What can be said about love? Everything has been said about it!? Yet, each generation contributes to understanding life's eternal values, writing new lines in the annals of love.

Many stories leave a lasting impression and serve as examples of the highest form of love for generations to come. One of them occurred at the beginning of the Christian era and gave rise to the holiday of Valentine's Day.

According to legend, Emperor Claudius II issued a decree in Rome that legionaries were not allowed to marry.

But love knows no bounds; the warriors fell in love and started families. A young priest, Valentin, assisted them in this. Secretly, at his own risk, he married the lovers. When the priest's actions were discovered, he was convicted and sentenced to death.

Before his death, Valentin was destined to experience this great feeling himself. He fell in love with the jailer's daughter, and on the eve of his execution, he wrote her a farewell love letter signed "Your Valentin."

Initially, the Catholic Church canonized the Christian martyr and declared the date of his death, February 14, to be St. Valentine's Day, but later reversed its decision due to inconsistencies and unreliability of the facts.

Moreover, at present, the February holiday of Valentine's Day is not recognized by either the Orthodox or Catholic religions, as well as other religions of the world, pointing to its origins in the dissolute holiday of Lupercalia from the pagan past of Ancient Rome.

Despite the church's opinion and the fact that Valentine's Day is not an official holiday in any country in the world, it is incredibly popular among residents of many countries.

It has been widely celebrated in Western Europe since the 13th century, in the USA since the end of the 18th century, and in Japan since the first half of the 20th century.

In Russia,  Moldova  and other CIS countries it has only become widespread in recent decades, thereby causing condemnation from some and active support from others.

Valentine's cards—heart-shaped cards with a romantic declaration of love or simply a sweet, friendly phrase—have become a universal symbol of the holiday. Teenagers and young adults are especially active in expressing their feelings. In schools, "postmen" deliver anonymous declarations of love to recipients, and various fun contests and discos are held.

Many wonderful things happen on this day. Lovers are especially attentive to each other, giving each other gifts, arranging romantic encounters and walks. New acquaintances often develop into true love.

Some couples get married on February 14th so that Saint Valentine, the patron saint of all lovers, will bless their union for a happy family life.

Valentine's Day is a wonderful opportunity for everyone to show their love for their family and friends by saying the most cherished words: "I love you. Yours..."  

Author: Lyubov Barsukova.

 

History of Valentine's Day


The history of Valentine's Day traces back to the Lupercalia of Ancient Rome. Lupercalia was a fertility festival in honor of Juno Februata, the goddess of "feverish" love, and the god Faunus (Lupercus was one of his nicknames), the patron saint of flocks, celebrated annually on February 15th.

Almost nothing is known about the life of the real Christian Valentine (born in the 3rd century AD in Terni, Roman Empire). The few facts of his tragic biography are gleaned from contradictory legends. It is said that the Bishop of Terni, as a young man, showed special favor to young lovers—helping them write letters of love, reconciling those who had quarreled, and giving flowers to young couples. His arrest was allegedly caused by the fact that the Roman Emperor Julius Claudius II did not allow soldiers of the imperial legions to fall in love and marry, and Valentinus secretly married legionnaires.

Legends of Saint Valentine

In the late Middle Ages in France and England, the life of St. Valentine gradually began to be surrounded by legends associated with the secret wedding of couples in love.

According to the Golden Legend, in those distant and dark times, the powerful and cruel Roman Emperor Claudius II came to the conclusion that a single man, unburdened by a wife and family, would be better off fighting on the battlefield for the glory of Caesar, and so he forbade men from marrying, and women and girls from marrying the men they loved. Saint Valentine, however, was an ordinary field doctor and priest who sympathized with star-crossed lovers and, secretly, under the cover of night, blessed the marriages of loving men and women. Soon, Saint Valentine's activities became known to the authorities, and he was imprisoned and sentenced to death. While imprisoned, Saint Valentine met the warden's beautiful daughter, Julia. Before his death, the enamoured priest wrote a declaration of love to his beloved—a valentine—in which he professed his love and signed it, "Your Valentine." It was read after he was executed, and the execution itself took place on February 14, 269.

 

According to another legend, the Roman patrician Valentinus, a secret Christian who also converted his servants to the new faith, was once performing a wedding ceremony for two of them. Either through denunciation or coincidence, all three were detained by the guards. Valentinus, as a member of the upper class, could have escaped death, but his servants could not. Then, wishing to encourage his doomed co-religionists, Valentinus wrote them letters in the form of red hearts, symbolizing Christian love. A blind girl was to deliver the messages to the newlyweds, but Valentinus himself unexpectedly arrived in the prison and persuaded the guards to release his servants in exchange for his life. Before entering the arena of death, Valentinus gave a final letter, sanctified by faith and kindness, to the blind girl, who subsequently regained her sight and became a beautiful woman.

Valentine's heart is a symbol of the holiday

Valentine cards in the shape of a red heart are now well known as a symbolic gift for Valentine's Day. The creation of the first "valentine" is attributed to the Duke of Orleans in 1415. He was imprisoned and may have used it to relieve boredom by composing love letters to his wife. Valentine cards reached their peak popularity in the 18th century.

Red roses are considered the classic emblem of Valentine's Day. According to ancient legend, they were created by the Greek goddess of love and beauty: Aphrodite, rushing to her beloved Adonis, stepped on a white rose bush, and her divine blood stained it red. E-mails sent online on February 14th number in the millions. It's hard to say what other holiday is as popular as Valentine's Day. On this day, lovers exchange gifts and valentine cards. Most valentines are anonymous, have no return address, and are written from right to left or left-handed. This is customary—it adds a touch of mystery. However, recipients are then forced to search for the anonymous messenger if they believe in fate. Every nation celebrates Valentine's Day differently. The British, for example, send love letters not only to friends and acquaintances but also to their pets on Valentine's Day. The Japanese, however, have proven more original—they've transformed February 14th into a kind of "March 8th for men," when gifts are primarily received by the stronger sex.

 

Symbols of Valentine's Day

Heart - people once believed that feelings such as love, luck, anger, or fear resided in the heart; later, they came to believe that only the feeling of love resided in the heart. So, today, the heart is a symbol of love and Valentine's Day.

The red rose is the favorite flower of Venus, the goddess of love. Red is the color of strong emotions. That's why the red rose is the flower of love.

Lace - Hundreds of years ago, women carried lace handkerchiefs. If a woman dropped her handkerchief, the man next to her was expected to pick it up and return it to her. Sometimes, a woman would deliberately drop a lace handkerchief to introduce herself to a man she liked. Soon, lace became synonymous with romance. That's why lace-patterned wrapping paper is often used today for Valentine's Day gift wrapping.

Gloves - Once upon a time, if a man wanted to marry a woman, he would "ask for her hand." The hand became a symbol of love and marriage. Soon, gloves also became a symbol of marriage.

Rings - in most countries, people exchange rings during engagements and weddings. Two or three centuries ago, engagement parties were very popular on Valentine's Day.

Lovebirds and doves are colorful parrots native to Africa. Most have red beaks. They are called lovebirds because when they pair up, they sit very close to each other. Doves are considered the favorite birds of Venus. They remain in a single mate for life and share the care of their young. These birds are symbols of fidelity and love, as well as Valentine's Day.

Cupid is the son of Venus, the goddess of love. He can make a person fall in love with one of his magic arrows.