Valentine's Day, which is celebrated annually on February 14, has long been shrouded in various mysteries and legends of its origin. Some supporters of the holiday of lovers attach a romantic meaning to this day, while others regard it only for commercial reasons. However, it is still worth finding out where we can take the origins and history of a well-known date from.

History of Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day or Valentine's Day is not only a holiday of romance, love and tenderness. According to various sources, the holiday is shrouded in many legends, and no one knows for sure whether Saint Valentine existed and whether he really gave his beloved a romantic Valentine for the first time.

Priest Valentine

According to one legend in 269 AD. Roman emperor Claudius II sought to conquer the whole world, but for the implementation of the expansion he had to collect a strong army. Since the family institution kept men out of military service, the emperor issued a decree forbidding marriage during military service.

However, the young priest Valentine, who was still engaged in natural sciences and medicine, did not listen to the orders of Claudius II and secretly married lovers. When the emperor found out about this, he sentenced Valentine to death. But while waiting for the execution of the death sentence, Valentine in prison fell in love with the blind daughter of the jailer Julia and healed her.

Before the execution, he left her a farewell message and signed it "Your Valentine". It is with this incredible moment and manifestation of love that the appearance of Valentine's Day and the custom of giving valentines are associated. The priest was beheaded, and later Valentine was canonized by the Catholic Church. In 496, Pope Gelasius I declared February 14th to be Saint Valentine's Day.

Mastermind of Christianity Valentine

According to another legend, Valentine's Day originated as a memory of the Christian Valentine, who was a real inspiration to others. During the secret wedding of the Roman patricians (representatives of the indigenous Roman people), they were all detained.

As a representative of the upper class, Valentine could avoid execution, but his servants did not have such a privilege. However, they continued to admire him in the future and conduct secret marriage ceremonies under his cover.

The Three Martyrs of Valentine

As reported in other legends and stories, there may have been at least three more men with the names of Valentine, who were martyred for the Christian faith.

In the earliest Roman chronograph of 354, nothing is said about them, but according to ancient legends, they all died no later than 270.

One of the Valentines was a priest and physician in Rome and died in 269 (the time of Emperor Claudius II). The second Valentine was a bishop in Terni (Italy) and died in 197. Two Valentines, who died martyrs for the Christian faith, were buried in the same cemetery (near the modern Porta del Popolo in Rome, now often referred to as "Saint Valentine's Gate").

Saint Valentine's Gate in Rome

Subsequently, the remains of the first Valentine were kept in one of the churches in Rome, and in 1836 Pope Gregory XVI handed over the remains to the church in Dublin, where they are still kept. The remains of the second Valentine are today in the Basilica of St. Valentine in Terni - in the city of his pastorate.

The third Valentine lived in Egypt around 100-153. He was a valuable candidate for the position of bishop of Rome (i.e., pope) and in his sermons extolled the values ​​of marriage as the embodiment of Christian love. Almost nothing is known about the circumstances of his death and the place of burial.

pagan roots

Also, some sources note that in Christian times, Valentine's Day replaced the pagan holiday lupercalia (in honor of the god Faun, and according to another version - in honor of the goddess of marriage, the Juno family), which was also once celebrated annually on February 14. This replacement took place in 496 by order of the same Pope Gelasius I.

But there is nothing surprising in such a practice, since the dates of the celebration of the Nativity of Christ and the Nativity of John Kupala, which fall on pagan festivals in honor of the winter and summer solstices (about December 25 and July 7, respectively), were chosen according to this principle.

Patron saint of the mentally ill

In the Roman Catholic Church, Saint Valentine is officially considered not the patron saint of lovers, but the patron saint of people suffering from nervous diseases. That is why the icons often depict Valentine in the clothes of a priest or bishop, who heals a young man from epilepsy or mental disorders. Then such people were called mentally ill.

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Saint Valentine was the patron saint of the mentally ill

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Saint Valentine was the patron saint of the mentally ill

According to church tradition, at the grave of St. Valentine, a young man who suffered from epilepsy prayed for a long time and recovered.

The Disappearance of Valentine's Day

As you know, Roman Catholics have 16 Saint Valentines and two Saint Valentines. In 1969, the patron saint of lovers was removed from the calendar of saints due to dubious historical justification. Now on February 14, Roman Catholics celebrate the Day of Saints Cyril and Methodius, whom Pope John II proclaimed the patron saints of Europe.

Today, the UGCC celebrates February 14 as the eve of the Candlemas and honoring the memory of the martyr Tryphon. The UOC also venerates the memory of the martyr Tryphon, Perpetua, Satire, Satornila and others. It is believed that in Western Europe Valentine's Day has been widely celebrated since the 13th century, in the USA - since 1777.

According to the latest information, the relics of St. Valentine, the patron saint of lovers, have been preserved in the Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Sambir (Lviv region) for three centuries in a row. The authenticity of the relic is allegedly confirmed by a document of the Pope of Rome dated 1759. As noted by Fr. Bogdan Dobryansky from the parish in Sambir, Saint Valentine was the patron of the Przemysl-Sambir diocese.

Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin in Sambir (Lviv region)

The relics of St. Valentine in the Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin in Sambir (Lviv region)

History of Valentine's Day

According to legend, the ancient custom of sending cards to loved ones on Valentine's Day also originated in the Middle Ages. The very first Valentine in the world is considered to be a note sent by Duke Charles of Orleans in 1415.

Some people love this holiday more than the New Year, while others fundamentally ignore it. But everyone knows about Valentine's Day. Lovely valentines, tokens, flowers and sweets - we prepare all this with trepidation for our loved ones. But not everyone knows where it came from, some do not even know about the existence of alternative versions.

The Emergence of Valentine's Day - Basic Version

One of the most popular versions of the history of the emergence of Valentine's Day is considered to be the secret wedding of lovers by a priest. The Roman emperor Claudius II lived around the third century BC and was known as an ardent opponent of marriage unions. The fact is that he perceived marriage bonds and family as an obstacle to his plans to conquer new lands, the legionnaires should have been free.

But, contrary to this prohibition, Valentine continued to marry all lovers. For such disobedience, he was thrown into prison and later sentenced to death. It so happened that the jailer's daughter and Valentine met and fell in love. While in the cell, he communicated with his passion through notes. And the last one, just before the execution, he signed "from Valentine." This version, where Valentine's Day came from, is still considered the most plausible today. But there are also several alternatives.

The Emergence of Valentine's Day - Alternative Versions

According to another version, Valentine, already familiar to us, fell in love with the daughter of the head of the prison. Her name was Julia and the girl was blind. On the last day before the execution, Valentine wrote a letter to her and put yellow saffron in it. After the girl received the note and took out the saffron from the envelope, she was healed.

Moreover, under the name "Valentine" several saints were known at once. One of them was executed in 269, it was a Roman priest. Also famous Valentine in his time was the Bishop of Interamna. This man is known for his healing abilities, but he was executed because he converted the son of the mayor to Christianity.

There is a legend according to which the history of the origin of Valentine's Day has its roots much deeper and begins already in pagan times. According to this version, this day was originally the holiday of Lupercalia. A day of frank eroticism and abundance, which was dedicated to the patron god of the flocks of the Faun in Ancient Rome. On this day, it was customary to write notes and put them in a small vessel. The girls wrote the notes, and the guys got them: whose note the young man got, he was supposed to take care of that girl that day.

How is Valentine's Day spent?

A small postcard in the form of a heart is rightfully considered an obligatory attribute of this holiday. It is believed that the Duke of Orleans sent the first Valentine to his wife while in prison. From longing, he began to write messages to his beloved wife, full of love and confessions.

Today, such postcards have long been sold in every bookstore. There are small and cute ones, and there are huge ones with texts and beautiful poems. A day of love would not be complete without flowers and sweets. Today it is customary to give roses and chocolate. This is a traditional symbolism for lovers.

As for the traditions of the celebration, and that, there are a lot of scenarios here. Of course, the most suitable among them consists of flowers, a romantic dinner and walks under the stars, it will always be relevant. But many entertainment venues offer great options for young people. For example, on this day, many clubs organize themed parties. City officials sometimes prepare a surprise for their residents and set up a stage on the main street of the city. And so many couples try to set their wedding day on this date.

February 14th is Valentine's Day or Valentine's Day. We tell you where the holiday came from, and what you need to do on this day.

1 Where did Valentine's Day come from?

The “culprit” of the holiday is considered to be the Christian priest Valentine, who lived around the year 269. At this time, the Roman Empire was ruled by Claudius II. The emperor believed that marriages are evil, because a married legionnaire thinks about the family, and not about the empire. By special decree, Claudius forbade the legionnaires from marrying. But Valentine began to secretly marry them. The emperor, having learned about this, ordered the execution of the "violator".

Later, as a Christian martyr, Valentine was canonized by the Catholic Church. And in 496, Pope Gelasius I declared February 14 to be Saint Valentine's Day. Since 1969, a reform was carried out in worship, and St. Valentine was removed from the liturgical calendar of the Catholic Church, along with other Roman saints, information about whose life is contradictory and unreliable.

Legend has it 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”. Probably from there it was customary to write love notes on Valentine's Day - “valentines”. The girl read the letter after he was executed.

The creation of the first "valentine" is also attributed to the Duke of Orleans in 1415. He sat in a dungeon and, struggling with boredom, composed love letters to his wife. The greatest distribution of "valentines" reached already in the XVIII century, then they took the form of beautiful postcards in the shape of a heart.

3 Who to congratulate on Valentine's Day

Despite the fact that this is the holiday of lovers, recently there has been a fashion to congratulate everyone for whom you have all sorts of love - friends, girlfriends, colleagues, parents. However, initially this day was intended specifically for lovers, therefore, first of all, only life partners need to be congratulated.

On Valentine's Day in 2018, do not forget to congratulate Valentine and Valentinov. After all, on February 14 they will celebrate their name day.

4 Where and how is Valentine's Day celebrated?

In Europe (Great Britain, Denmark, France), Valentine's Day has been celebrated since the 12th century. In Russia and the CIS countries, the holiday has been celebrated since the early 1990s, when European culture began to penetrate the country.

The day of February 14 in England and Scotland was accompanied by a peculiar custom. On the eve of the holiday, young people gathered and 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. This meant that for a year relationships arose between young people, similar to those that, according to the descriptions of medieval novels, arose between a knight and his “lady of the heart”.

5 Are there any holidays in the world similar to Valentine's Day?

Russia. The ancient Russian holiday of all lovers is celebrated on June 8 - the Day of Peter and Fevronia. Prince Peter of Murom and the daughter of a commoner Fevronia went through all the trials of life to their happiness. At the end of their lives, Peter and Fevronia went to the monastery and died on the same day.

China. The Qixi Festival is celebrated in August. It is based on a beautiful legend about a heavenly Weaver who wove clouds and a simple earthly Shepherd. The heavenly forces were against their love, and when the Shepherd flew to heaven for his beloved, they were forever separated by a river, since then they meet only once a year on a bridge across this river. Qixijie is celebrated on the seventh day of the seventh month of the lunar Chinese calendar.

India. In late March - early April, Gangaur is celebrated. It begins the day after the festival of colors Holi and lasts 18 days. This is a story about the love of the god Shiva and his chosen bride Parvati, who made a vow to marry only Shiva and strictly observed it until the wedding. Women these days offer prayers for a successful marriage.

Israel. Tu B'Av is celebrated in July-August. It is believed that at this time, on Av 15, the unification of the people began: the elders of the 12 tribes of the Jacob family, each of which had previously lived apart, agreed to allow mixed marriages. On this day, the grape harvest began, and the girls in the vineyards were looking for suitors.

Ireland. On May 1, Beltane is celebrated here. This is a pagan holiday, so the program includes bonfires and jumping over them, night walks in the forests and hills, decorating trees in the forest, drinking wine and, as a result, searching for love. The holiday has been celebrated since the early Middle Ages in Ireland, Scotland and Wales. It is based on the legend of the love of the gods, in whose honor they burn bonfires.

Spain. Sant Jordi is celebrated on April 23 by the Catalans. It's Book Day, Rose Day and Valentine's Day at the same time. Giving books on this day was invented in the 20th century, since it was on this day that William Shakespeare and Miguel Cervantes died. In Barcelona, ​​roses and books are sold on every corner, couples are walking around with these items.

Valentine's Day, the patron saint of lovers, is celebrated on February 14th. Should Orthodox believers celebrate this day? Don't we have "our" holiday - the day of Peter and Fevronia? After all, these saints are an example of great love for us? Is it true that in the Catholic Church, Saint Valentine secretly married lovers?

In fact, the tradition of celebrating Valentine's Day has a complicated history associated with martyrdom, death for the faith, and modern traditions of celebrating "Valentine's Day" have nothing to do with the events that took place in reality. It is important to remember that the essence of this day for a Christian is not at all reduced to giving someone a card with a heart - a "valentine" or white chocolate. Did you know that three Saint Valentines died for their faith? Their difficult story of life and martyrdom does not correspond to the "glossy" story about the patron saint of lovers. Speaking of Saint Valentine, are we telling the story of a Christian martyr?

Tatyana Fedorova, the author of our article, encourages us to think about the history of the tradition of celebrating Valentine's Day as the day of the patron saint of lovers and not to confuse beautiful legends with reality. Before rushing to give sweets, cards and gifts to loved ones on this day, it is worth reading what the literature on the history of the Church writes about the veneration of saints with the name Valentine.

Do not accuse young people who exchange gifts of following Western traditions or celebrating a pagan holiday, it is better to give our material a read, in which we will explain in detail why Valentine's Day is not the day when you just congratulate lovers . And you can show warm feelings for each other on any day, it is not necessary to wait for a non-existent romantic holiday. Especially if this holiday is artificially associated with a Christian saint who gave his life for the faith.

Valentine's Day February 14 - lies and truth

Human perception is an amazing thing. Very often we tend to accept some information as truth only on the grounds that it has, in modern terms, a high citation index. In other words, the same text, with slight variations, wanders from edition to edition, from blog to blog. And the more often it is reproduced, the more often we are ready to take it on faith on the basis that "everyone says".

But alas, it often happens that the text copied from each other is initially erroneous to one degree or another, and by spreading it further, we willy-nilly mislead a larger and larger circle of people.

This is exactly the story that happened to the biography of a man whose memory is allegedly proposed to be celebrated on February 14th. If you set up an Internet search, the query " Valentine's Day” will bring dozens and hundreds of references retelling the same legend with some variations.

A bit of history

I was curious about how things were in those distant times. Fortunately, in addition to the "glossy" literature, a lot of serious historical research is now available to separate fact from fiction. Let's try to figure out what really happened, and what is just a romantic fiction. And let's not forget that even if some events more or less coincide chronologically, this does not mean at all that there is necessarily a relationship between them. As the saying goes, "after this does not mean because of this."

As for me, belonging to the world of science, I prefer to rely only on reliable, documented facts, avoiding conjectures and fantasies.

The first thing that is confirmed by the Roman martyrology is the very fact that at the dawn of Christianity at least three people who bore the name Valentine were martyred for their faith.

But at the same time, it is curious to note that although all three died no later than 270, their names are not in the earliest known list of martyrs - the Chronograph of 354.

The only thing known about the first of them is that he died in Carthage along with a group of fellow believers, and we will not mention him further due to the complete lack of additional information. The second Valentine was the bishop of Interamna (the modern city of Terni). What is known about him is that he was executed during the persecution of Christians, but when exactly this happened - at the end of the third century in the era of Emperor Aurelian or a hundred years earlier - the sources say differently. He was buried at the Via Flaminius in the vicinity of Rome.

The date of the death of the third martyr, Presbyter Valentine, is known more accurately. He was beheaded between 268 and 270 and was also buried along the Via Flaminius, but at a slightly different distance from Rome. In our time, the relics of Presbyter Valentine rest partly in Rome, partly in Dublin, and the relics of the bishop in Terni.

At the very end of the fifth century, Pope Gelasius decided to glorify a number of martyrs, including Valentine (now it is already impossible to say exactly which one, but rather, just all at once). As was formulated in the corresponding act: "... as people whose names are rightly revered among people, but whose deeds are known only to the Lord."

The birth of a tradition

There is nothing surprising in the fact that this celebration coincided chronologically with the local Roman pagan festival, by the way, completely banned by the same pope, it was a common early Christian practice. It was according to this principle that the dates of the celebration and those falling on pagan festivals in honor of the winter and summer solstice were chosen.

Lupercalia

The early Church tried in every possible way to give the ancient festivities a new Christian meaning. But we cannot unequivocally state that the celebration of the memory of the martyr Valentine was established instead of Lupercalia, we cannot now, no documentary records have been preserved on this account. Moreover, Lupercalia was only a local city festival, while the celebration of the memory of St. Valentine was established on a churchwide scale, i.e. affected the entire Christian Church at that time. But on an all-imperial scale, in that era, just a completely different ancient rite was celebrated - the so-called festival of Juno the Purifier, gradually supplanted by Christian Mother of God rites.

Thus, the celebration of the memory of St. Valentine was established solely as a veneration of his martyrdom, without any connection with the patronage of lovers. A little later, under Pope Julius the First, the Church of St. Valentine was built near Ponte Molle, and the city gates were called “Valentine's Gate” for a long time.

St. Valentine is mentioned as a glorious martyr in the Sacramentary of St. Gregory, in the Tommasi Roman Missal, and in a number of British saints' lives. In the Middle Ages, he was usually depicted either with a sword and a palm branch - symbols of his martyrdom, or at the moment of healing the daughter of Judge Asterius.

Jacopo Bossano. St. Valentine baptizes St. Lucilla. 1575

In the next nine centuries, the name of the saint is mentioned in the Acts of Martyrdom, the earliest of which dates from the sixth or seventh century, and in the "Golden Legend" - the lives of the saints of 1260, where the first mention is made of Valentine's meeting with the "emperor Claudius", the refusal to betray Christ and healing the jailer's daughter of blindness and deafness. Apparently, two lives of completely different saints are already merging here, as we will see a little later.

As for romantic legends, secret marriages, notes "from your Valentine", nothing of the kind is mentioned anywhere until the English poet Geoffrey Chaucer in 1382 in his poem "Bird Parliament" did not mention that birds in Valentines day they start looking for a mate. This phrase, however, is not entirely accurate - in the British climate, birds begin to arrange personal life a little later, but romantic literature, which entered its heyday, picked it up, developed it and replicated it in many later works. The Encyclopedia of Brockhaus and Efron, published more than a hundred years ago, states that “February 14 in England and Scotland in the old days was accompanied by a peculiar custom. On the eve of the day dedicated to St. Valentine, young people gathered and put into the urn the number of tickets corresponding to their number, with the names of young girls marked on them; then each took out one such ticket. The girl, whose name was given to the young man in this way, became his “Valentina” for the coming year, just as he was her “Valentine”, which entailed between young people for a whole year a relationship like those that, according to the descriptions of medieval novels, existed between a knight and his "lady of the heart." This custom, about which Ophelia speaks so touchingly in her famous song, is in all probability of pagan origin. To this day, Valentine's Day in Scotland and England gives the youth an opportunity for all sorts of jokes and entertainment.

The custom of sending cards to loved ones on Valentine's Day also originated in the Middle Ages. The very first Valentine in the world is considered to be a note sent from imprisonment in the Tower of London in 1415 by Charles, Duke of Orleans, and addressed to his wife.

Modern veneration and modern celebration

As for the veneration of the saint, the following has happened in modern times. During the reform of the Roman Catholic calendar of saints, carried out in 1969, the celebration of the memory of St. Valentine as a church saint was abolished on the grounds that there is no information about this martyr, except for the name and information about beheading with a sword. To date, February 14, the memory of St. Valentine is performed exclusively optional.

In the Orthodox Church, on the contrary, Saint Valentine is still revered. More precisely, both of the previously mentioned martyrs - the bishop and the presbyter - have their own days of commemoration. Valentine the Roman - presbyter - is venerated on July 19 (6), and the holy martyr Valentine, Bishop of Interamna, on August 12 (July 30). If you carefully read the lives of these saints, it becomes clear that in the legends that are now widespread, fragments related to completely different people were mixed up, and even medieval writings supplemented them with many romantic, but completely unrealistic episodes.

Thus, it turns out that the emergence of the image of St. Valentine as the patron saint of lovers, as well as numerous legends associated with him, we owe to the Middle Ages and their romantic literature, and not at all to the circumstances of the life of real martyrs who died at the dawn of Christianity.

And if we talk about “whose” this holiday is, then we have to admit that for more than forty years there has been no Valentine’s day in the Catholic liturgical calendar, instead February 14 is celebrated as a memory. So today both Saint Valentines are “ours” , at the general church level, only the Orthodox Church honors their memory.

As for the idea of ​​the possible emergence of the feast of St. Valentine, the patron saint of lovers, as a Christianized replacement for the Lupercalia, it arose in the 18th century as a hypothesis among the antiquarians Alban Butler, the compiler of The Butler Lives of the Saints, and Francis Douce precisely because the real Valentina knew absolutely nothing. Actually, this hypothesis does not have any reliable evidence, except for an attempt to link the writings of the XIV century to the realities of the third. Here I only briefly outline the chronology of events, and I invite all those interested to get acquainted with the studies of historians William Friend and Jack Oruch, published in 1967-1981.

Over time, the little-known custom of sending small souvenirs and notes to loved ones on February 14, which existed mainly in England and France, came to the New World with emigrants, where it was put on a grand scale. It all started harmlessly enough, with notebooks of poems printed on tear-off pages to help lovers who were not gifted with a poetic gift, but gradually the spirit of the current age took its toll. In different countries, it is treated differently, somewhere it is celebrated widely, somewhere very modestly. And here's what I think about it.

Valentine's Day in Russia when and how the history of the holiday appeared briefly. Not so long ago, he wedged into the diversity of Russian holidays - the great and terrible St. Valentine's Day, popularly called Valentine's Day. He wedged in from the west, very briskly and actively, and, one might say, arm in arm with Halloween.

With the second holiday, everything is relatively simple: this is just an excuse for young people to dress up as ghouls, witches and ghouls, and for clubs to arrange theme parties, earning extra money on this once again.

New holidays

Halloween, in fact, does not hide its intentions. Valentine's Day turned out to be much trickier. Frankly, this day, like the Halloween mentioned above, is a rather bloated holiday and has absolutely nothing to do with either our culture or history.

And yet, thinly hidden under the veil of love (this is Valentine's Day, after all!), February 14 is actively selling all kinds of nonsense in the form of valentines, plush hearts, chocolates ... or even something more significant! And try not to buy it!

Immediately you will get not only pouting lips from the second half, legs and condemnation of the rebellious public, they say: “Don’t you love for real? ”,“ Made money for a postcard? ”,“ Do you not respect the sanctity of love? ? ? ". And here we are, simple-hearted, dressed warmly, walking through the crackling February frost in search of a gift for our beloved.

Valentine's Day Gifts

We grab another teddy bear with the classic inscription "I love u" and proudly drag a trifle to our loved one. And it seems like a trifle.

That some couple of hundred are not worth the nerves that could be lost if we did not buy this symbolic bear. But just imagine what a huge income for some three days, for example, Chinese factories receive for these bears of dubious quality.

And here we are, shuffling our boots through the snowdrifts, looking at our bear and thinking about what is the probability that on the most ordinary day, being in our right mind and sober mind, we would bring her a bear cub, whose paw is thicker and the right eye is lower than the left , and even a tail, like a squirrel?

And what are the chances that our loved one would give us a hare sewn in Vietnam, singing a song from a Soviet cartoon in a husky bass. But there he is, this hare.

Sits behind the still closed door in a pretty gift bag. And, of course, with the classic inscription "I love u", where without it? It is regrettable to admit, but all of us, friends, skillfully circled around the finger!

Indeed, even if one glance at the history of the holiday called "Valentine's Day", it is immediately clear that the essence of the celebration was conveyed to us, gullible guys, in a very distorted form. And it doesn’t smell like pure and sincere love there.

How it all started

And the history of this holiday begins in ancient Rome, where from year to year on February 15, the Lupercalia eroticism festival was celebrated with glamor and brilliance. On this day, on the holy place for the Romans, where, according to legend, a she-wolf nourished and raised Romulus and Remus, the founders of Rome, animal sacrifices were held.

From their skins they made belts, with which, after a solemn feast on the streets of the city, naked young people flogged the women they met. I must say that the girls climbed willingly under the blows with a whip, because it was believed that a pretty spanking would give them fertility, which was very important in those days.

Having received a belt, the women also undressed. This holiday was very popular. So popular that even with the advent of Christianity in Ancient Rome, when all pagan holidays were canceled, Lupercalia was celebrated for a long time by people of all ages and social classes.

Valentine's Day the history of the holiday (briefly)

At the very end of the 5th century AD, Pope Gelasius I decided to remove this depraved holiday from the calendar of his compatriots. But no one would simply agree to celebrate their favorite celebration so simply.

Then Gelasius comes up with a subtle strategic move: in order not to be so insulting, he simply replaces one holiday with another. The closest holiday to the Lupercalia was February 14, which received Saint Valentine as its patron.

It was on this day, two centuries earlier, that the simplest priest, Valentine, was executed. His fault was that, despite the ban of Emperor Claudius II (who for some reason was sure that a soldier without a wife and children was much better at military service than his family comrades), Valentine, under the cover of night, secretly crowned hearts in love.

While awaiting execution in the church, Valentine falls in love with the warden's beautiful daughter Julia. Just before the execution, the priest reveals his feelings to the girl, sending her a love confession.

Lupercalia is postponed by the Pope a day ago and mixed with the day of the martyr St. Valentine. It must be said that no one would have remembered the day of this saint if there had not been an urgent need to “knock out a wedge with a wedge” and “finally get rid of vice from the Romans.” Gradually, the festival of eroticism exhausted itself and disappeared, and new traditions came to replace it.

How to celebrate

Gelasius I once rendered such a service to modern world industry. Thanks to active propaganda, St. Valentine's Day has become very dense in our lives, becoming an official holiday for half of Russians.

According to research conducted by the All-Russian Public Opinion Research Center, more than 81% of young people aged 18-24 celebrate this holiday every year. So far, few are ready to fight the "foreign" for the Russians Valentine's Day. I must say that more than 53% of the inhabitants of Russia consider themselves to be in love with people. I would like to say that in itself there is absolutely nothing wrong with the holiday dedicated to the feeling of “Love”. But, think, if you really love each other, why do you, in fact, need this link to a specific date? Of course, a good holiday will not be superfluous. Only here with a loved one a holiday - every day.

Valentine's Day in Russia how the history of the holiday appeared is a brief description in this article.