is the sweetest day here. They give each other cakes and pastries decorated with doves and hearts.
In no case do not go to Iran and Saudi Arabia - no romance and sweets. This holiday is banned here. Rebels will be rewarded with a huge fine.
The authorities are so strict because they consider Valentine's Day to be propaganda of sinful traditions that adversely affects the minds. AND Teddy bear here you will not find fire - this is a clear attribute of a lecherous holiday.
Do not be sad if you are still alone on this Valentine's Day.
In this case, they buy valentines and gifts for their pets - and be sure they will reciprocate!
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Almost everyone will celebrate Valentine's Day. After all, this is a holiday of love, which the whole world knows about. Although perhaps in some countries the traditions of Valentine's Day are different, its meaning and main goal is always the same. At first glance, it may seem that this story of Valentine's Day is completely uninteresting and reading this article is pointless. But this is not at all the case, because the number of legends of the origin of the celebration and everything connected with them is quite surprising.
By the way, we already wrote about how to make a gift with your own hands is not Valentine's Day.
Read more about how Valentine's Day came about.
If you don't dig too hard, you can literally find 2-3 legends about the origin of Valentine's Day. Despite the fact that they are the most common, not everyone has even heard of their existence. Read more about it.
Valentine's Day: the history of the holiday
According to one of the ancient legends, by the way, biblical, Valentine's Day appeared around the 5th century AD. But the events that established Valentine's Day happened even earlier.
In the 3rd century, Emperor Claudius ruled Rome, who, like his predecessors, sought to conquer the whole world. Of course, he did not have enough army for this, so he issued an order that would now seem too cruel.
Claudius forbade all priests to marry young couples, and people under 20 to have children. At that time, this was often done even earlier. Despite all these prohibitions and the fear of execution, a young priest named Valentine secretly married young people at night. Of course, everything secret once becomes clear, and this case was no exception.
Valentine was caught and sentenced to death. He spent some time in prison, awaiting the execution of the sentence. And during this time he managed to get acquainted with the young daughter of the prison guard, whose name was Julia. The girl was blind, so she could not see her lover. Before the execution, the young priest left the girl a note on which was written "Your Valentine" and it was thanks to this that the girl was healed and began to see again.
They decided to canonize Valentine only after two hundred years. In 496, Pope Gelasius I declared February 14 (the priest's birthday) to be Saint Valentine's Day.
According to another legend, Valentine's Day originated as a memory of the Roman patrician Valentine. Despite his high position, he was a secret Christian and converted all his servants to the new faith and sometimes held weddings.
Once he was caught, right during the process. Of course, thanks to his status, Valentine could have avoided execution, but the other two could not. Valentine tried to somehow reduce their suffering and began to send them hearts, which symbolized Christian love. A blind girl was supposed to pass them.
On the eve of the execution, Valentine managed to persuade the guards to take his life in exchange for those who were to be executed. The last thing he managed to do in life was to give the blind girl a letter that was consecrated. And thanks to him, the girl saw the light.
See how Valentine's Day came about
These are the two legends of the origin of Valentine's Day 2018. Of course, they are very similar and do not look like the truth. But many people believe it.
How Valentine's Day is celebrated around the world
If the date and history of the holiday are already known to us, then let's look a little at the traditions of the holiday, because in different countries they are slightly different.
Read what you can cook on Valentine's Day.
It must be said right away that in Ukraine Valentine's Day appeared relatively recently, although it almost instantly became incredibly popular.
But in the rest of Europe, Valentine's Day has been celebrated since the 18th century.
Let's remember how Valentine's Day is celebrated in our country. Of course, there are a huge number of couples in love that can be found in any restaurant, almost all stores have huge promotions, because you need to buy gifts for the holiday. Almost every child who studies in primary school carries a pre-prepared valentine there. And some even host concerts.
But in other countries, everything is a little different, as in conditional Kyiv, Lvov and Odessa. And let's find out why.
In England, for example, valentines are sent not only to loved ones, but also to all relatives, friends, acquaintances and even pets. By the way, there are also quite interesting tradition for unmarried girls. It is believed that they should get up with the dawn of the sun and look out the window. The first man they see will be their betrothed.
And of course, here we can not say about Valentine's Day in Germany. After all, many have probably heard that February 14 is celebrated there by no means Valentine's Day, but the Day of the Mentally Ill. And it is true. Only the opponents of Saint Valentine think so, and there are many times fewer of them than couples in love.
In France, on Valentine's Day, only jewelry should be given.
But in Denmark, people send dried white flowers to each other.
And here Saudi Arabia excelled, as always. There, Valentine's Day is completely prohibited, and if you celebrate it, you can get a rather big fine.
But the traditions of the holiday in Italy are quite different from other countries. There, Valentine's Day is called the day of sweets, well, you yourself understand how it is celebrated.
Find out how the world celebrates Valentine's Day
As you can see, there are a lot of interesting things here and Valentine's Day is really celebrated almost all over the world. And let's look into the history of occurrence and find out how and when Valentine's Day actually appeared.
When was Valentine's Day
If we have already talked about the legends of the holiday, because it is difficult to name biblical stories in another way, now it is time to recall the real historical facts that could serve as the establishment of Valentine's Day.
Very often, the origin of Valentine's Day is associated with the ancient Roman holiday of Lupercalia. This celebration was celebrated in honor of the goddess of "feverish" love Juno Februata and the god Faun.
By the way, the information about this holiday is rather contradictory. But historians insist that Lupercalia appeared because of the high mortality among children in ancient Rome. Then the city could simply die out. Then there were quite a few people who simply could not have children and they were considered cursed.
But the place where, according to legend, the wolf nursed Romulus and Remus, was considered sacred. Therefore, once a year, most likely on February 14, they held grandiose festivities that were supposed to increase the birth rate in Rome. In fact, they succeeded. That is why when Christianity already appeared, this holiday could not be canceled for a long time.
It is quite difficult to say exactly what date the Lupercalia celebrated. In 494, Pope Gelasius I attempted to ban the Lupercalia. But it was quite difficult to do so. Some historians say that this is why Valentine's Day was established. But one can only say for sure that Pope Gelasius only put an end to the celebration of the Lupercalia in Rome.
Find out more in this video
If now the history of the appearance and origin of the celebration and when it will be approximately clear to us, now we can talk a little about the symbols and legends of the holiday. After all, they are also quite interesting.
Valentine's Day: legends and symbols of the holiday
Well, if we have more or less figured out the historical factors, and we already roughly understand when and how this holiday appeared not according to religious beliefs, but according to historical facts, now you can learn a little about the legends of Valentine's Day.
There are actually only two legends here, which we have already told you about. The difference is only in the name and small nuances. They all appeared in the late Middle Ages in France and England.
golden legend tells us the story of Valentine, who was a field doctor and priest (at that time there were many such people). And the emperor Claudius, already familiar to us, decided that men who are not burdened by marriage and children fight many times better. Well, that's why marriages were forbidden. But our hero, Valentine, being a very kind and faithful person, secretly consecrated the marriage at night. Well, then the story is already known, he was caught and killed. By the way, thanks to this legend, Pope Gelasius established Valentine's Day.
The second legend has no name, but the main character is also called Valentine. He lived in Rome during paganism, but was secretly faithful to Christianity. He was quite famous and had quite a few servants whom he also converted to the new faith. But once it was noticed and his servants were sentenced to death. And the high rank of Valentine allowed him to avoid execution. Legend has it that he began sending small heart-shaped cards to the prison to cheer up his servants. But in the end, he managed to agree that instead of the servants, he himself would be executed.
Valentines are the main symbols of the holiday. There are two legends about their origin. We have already told the first one: it was precisely those postcards that Valentine sent to his servants that were the first.
Read best congratulations Happy Valentine's Day.
And the second legend says that the first symbols of the holiday appeared when Lupercalia was celebrated in ancient Rome. The girls then made small notes and threw them into a special urn, from where the men got them and then ran to look for the girl. Now Valentine's Day, of course, is celebrated differently, but the similarity can be seen with the naked eye.
Every couple in love in the world knows about such a celebration of love as St. Valentine's Day. It has been celebrated for hundreds of years, and perhaps even millennia. At the same time, few of the modern inhabitants of the planet know who the hero of the occasion is, but this absolutely does not interfere with celebrating this day with all honors. So, when is Valentine's Day celebrated in different countries of the world, and since when?
When is Valentine's Day celebrated?
All over the world, Valentine's Day is celebrated on February 14, and this has already become a kind of tradition. However, upon closer examination historical facts one more date, timed to coincide with the celebration of lovers, becomes known. This is a summer day, July 8, a date that has become a dedication to Peter and Khavronia, a holy couple who lived their entire lives harmoniously and in mutual respect. It is for this reason that they have become an example for everyone who is interested in when Valentine's Day is celebrated. After all, most of the world's population knows about this saint.
When was Valentine's Day first celebrated? Historical data points to Rome - it is this ancient country referred to by the majority of curious persons. However, there are other, no less Interesting Facts about when Valentine's Day was recognized as a holiday, and most importantly - for what reason.
Legends of when Valentine's Day appeared in history
- At times ancient rome Emperor Claudius II forbade all his soldiers to create families. He believed that the feeling of love and longing for the beloved woman deprives the warrior of the cold mind, which is so necessary in wartime. However, there was a man who dared to violate the decree of the emperor, and it was the same clergyman Valentine, who later became a saint. He was executed for disobedience, and for the fact that he continued to marry lovers. And although there is no official confirmation of this, for many it is this legend that is the full answer to the question - when did Valentine's Day appear in the world?
- Until the moment when the holiday of St. Valentine's Day began to take shape, there was its more relaxed predecessor - the day of Lupercalia. It was a kind of erotic festival, during which an animal was sacrificed. The end of the holiday was marked by the fact that the girls wrote their names, and the guys had to pull out one of them like a lot. This is how people define themselves sexual partner on whole year forward. However, this propaganda free love was banned by Gelasius I, after which Valentine's Day appeared.
- There is another version regarding when Valentine's Day appeared in history. They say that in the same Rome lived the priest Valentine, who was very active in working among young people on the topic of love. Because of this propaganda, he was executed on 14 February.
When is Valentine's Day celebrated?
Despite the various facts about the origin of this holiday, it is customary to celebrate it on February 14th. In Russia, in Ukraine, this holiday became recognized in 1990, around the same time, with a slight delay, they learned about it in Kazakhstan. In Europe, this celebration became popular much earlier - in the 1970s.
When the holiday of St. Valentine's Day comes, it is customary to congratulate not only your soul mates, but also those who have always been with you. These are mothers, siblings, sisters, grandmothers, grandfathers, fathers, friends - hugs are waiting for every person whom you love at least a little.
The most interesting thing is that in many countries this holiday is perceived differently, and if in France everyone is interested in when the day of kisses and love will come so that you can start taking part in all kinds of competitions, then in Japan everything is completely different. Here the question of when Valentine's Day will be is more of interest to men, because only they are congratulated.
But be that as it may, in our country the tradition of celebrating the holiday has been preserved, and this is a well-known date - February 14!
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Valentine's Day in our country began to be celebrated relatively recently. Although the holiday has been around for more than one and a half thousand years. This day is considered the holiday of all lovers.
history of the holiday
The most common legend that tells about the history of the origin of Valentine's Day is the legend of the priest Valentine. He lived during the reign of Claudius II in Rome. The emperor zealously defended military prowess and was always on the side of the Roman legions, but he did not greatly favor Christians. And in order to keep the soldiers in strictness and preserve the military spirit, he issued a decree that forbade the legionnaires to marry. He explained this decision by the fact that the family distracts the warrior from the service.
But the priest Valentine, romantic by nature, was against such a decision of the emperor. Therefore, he secretly married lovers. Upon learning of this, the emperor ordered the priest to be taken into custody. A little later, they signed a decree on the death penalty for Valentine.
Legend has it that the blind daughter of the jailer fell in love with Valentine during his imprisonment. But since Valentine was a priest and took a vow of celibacy, he could not reciprocate her. But nevertheless, before his execution - on February 13 - he wrote her a love letter, where he confessed his feelings to her. Unfortunately, it was read after his death.
It is Valentine who becomes the patron saint of this holiday. Catholic Church he was canonized as a Christian martyr who suffered for his faith. And in 496, Pope Gelasius declares the date of February 14 as St. Valentine's Day. From the 13th century, Valentine's Day began to be celebrated in Western Europe, and in 1777 it came to the United States.
Later, this holiday began to be celebrated in Russia, despite the fact that they had their own holiday of this kind. He was associated with legendary history love of Fevronia and Peter and was celebrated on July 8. According to legend, they loved each other very much and died on the same day.
"Valentine"
As you know, on Valentine's Day it is customary to exchange love messages- Valentines.
The creation of the very first "valentine" is attributed to the Duke of Orleans Charles. It was love note addressed to his wife. And it was written in 1415. The duke at that time was in prison and sent short messages to his wife, full of love and tenderness. One of these notes has survived and is in the British Museum.
And in Italy, this day is also called sweet, because it is customary to give sweets to loved ones.
It was in France that the custom arose to leave special quatrains in “valentines” - love messages.
Valentine's Day: Everything you need to know about the holiday
From open sources
Valentine's Day has many fans and detractors. The former adore pink and plush paraphernalia and other "tenderness", while the latter see a marketing ploy and an element of mass culture in the holiday. To celebrate this holiday or not is an individual matter, but for now we will tell you where it came from
The whole world, and with it Ukraine on February 14 celebrates Valentine's Day or Valentine's Day. The holiday gained popularity in Ukraine relatively recently, about 15-20 years ago, and is now celebrated everywhere, without reference to religion, but rather as an additional reason to tell your soulmate about feelings and arrange something especially romantic.
history of the holiday
The Catholic Church recognizes at least three different saints named Valentine who were murdered. One legend claims that Valentine was a priest who served in the third century in Rome. When Emperor Claudius II decided that single men were better soldiers than those with wives and families, he forbade marriage for young men. Valentine, realizing the injustice of the decree, challenged Claudius and continued to marry the lovers in secret. When Valentine's actions were discovered, Claudius ordered that he be put to death.
Other stories suggest that Valentine may have been killed for trying to help Christians escape harsh Roman prisons, where they were often beaten and tortured. According to one legend, the imprisoned Valentine actually sent the first "valentine" after falling in love with a young girl, possibly his jailer's daughter. Before he died, he claimed to have written her a letter signed "From your Valentine", an expression that is used to this day. Although the origin of the legends about Valentine is still unclear, they all emphasize him as a sympathetic, heroic and, most importantly, romantic figure. During the Middle Ages, perhaps due to this reputation, Valentine became one of the most popular saints in England and France.
Saint Valentine From open sources
While some believe that Valentine's Day is celebrated in mid-February to commemorate the anniversary of the saint's death or burial, others argue that the Christian church may have chosen to place Valentine's Day at this time in an attempt to "Christianize" the pagan celebration of the Lupercalia. Lupercalia was a fertility festival dedicated to the Faun, the Roman god Agriculture, as well as the founders of Rome, Romulus and Remus.
At the beginning of the Lupercalia, the Roman priests gathered in the sacred cave where the infants Romulus and Remus, the founders of Rome, were believed to have been nursed by a she-wolf. The priests sacrificed a goat and a dog, then cut the goat's skin into strips, dipped them in sacrificial blood, and whipped passers-by with these strips. It was believed that the touch of the skin brings fertility, and women will ensure easy childbirth.
At the end of the 5th century, Pope Gelasius outlawed the Lupercalia and decreed that February 14 should be celebrated as Valentine's Day. In the Middle Ages in France and England, February 14 was considered the beginning of the mating season of birds, and over time this day became a day of lovers and romance.
In the Roman Catholic Church of St. Valentine is officially considered the patron saint not of lovers, but of people suffering nervous diseases: icons often depict Valentine in the clothes of a priest or bishop, who heals a young man from epilepsy. According to church tradition, at the grave of St. Valentina, a young man with epilepsy, prayed for a long time - and recovered.
In total, Roman Catholics have 16 Saint Valentines and two Saint Valentines. In 1969, the patron saint of lovers was removed from the calendar of saints as one whose historicity was questioned. However, in the modern calendars of the RCC, February 14 is marked as the day of remembrance of St. Valentine.
Eastern Rite Christians commemorate the three Saint Valentines on May 7, July 19, and August 12. As for the holiday of February 14, the attitude towards it is ambiguous: Orthodox priests warn that it is necessary to distinguish between bodily and spiritual love. the best way to prove the purity of their intentions, they consider going to the temple that day with their soulmate.
At the end of the 19th - beginning of the 20th century, in the then very popular home theater performances, one of the most beloved was a play based on the Old Kiev legend about 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 treats, flowers and small souvenirs. As the chronicler Samuel Pepys wrote in the 17th century, on February 14, lovers exchanged small gifts: gloves, rings, delicacy. The invariable attributes of the holiday are "valentines", red roses, doves and cupids. It is believed that the first Valentine's Day greeting that has survived to this day was written in 1415 by Charles, Duke of Orleans, to his wife, while he was imprisoned in the Tower of London after its capture at the Battle of Agincourt. A few years later, King Henry V hired a writer named John Lydgate to compose a Valentine's card for Catherine of Valois.
From open sources
The first "valentines" were created with my own hands. The most talented wrote acrostics, and later in Britain they began to print collections of poems - lovers chose the best and copied them into a "valentine". With this, the production of "valentines" on an industrial scale began. This idea came from the American Esther Howland. In just one year, she sold $5,000 worth of postcards.
By the number of sales, "valentines" take the first place, second only to Christmas cards. Most of the "valentines" are bought by women, men "specialize" more in sweets, chocolates and bouquets of roses. In this regard, pragmatic people consider Valentine's Day a grandiose marketing ploy.
Signs
Once upon a time, girls believed in a belief: if a girl sees a robin bird that day, then she is destined to marry a sailor, if a sparrow, then a poor man sued her, with whom she would still find her happiness, and the goldfinch promised a millionaire husband.
In Japan, this day is considered a holiday for men, respectively, and gifts on February 14 are most often received by the stronger sex. Traditionally, women give gifts to men (usually confectionery, chocolate, purchased or homemade) as a token of appreciation and love. And there are two types of chocolate. The first is called giri-choco and is given to friends, colleagues and male relatives. This gift does not carry a love connotation and is perceived by the recipients as a courtesy. The second type of chocolate, the so-called hon-mei, is bought only for beloved men: husbands or boyfriends. Often such chocolate is made individually.
In Poland, it is customary to visit the Poznan metropolis on February 14, where the relics of St. Valentine rest, and his miraculous icon hangs above the main altar. Lonely people, making a pilgrimage to this metropolis, believe that Valentine will help them find a soul mate. In addition, there is a belief that you need to ask the name of the first man you meet unmarried girl on Valentine's Day to find out the name of the future groom.
In Wales, before the holiday, lovers carve a wooden spoon, decorate it with hearts, keys and keyholes, and give it to each other. Such a gift literally means: "You found the way to my heart."
In Denmark, men send unsigned "valentines" to their girlfriends. If the girl guesses who the sender is, she should send him a chocolate egg in response to Easter.
