Greetings, dear guests and readers of my blog! Soon there will come a holiday that all couples in love are waiting for - Valentine's Day or Valentine's Day. On this holiday, it is customary to give gifts associated with love. It can be flowers, sweets, heart-shaped cards, pleasant little things and surprises. Although, on the other hand, why wait for a certain day? What stops you from doing it every day? But still, many people are waiting for this particular day to show tender feelings for their other half.

At the same time, people do not even think about Valentine's Day as a holiday. What is the history of this holiday? In this article, I want to introduce you to this holiday closer.

History of Valentine's Day

Already traditionally in many countries on February 14, the most romantic of all holidays is celebrated - St. Valentine's Day or Valentine's Day. But what is the story behind this holiday? Where did this Saint Valentine come from?

Two or three decades ago, few people in the CIS countries knew about this holiday and did not pay any attention to it.

There are many legends about the origin of this holiday. According to one of them, Valentine lived and preached in the ΙΙΙ century AD in Rome.

During the reign of Emperor Claudius ΙΙ, a war began with the Goths, and in order to maintain a strong army and military spirit, the emperor issued a decree forbidding legionnaires to marry.

Fortunately for the legionnaires, the priest Valentine, who was the head of the church, did not obey this order and secretly continued to marry young people. After that, Valentine became a friend and protector of all lovers.

Soon the emperor found out about this. Valentine was taken into custody, imprisoned, and executed on February 14, 269. Before his execution, Valentine sent a letter to the daughter of the head of the prison, who became his lover. In the letter, Valentine said goodbye to her, thanked her for everything and signed: "your Valentine." This was the basis for giving valentines for this holiday.

At first glance, everything seems so beautiful and believable that you can even believe it. But it was not there. All this is just a beautiful fairy tale.

First, Christianity at that time was outlawed in Rome. The wedding ceremony itself was formed in the church only in the Middle Ages. Therefore, in the ΙΙΙ century of our era, such a rite simply could not be, and Valentine did not marry anyone.

Secondly, it is believed that after entering the priesthood, the priest cannot marry. Otherwise, he commits a great sin and is punished by defrocking.

In fact, Valentine's Day originated from the pagan fertility festival Lupercalia, which was celebrated in ancient Rome. On the day of this holiday, revelry, immorality and depravity reigned.

The festival of Lupercalia was celebrated on February 15 in honor of the goddess of feverish love, Juno Februata, and the god Faun, the patron saint of herds.

The holiday began with a sacrifice to the gods. Then, belts were cut from the skins of the sacrificed goats. Half-naked youths, smeared with sacrificial blood, took these belts and fled to the walls of Rome, where the Roman women were waiting for them.

These young men beat the Roman women with belts, and this rite meant that each blow increased the chances of a successful conception and a safe birth. Well, the Roman women deliberately exposed themselves to these blows. This holiday ended with an orgy and debauchery.

On the night between the celebration of the day of Juno and Lupercalia, the youth of Rome had a custom that is very similar to the celebration of Valentine's Day in our time.

In ancient Rome, the upbringing of boys and girls was carried out separately. They hardly saw each other. But on the eve of Lupercalia, the girls wrote their names on pieces of paper and put them in a large bowl, and the boys took turns taking them out. That girl, whose name was on a piece of paper, became a couple for a young man during the holiday and for the whole of the following year. They could meet freely.

Such couples in rare cases were united by marriage. The rest just cohabited for a year.

Over time, when the power of the Catholic Church became stronger and more influential, the popes did everything possible to erase the pagan gods and all the celebrations dedicated to them from the memory of the people. Therefore, the holiday of Lupercalia fell into the number of forbidden holidays.

This holiday was so popular that even its ban could not make people forget about it. As a result, the feast of Lupercalia was shifted from February 15 to February 14 and an official saint, Valentine, was assigned to him. It happened in 496 AD thanks to Gelasius Ι - the Pope of Rome.

But in 1969, the church banned this holiday altogether, since it is not clear which Valentine it is dedicated to, and its history is doubtful.

Well, the usual form for most people, Valentine's Day acquired only in the 19th century. This holiday started from America. It was invented by managers of the marketing service of the American mail.

After a severe crisis, the country experienced financial difficulties. So marketers came up with heart-shaped valentines in honor of some kind of St. Valentine, which people could send to their beloved with declarations of love. Such an idea quickly gained popularity and businessmen earned millions of dollars from it.

Currently, this holiday is considered secular. Many condemn this holiday and say that it is imposed on us by the West. But if the holiday inspires, inspires and evokes good feelings, then why not have a place in our lives. What do you think?

Signs, customs and conspiracies for Valentine's Day

How is Valentine's Day celebrated around the world?

St. Valentine's Day is a day of love and romance and is exclusively secular. In different countries, the attitude to St. Valentine's Day is ambiguous. How is it celebrated in Russia, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, France and the USA? Do all countries celebrate Valentine's Day?

It is believed that on this day you can give valentines not only to your loved ones, to whom you want to declare your love, but also to people you just love: parents, children, friends, acquaintances, and even bosses and subordinates. Because love is something more and higher than just passion.

France

In France, on Valentine's Day, it is customary to give jewelry, linen, romantic trips, sweets. And also men make marriage proposals to their chosen ones.

England

In England, on Valentine's Day, it is customary to give your soulmate cards, heart-shaped sweets, flowers. Girls bake heart-shaped pies for their lovers.

Italy

In Italy, this day is called "sweet". Most often, people give chocolate and sweets to their loved ones, relatives, friends.

Germany

In Germany, St. Valentine is not the patron of lovers, but of nervous and mentally ill people. On this day, the Germans decorate psychiatric hospitals with red ribbons, and a special service is held in the chapels.

In Spain, Valentine's Day is celebrated in early May.

Denmark

In Denmark, the tradition of giving love cards on Valentine's Day is the most common. The Danes also give their lovers and friends white snowdrops and compose poems, funny poems and love notes. Very often poems written to girls are not signed and the girls have to guess the name of the author. If the girl guesses correctly, then in the same year she receives a chocolate Easter egg.

Canada

In Canada, on this holiday, a girl can confess her love to any "free" man. If he refuses, he will be fined or even go to jail.

USA

On February 14 in the United States, it is customary to give everyone you love (parents, grandparents, friends, children, your beloved) red and white heart-shaped caramel candies, as these two colors symbolize passion and purity.

Jamaica

In Jamaica, many couples get married on Valentine's Day. Couples walk down the aisle completely naked.

In Iran and Saudi Arabia, celebrating Valentine's Day is illegal.

Holland

In Holland, on February 14, girls can be very active and they are given various preferences for this. For example, they can make a marriage proposal to their lover and there is nothing shameful in this according to the Dutch. Girls win in any case, even if they are refused. Indeed, in this case, the man is obliged to buy her a silk dress.

Iceland

In Iceland, on Valentine's Day, it is customary to burn bonfires in the name of Odin's son, Vali (Vili). So the passion between lovers can be ignited by a kind of ritual, when girls hang coals on the guys' necks, and they, in response, hang pebbles on the girls' necks. After that, the couple needs to kindle a fire, which will appear as a result of the friction of stone on stone.

Sweden

In Sweden, it is customary to give roses, gummies and heart-shaped cakes. This tradition is especially widespread among young people. In general, the idea of ​​showing someone a sign of attention and love is very close to the Swedes.

Japan

The smart people of the land of the rising sun came up with their own original way to celebrate Valentine's Day. Every year, couples can declare to the whole country how much they love each other at an event called "The Loudest Love Confession." On a special platform, lovers shout about their feelings and the loudest one wins a prize. It should also be noted that in Japan, February 14 is like March 8 in Japan, only for men. In addition to traditional gifts (wallets, razors, eau de toilette, lotions, etc.), it is customary to give chocolate here. Moreover, girls and women give gifts not only to their halves, but also to relatives and friends.

Poland

Most of all, according to the Poles, it was they who were lucky. Since in Poland, according to legend, the relics of St. Valentine are kept. Therefore, on February 14, lovers of this country try to visit the Poznan metropolis to look at the remains, pray at the miraculous icon and get help in love affairs.

Ukraine

In Ukraine, various flash mobs are organized on this day, events, promotions, concerts are held. Special mailboxes are hung in the school corridors, in which everyone can put their Valentine card.

Belarus

In Belarus, mailboxes in educational institutions are also popular, where you can put anonymous and personalized valentines. This day is also considered the day of "kissing". People gather in parks, stadiums and, on command, kiss their soul mate or sympathy.

Russia

In Russia, on February 14, lovers exchange valentines, souvenirs with romantic symbols, sweets in the shape of hearts and roses.

In Russia, an alternative official holiday to Valentine's Day is the Day of Family, Love and Fidelity (July 8).

In conclusion, I would like to say that life is too short to wait for a specific day to declare love to your halves. Therefore, love, give each other positive emotions and enjoy each other's company as often as possible.

Valentine's Day

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

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

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

Sending Valentines was fashionable in 19th-century Britain. In 1847, Esther Howland set up a successful business of hand-crafting British-style valentines from her home in Worcester, Massachusetts. Since the 19th century, homemade valentines have almost completely given way to mass-produced greeting cards. The popularity of such cards in 19th century America was a precursor to the subsequent commercialization of holidays in the United States.

Story

Lupercalia of ancient Rome

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

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

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

According to The Illustrated History of the Family, written by William M. Cooper, the main part of the Lupercalia festival was naked men carrying goatskin thongs who ran past women and beat them; women willingly set themselves up, believing that these blows would give them fertility and easy childbirth. This became a very common ritual in Rome, in which even members of noble families participated. Records say that even Mark Antony fled as Luperzi.

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

Saint Valentine

In Russia

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

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

celebration

Notes

see also

Wikimedia Foundation. 2010 .

• Oktyabrsky (Belgorod region)
• Urazovo

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

Valentine's Day- February 14 in the Catholic and Protestant world is celebrated Valentine's Day or Valentine's Day. Since the 1990s, this holiday has become popular in Russia. Initially, the celebration of the memory of St. Valentine was established as ... ... Encyclopedia of newsmakers

VALENTINE'S DAY- VALENTINE'S DAY, Russia, New Odeon, 2000, color, 65 min. Farce comedy. Cast: Mikhail Kokshenov (see KOKSHENOV Mikhail Mikhailovich), Lyubov Polishchuk (see POLISHCHUK Lyubov Grigoryevna), Boris Shcherbakov (see SHCHERBAKOV Boris Vasilyevich), Alexander ... ... Cinema Encyclopedia

Valentine's Day- This term has other meanings, see Valentine's Day (meanings). Postcard "Valentine" 1910 Valentine's Day, or Valentine's Day is a holiday that I celebrate on February 14 ... Wikipedia

Valentine's Day- Postcard "Valentine" 1910 Valentine's Day, or Valentine's Day is a holiday celebrated on February 14 by many people around the world. Named after two of the many early Christian martyrs named Valentine. In some dioceses ... ... Wikipedia

Valentine's Day: the history and traditions of the holiday- February 14 in the Catholic and Protestant world is celebrated Valentine's Day or Valentine's Day. Since the 1990s, this holiday has become popular in Russia. Google's Valentine's Day Holiday Doodle Originally a celebration of... ... Encyclopedia of newsmakers

From open sources

The whole world, and with it Ukraine, today, February 14, celebrates Valentine's Day or Valentine's Day. This holiday came to us 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, but its history is more ancient and shrouded in many legends. So, for example, one of the main questions to this day remains: did Saint Valentine exist at all and did he really give his beloved a romantic Valentine for the first time ?!

history of the holiday

The Catholic Church recognizes at least three different saints named Valentine who were murdered.

One of the legends says that Valentine was a young priest who was also interested in the natural sciences and medicine. He lived in the third century in Rome. It was then when the emperor Claudius II decided that single men were better soldiers than those burdened with families, and forbade soldiers to marry.

Valentine, realizing the injustice of the decree, challenged the emperor and continued to marry the lovers in secret. When Claudius found out about this, he sentenced the priest to death. But while waiting for the execution of the death sentence, Valentine in prison fell in love with the jailer's daughter Yulia.

Before the execution, the priest 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.

According to another legend, Valentine was a Roman patrician and a secret Christian who also converted his servants to the new faith. Once he performed a wedding ceremony for two of them. But by denunciation or by coincidence, all three were detained by the guards.

From open sources

Valentine, as a member of the upper class, could have escaped death, but not his servant. Then, wishing to encourage the doomed fellow believers, Valentine wrote them letters in the form of red hearts, meaning Christian love. A blind girl was supposed to send messages to the newlyweds, but unexpectedly Valentine himself came to the dungeon, who persuaded the guards to let his servants go in exchange for his life.

Before entering the arena of death, Valentine handed over the last letter, consecrated by faith and kindness, to a blind girl, who after that received her sight and became a beauty.

Third legend says that Valentine lived in Egypt around 100-153. He was a valuable candidate for the office 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.

In addition, the date of the celebration is shrouded in speculation. Some believe that Valentine's Day is celebrated in mid-February to commemorate the anniversary of the death or burial of the saint, others argue that the church may have decided to assign Valentine's Day to this time in an attempt to "Christianize" the pagan holiday of Lupercalia, which was also celebrated on this day. .

Lupercalia was a fertility festival dedicated to the Faun, the Roman god of agriculture, and 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. They 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 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, a young man with epilepsy, prayed for a long time - and recovered.

In 1969, the patron saint of lovers was removed from the calendar of saints as one whose historicity was questioned. Now on February 14, Roman Catholics celebrate the Day of Saints Cyril and Methodius, whom Pope John II proclaimed the patron saints of Europe.

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 on this day with their soulmate.

Traditions and attributes of the holiday

Traditionally, on Valentine's Day, people give each other various sweets in the shape of hearts, flowers and souvenirs. The invariable attributes of the holiday are valentines, doves and cupids.

From open sources

According to legend, the very first Valentine in the world is considered to be a note sent by Duke Charles of Orleans in 1415. While in English captivity after the battle of Agincourt, he allegedly sent verse love letters to his wife from a London prison. One of the then "valentines" is now kept in the British Museum.

A few years after the first Valentine, King Henry V hired a writer named John Lydgate to compose a Valentine for Catherine of Valois.

Over time, the custom of sending small souvenirs and valentine notes to loved ones on February 14 existed only in England and France. Later, they learned about him thanks to emigrants in the New World (modern North and South America).

At first, the first "valentines" were created with their own hands: talented artists wrote romantic poems on sheets of paper, later in the UK they began to print collections of poems - lovers chose the best ones and copied them into "valentines".

From open sources

Somewhere since that time, the mass 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.

Different countries - different approach

It should be noted that the approach to celebrating Valentine's Day in different countries is not the same. So, 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.

From open sources

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 who met 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 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.

In Holland, on this particular day, it is not considered shameful if a woman first approaches a man and politely says to him: "Marry me!" If a man does not appreciate this high gesture, he can blame himself, since now he must give the lady a dress, moreover, mostly silk.

In Saudi Arabia, the celebration of Valentine's Day is banned under the threat of heavy fines.

Valentine's Day or Valentine's Day, the most romantic holiday, is celebrated in most countries of the world on February 14 - on this day for more than one and a half thousand years people have confessed their love to each other.

It is curious that 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.

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

Story

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

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

On this day, the girls wrote love letters, which were placed in a huge urn, and then the men pulled the letters. Then each man began to court the girl whose love letter he pulled out. In ancient Greece, this holiday was called Panurgy - ritual games in honor of the god Pan (in Roman mythology - Faun) - the patron saint of herds, forests, fields and their fertility. According to mythology, Pan is a merry fellow and a rake, plays the flute beautifully and always pursues the nymphs with his love.

Information has been preserved that this day was also called the "Bird's Wedding", since it was believed that birds form mating pairs precisely in the second week of the second month of the year.

Saint Valentine

There are many legends associated with the name of Saint Valentine. The most beautiful and romantic of them is the story of a Christian preacher who, in 269, married the legionnaires of the Roman Empire with their lovers, despite the prohibition of Emperor Claudius II.

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

St. Valentine sympathized with the lovers and tried in every possible way to help them - he reconciled quarreling lovers, composed letters for them with declarations of love, gave flowers to young spouses and secretly married soldiers. Claudius II, having learned about this, ordered the priest to be thrown into prison, and soon signed a decree on his execution. A halo of romance is shrouded in the last days of the life of St. Valentine.

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

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

According to the Catholic Church, Saint Valentine really healed a blind girl - the daughter of a dignitary Asterius, who believed in Christ and was baptized. Claudius then ordered the execution of Valentine. That is, Valentine suffered for the faith, and therefore was canonized as a saint. There is speculation that the Church introduced Valentine's Day as a counterweight to the popular pagan holiday of Love, which could not be eradicated with the advent of Christianity.

Around the same time, a legend appears to explain why St. Valentine patronizes lovers.

One way or another, two hundred years later, Valentine was proclaimed a Saint, the patron saint of all lovers.

However, in 1969, as a result of the reform of worship, St. Valentine was removed from the liturgical calendar of the Catholic Church. The reason for this was the fact that there is no information about this martyr, except for the name and information about beheading with a sword.

valentine

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

Valentine cards were very popular in the 18th century, especially in England. They were exchanged as gifts. Lovers made postcards from multi-colored paper and signed with colorful ink. By the beginning of the 20th century, with the improvement of printing technology, handwritten postcards were replaced by printed ones. Today, on Valentine's Day, it is customary to give each other valentines in the form of hearts, with declarations of love, marriage proposals, or just jokes. On this day, they also like to arrange weddings and get married.

Traditions

In Europe, this holiday has been widely celebrated since the 13th century. In England, they used to carve wooden "spoons of love" and give them to their loved ones. They were decorated with hearts, keys and keyholes, which symbolized that the path to the heart was open.

The ancestor of the tradition of giving red roses to loved ones is considered Louis XVI, who presented such a bouquet to Marie Antoinette. According to legend, Aphrodite stepped on a bush of white roses and stained the roses with her blood, so red roses appeared.

According to an ancient custom, in England and Scotland on the eve of the holiday dedicated to St. Valentine, young people put tickets in an urn with the names of young girls written on them. Then each took out one ticket.

The girl, whose name went to the young man, became his “Valentina” for the coming year, and he became her “Valentine”. 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”.

According to legend, in Britain, unmarried girls on February 14 get up before sunrise, stand near the window and look at the passing men - the first man they see is the betrothed. The Italians call February 14 a sweet day and give sweets and sweets. Valentines are mailed in a pink envelope with no return address. In romantic Denmark, dried white flowers are usually sent to each other, and in Spain it is considered the height of passion to send a love message with a carrier pigeon.

In France, it is customary to give jewelry on Valentine's Day. On Valentine's Day, the French also hold various romantic contests. For example, the competition for the longest serenade - a song about love - is very popular. And it was in France that the first quatrain message was written.

In Japan, on Valentine's Day, which began to be celebrated in the 30s of the XX century, it is customary to give men chocolate - usually in the form of a Valentine's figurine. This is not so much a declaration of love as a sign of attention. The tradition of giving sweets on this day appeared at the suggestion of one large chocolate manufacturing company. In addition, the Japanese hold a competition for the loudest and brightest love message. Boys and girls climb onto the platform and shout from there about their love.

Valentine's Day has been celebrated in the United States since 1777. The tradition of giving gifts on this day has grown stronger every year and for some has become a fairly successful business. At the beginning of the 19th century, Americans had a custom to give marzipan figurines to their loved ones on this day. And marzipans in those days were considered a great luxury.

In the post-Soviet space, people first paid attention to Valentine's Day about two decades ago. And only recent years are celebrated massively with valentines, congratulations and declarations of love.

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

It is curious that the Georgian Day of Love was once introduced as an alternative to St. Valentine's Day, a tradition to celebrate which came to the newly independent states from Western countries. Romantic Georgians, like many other countries that have their own alternative day of Love, today celebrate both holidays, according to the principle, the more, the better. But there are countries in the world where the Love holiday has been tabooed. First of all, this is Saudi Arabia, which is the only country in the world where this holiday is officially banned, moreover, under pain of heavy fines.

Valentine's Day is a holiday of love, passion and tenderness, it is celebrated by many people and brightly covered in the media. But for the most part, people celebrating this day do not know either the history of the origin of the holiday, Valentine's Day, or its essence. So where did Valentine's Day come from, who is Saint Valentine, and what is the meaning of this holiday? Let's take a look at the history of Valentine's Day in order.

Valentine's Day is surrounded by a floral-angelic halo and strewn with scarlet rose petals. Every self-respecting lover seeks to prove to his soul mate that he is truly the most in love.

On the gentle and bright Holiday of Love - Valentine's Day - sweets, hearts and soft toys pour like water, and the network is full of young ladies with toys and flowers.

Who is Saint Valentine, and was he at all?

If you ask an ordinary person who Saint Valentine is and what his merit is, it is unlikely that many will formulate a clear answer. His figure is surrounded by a large halo of myths and conjectures.

Someone will say that it was a priest who secretly crowned soldiers. And someone that Valentine was an oppressed clergyman, inflamed with passion for the beautiful daughter of the jailer and signed his messages “your Valentine”.

And there are those who will say that this is generally fiction, and St. Valentine did not exist at all. Was it Saint Valentine?

Which of them is right? Maybe a little bit of each. Saint Valentine, the patron saint of lovers, is a collective image and not quite real. Who is Saint Valentine?

The prototype of the saint, in whose honor hearts are given and postcards are written, are several different Valentines. The most famous of them are the Bishop of Interamna and Valentinus the Roman.

Valentine, Bishop of Interamna, is known for his gift of healing. Once he was approached by the philosopher Kraton, whose son had injured his back and could not even straighten up. No medical treatment helped the young man.

After Valentine healed the young man, the news of this miracle began to spread, and many people converted to the Christian faith. And everything would be fine, but only Avundius, the son of a pagan fanatic and part-time Roman mayor, also converted to Christianity.

The mayor directed all his anger on this occasion to Valentine, Bishop of Interam. Because Valentine did not want to renounce the faith and worship idols, he was soon beheaded.

Together with him, the disciples who lived in Kraton's house and spread Christianity also suffered. According to some versions, Saint Valentine was executed on February 14th. In addition, Pope Gelasius appointed the day of his remembrance for February 14th.

This is one of the stories about the origin of the Valentine's Day holiday, which few people know about.

There is another version of who Saint Valentine is. But there is even less information about Valentine the Roman. It is known that he lived under the emperor Claudius of Gotha and healed the daughter of the dignitary Asterius from blindness. Asterius after such a miracle converted to Christianity. For this, both he and Saint Valentine were executed.

There is no exact evidence of the life of these saints. There is even a possibility that this is the same person. Due to the fact that confusion arose during the analysis of the lives of these saints, the Catholic Church excluded Valentine from the universal Roman calendar.

There was also another saint named Valentine from Africa, but since there is no information about him at all, he is unlikely to be related to this holiday.

As you can see, there is not a word about love in these stories of the origin of Valentine's Day. So why is Saint Valentine called the patron saint of lovers?

Valentine's Day. history of the holiday

Let us turn to the history of ancient Rome. Perhaps the history of Valentine's Day came from there.

There was a Lupercalia holiday in ancient Rome dedicated to the merry Faun (aka Luperc) and the unrestrained goddess of "feverish" love Juno Februata (Juno Februata).

By the way, the month of February got its name from the name of this loving goddess.

The holiday of Lupercalia was noisy, lively, and had a pronounced sexual and erotic character. At a time when the birth rate had fallen sharply, the oracle announced that a rite of flogging women with a whip from the skin of sacrificial animals was necessary, and this would ensure their fertility and easy childbirth.

And so, on February 15, naked men filled the streets of Rome and whipped women. Those willingly substituted under blows. At the end of the festival, women also threw off their clothes.

Women threw shreds with their names into the urn, and men drew lots from the urn, and the one whose name fell out became the partner of the man who chose her for a whole year, until the next holiday. The celebration of love ended with a general orgy.

This holiday of free love was very tenacious among the people. Even with the advent of Christianity on February 15 people were covered with a wave of sexual pleasures.

In order to somehow rein in the people and add piety to the lives of believers, Pope Gelasius declared February 14 the day of veneration of St. Valentine. The celebration of the Lupercalia was banned.

Instead of the names of women, the names of saints were taken out of the urn, and it was believed that for the whole next year people would inherit the life path of the chosen saint. So the clergy hoped to replace the holiday of depravity in the human mind with a feast of modest and chaste. This is the history of Valentine's Day.

Apparently it was at that time that the name of St. Valentine was overgrown with legends and myths about the secret weddings of soldiers and secret notes with love confessions.

For some reason, no reliable facts from the life of these (or this) saints confirming these cases have been recorded.

Maybe there were all these romantic events, or maybe there weren’t, and this whole story of Valentine’s Day is fiction? It's just that people needed a beautiful holiday, and they made it.

These are the ambiguous facts and versions about the history of the emergence of the holiday Valentine's Day.

How Valentine's Day is celebrated in different countries

Perhaps that is why there is a rather ambiguous attitude towards St. Valentine in different countries, and this holiday is celebrated in different ways.

For example, I will tell you how Valentine's Day is celebrated in different countries of the world.

Valentine's Day in Japan. Hadaka Matsuri

I wonder how they celebrate Valentine's Day in Japan. Valentine's Day in Japan is a romantic holiday more for men.

It is men who are given sweets and gifts. Chocolate takes a special place on Valentine's Day in Japan. It even has special names on this day.

Colleagues and acquaintances are given "weights" - the usual set of chocolate. And the dearest person is given a special kind of chocolate called "honmei". But that's not all.

On February 14, Valentine's Day, Japan celebrates the festival of naked men - Hadaka Matsuri. Crowds of men in nothing but loincloths run around the city chasing similarly naked people. It is believed that on the day of Hadaka Matsuri, touching a naked man will bring protection from misfortunes and troubles.

Valentine's Day in Germany

And in Germany, Saint Valentine is considered the patron saint of the mad. Priests are advised to visit mentally ill relatives on this day, if any.

On Valentine's Day in Germany, wards in special institutions and hospitals are decorated with scarlet ribbons.

By the way, we also have an unspoken rule for Catholics to visit mentally ill relatives on February 14th. And consider Saint Valentine the patron saint of the insane.

If you understand and look at all the candy-heart fuss that reigns in mid-February, and the depressive states of those left without gifts, it is clear that they are not so wrong.

Valentine's Day in France, England and Holland

How do other European countries celebrate Valentine's Day?

France is not very original and focuses on flowers, hearts, chocolate and love poems.

It is believed that France is the birthplace of romantic quatrain messages on valentines.

In England, on this day, declarations of love are written, gifts and sweets are given not only to loved ones, but also to beloved pets (they didn’t go so far from Germany).

In Holland, on Valentine's Day, a woman who is desperate to wait for a proposal from a man can propose marriage herself. And in case of refusal, he has the right to pay off: a beautiful silk dress.

Here's how Valentine's Day is celebrated in different countries. But that's not all about February 14th.

February 14 - Day of the geek

On February 14, the unofficial, but widely known in narrow circles, “Computer Day” is celebrated. Therefore, on February 14, you can safely congratulate unromantic programmers (romantic, by the way, is also possible), as well as all cybernetics and electronics engineers.

Why is Computer Scientist Day celebrated on February 14th? Of course, this has nothing to do with Saint Valentine. In 1946, on this day, the real working computer ENIAC I was presented to the world community for the first time. It was from him that modern computer technology inherited the binary system.

Naturally, up to this point, there were also attempts to present such computers, but only not entirely successful and sometimes completely non-working prototypes.

But ENIAC I could really solve the tasks assigned to it. Such a miracle was created, of course, for the needs of the military industry.

This is such an ambiguous holiday - Valentine's Day. For someone romantic, for someone sexy, and for someone purely professional.

But to celebrate it or not, everyone decides for himself. But it is hardly worth waiting for Valentine's Day to confess your love, give sweets or hug your loved one.

Love does not need special dates, holidays and recognizable symbols that are flaunted. Love itself is already a holiday. Love each other every day.

And as for Valentine's Day, I described the history of the holiday, versions and facts. Valentine's Day is celebrated in various ways in different countries, how you celebrate it is up to you.

Also on our website you can find a hint, or think with us about.