From what they celebrate Valentine's Day. Valentine's Day: the history of the holiday

The history of Valentine's Day - who invented to celebrate Valentine's Day - the history of the holiday

The tradition of celebrating Valentine's Day, or Valentine's Day, came to us from the West. On this day, lovers give each other gifts, delicate cards - valentines, and, of course, confess their love. The history of the origin of this holiday is interesting.

Valentine's Day history

First version

There is a wonderful legend about the origin of Valentine's Day. According to this legend, Claudius II, the Roman emperor who ruled in the third century AD, was an ardent opponent of marriage alliances, because they prevented his legionnaires from conquering countries. Therefore, the emperor issued a decree that forbade marriage. The priest Valentin, contrary to the decree, nevertheless continued to secretly marry the lovers. For this he was thrown into prison, after which he was sentenced to death. The young daughter of the jailer, seeing the priest and learning his story, fell in love with him. Valentine answered her in return. But since it was not possible to see each other, the lovers communicated through correspondence. On February 14, 270, the day of the execution, the priest sent his beloved one last love note with the signature "From Valentine."

Second version

According to another version of the legend of the origin of the holiday of all lovers, the head of the prison, where Valentin was imprisoned for his "criminal" acts, accidentally found out about the prisoner's healing abilities, after which he brought his blind daughter Julia to Valentin. On the terrible day of the execution, Valentine wrote Julia a farewell love note. Having received it, the girl discovered a yellow saffron inside, and an unprecedented miracle happened - she regained her sight.

Several early Christian holy martyrs are known under the name Valentine. One of them is Valentine, a Roman priest who was executed around 269 A.D. Another famous saint Valentine was the Bishop of Interamna. This saint was famous for his miraculous healings. He was executed for converting the mayor's son to Christianity. Perhaps this saint is meant in the legend. The romantic holiday on February 14 in memory of the saints was established by Pope Gelasius I in 496.

Already in 1969, after the introduction of the reform of the divine service, Saint Valentine was removed from the liturgical calendar of the Catholic Church (along with other Roman saints, information about whose life is contradictory and unreliable). The Catholic Church honors the memory of Saints Cyril and Methodius on February 14. And the Orthodox Church commemorates the memory of the presbyter of Rome Valentine on July 6 (19).

Feast of Lupercalia

According to one legend, the roots of Valentine's Day go back to the days of paganism. Many believe that the "predecessor" of this holiday was the so-called Lupercalia - a holiday of abundance and eroticism, which was held in ancient Rome in honor of the patron god of flocks Faun (Luperca) and the goddess of "feverish" love Juno Februata on February 15th.

Young girls wrote love notes to guys and put them in a special bowl for drawing lots. The man who took out this note had to look after the one who wrote it. It is interesting that on this day men whipped women in the street with whips, which they made from the skin of a sacrificial goat. It was believed that this was to contribute to the greater fertility of women, so they with devotion were substituted for the brutal blows.

In 494 A.D. Pope Gelasius I "moved" the celebration of Lupercalia from 15 to 14 February. Thus, it coincided with Valentine's Day. However, the celebration of Lupercalia soon dwindled.

Mating season in birds

The celebration of Valentine's Day in February is also associated with the beginning of the mating season for birds. It has long been believed that the conclusion of a marriage union at this time will make him long and happy.

Pagan holiday "Ivan Kupala"

Traditionally, it is believed that the holiday of all lovers came to our country from the West. However, the celebrations, somewhat similar to the Roman Lupercalia, have been in Russia since ancient times. So since ancient times, we have celebrated the famous day of Kupala, which falls on July 7, or rather, on the night of July 6 to July 7, or according to the old calendar, on the night of June twenty-third to twenty-fourth. The holiday was dedicated to the day of the summer solstice, as well as to the pagan Slavic sun god Kupala. People celebrated the Sun, the maturity of summer, the green mowing. Young people girded themselves with sashes of flowers, and wreaths were put on their heads. They danced in circles, sang songs. Then, in connection with the adoption of Christianity in Russia, this pagan holiday was replaced by the veneration of the memory of John the Baptist, since the day of the Nativity of John the Baptist coincided with the pagan holiday of Kupala. This holiday was named “Ivan Kupala”, as we know it today.

Memory of Saints Peter and Fevronia of Murom

On July 8 (June 25, according to the old calendar), the Orthodox Church honors the memory of Saints Peter and Fevronia of Murom - the glorious patrons of love and family happiness.

However, massively on February 14 as a celebration of Valentine's Day in the Old World, that is, in Europe, has been celebrated since the 13th century, while in America - since 1777. Valentine's Day is secular (not religious).

We congratulate you on Valentine's Day and wish you simple human happiness, whose name is love! Always give your loved ones charming smiles, and then life will be even brighter!

1 Where did Valentine's Day come from?

The "culprit" of the holiday is believed to be the Christian priest Valentine, who lived around 269. At this time, Claudius II ruled the Roman Empire. The emperor believed that marriages are evil because a married legionnaire thinks about family, not empire. By a special decree, Claudius forbade the legionnaires to marry. But Valentine began to marry them secretly. 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 as Valentine's Day. Since 1969, a reform has been carried out in the divine service, and Saint Valentine was removed from the liturgical calendar of the Catholic Church, along with other Roman saints, information about whose life is contradictory and unreliable.

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 told about his love, and signed it "Your Valentine". Probably, from there it was customary to write love notes - "valentines" on Valentine's Day. The girl read the letter after he was executed.

The creation of the first "Valentine" is also credited to the Duke of Orleans in 1415. He sat in a dungeon and, fighting boredom, composed love letters to his wife. The greatest distribution of "valentines" reached already in the XVIII century, then they acquired the form of beautiful cards in the shape of a heart.

3 Who to congratulate on Valentine's Day

Despite the fact that this is a holiday of lovers, recently there has been a fashion to congratulate everyone for whom you have different kinds 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 Valentine. 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 with the names of young girls written on them in the trash can. 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 between the young people for a year there was a relationship 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 old Russian holiday of all lovers is celebrated on June 8 - the Day of Peter and Fevronia. The Murom prince Peter 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 a monastery and died on the same day.

China. In August, the festival of Qixijie is celebrated. It is based on a beautiful legend about the heavenly Weaver who weaved 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 divided by the river, since then they meet only once a year on the bridge across this river. Qixijie is celebrated on the seventh day of the seventh month of the Chinese lunar calendar.

India. In late March - early April, Gangaur is celebrated. It starts the day after the Holi color festival 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 be-Av is celebrated in July-August. It is believed that at this time, on 15 Av, the unification of the people began: the elders of the 12 tribes of Jacob's clan, each of which had previously lived separately, agreed to allow mixed marriages. On this day, the grape harvest began, and the girls in the vineyards were looking for suitors.

Ireland... Beltane is celebrated here on May 1st. 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, the search 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 bonfires are burned.

Spain... Sant Jordi is celebrated by Catalans on 23 April. This is both Book Day, Rose Day and Valentine's Day. The idea of ​​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 walking around with these items.

The most beloved and romantic holiday is Valentine's Day, or Valentine's Day, it is customary to celebrate February 14. This is the best time to give a beautiful chocolate gift to your chosen one or chosen one, to confess your love again, to send a love letter to your secret lover or to receive such a letter, which is always pleasant. The holiday has millions of fans around the world, it is truly one of the most long-awaited and beautiful.

history of the holiday

Valentine's Day is one of the oldest holidays. It is believed that he is already more than 16 centuries old, but there are celebrations of love that existed even before the emergence of Christianity. The ancient Romans held a whole festival in honor of the goddess of love, Juno. The festival was called Lupercalia and took place in mid-February.

Later, in 269, the Catholic priest Valentine became the culprit for the birth of a new holiday. According to legend, the Roman government banned marriages for legionnaires. As Emperor Claudius II believed, only unmarried legionnaires are able to fully surrender themselves to service. Valentine began to help couples in love, secretly conduct wedding ceremonies, reconcile quarreled lovers.

When the authorities found out about this, Valentine was taken into custody and sentenced to death. The young man himself was secretly in love with the jailer's daughter. He sent her a letter of confession, which was read after his execution. Subsequently, as a Christian martyr who suffered for the faith, Valentine was canonized by the Catholic Church. And in 496, Pope Gelasius I declared February 14 Valentine's Day.

This is interesting information for children about the history and traditions of Valentine's Day.

This holiday came to Russia several years ago. And now Valentine's Day is celebrated almost as joyfully and widely as the New Year. Valentines - small hearts-cards sent by traditional mail, emails and text messages, romantic gifts, declarations of love and endless kisses - this is what this holiday gives. And it is wonderful that we have this holiday now.

It is believed that Valentine's Day has existed for more than 16 centuries, but the holidays of love have been known since even earlier pagan times. And in Russia there was a holiday of lovers. It was celebrated not in winter, but in early summer. This holiday was associated with the legendary love story of Peter and Fevronia and was dedicated to Kupala, the pagan Slavic god, the son of Perun.

From the history of the holiday

The holiday also has a specific "culprit" - the Christian priest Valentine. This was around the year 269. At that time, the Roman Empire was ruled by Emperor Claudius II. The warring Roman army needed many soldiers for military campaigns. And the emperor believed that the main enemy of his grandiose military plans were married legionnaires who thought more about how to feed their families than about the glory of the Roman Empire. To preserve the military spirit in the army, Claudius II issued a decree forbidding legionnaires to marry.

But love cannot be stopped by any decrees! Fortunately for the legionnaires, a man was found who, not fearing the imperial wrath, secretly began to marry them with his beloved. It was a priest named Valentine from the Roman city of Terni. Probably Valentine was a great romantic. He not only contracted marriages, but also reconciled those who quarreled, helped them write love letters. At the request of the legionnaires, he gave flowers and gifts to their beloved. The emperor, having learned about this, sentenced the priest to death. Valentine himself was in love with the jailer's daughter. On the day of the execution, he wrote his beloved a farewell letter and signed it "Your Valentine". The girl read the letter after the execution.

True, all this or fiction, but it was thanks to this story that love notes - valentines - were written on Valentine's Day. And also on this holiday they like to arrange weddings and get married. It is believed that this will become a guarantee of eternal love.

This holiday is very personal. If you want to make friends with someone, it doesn't matter - with a girl or a boy, but you are embarrassed to offer your friendship - this day is for you. Write him or her a postcard with a friendship proposal and your phone number. You don't need to sign the postcard. It must be passed on secretly, imperceptibly. If they call you, then they want to be friends, and if not, then it’s not destiny.

For your family, this day can also be full of good surprises. On the eve of paper cut, preferably red, small hearts. Write your wishes and confessions on them.

For example: “Dear daddy, I love you very much. I enjoy spending time with you. Let's go to the zoo together on Sunday ”,“ Dear grandmother, you cook the most delicious pancakes in the world! You have golden hands! ”,“ Dear mommy! You are the most beautiful in the world! And you are also the kindest and most gentle. I love you so much!" etc.

These valentines need to be discreetly put into your pocket or purse. Or attach to the bathroom mirror. Your imagination will help you here.

You will give your loved ones not only good wishes, but also good mood for the whole day !

As Valentine's Day is celebrated in other countries.

In Japan, the most common gift on this day is chocolate.

It is noteworthy that Japanese men receive more gifts than women. And not only chocolate, but also lotions, wallets and other men's gifts.

In France, it is customary to give jewelry on Valentine's Day. These are the generous and passionate Frenchmen!

In England, unmarried girls get up on February 14 before sunrise and look out of the window at passers-by. According to legend, the first man they see is the betrothed.

Greetings, dear guests and readers of my blog! Soon there will be 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, candies, heart-shaped cards, pleasant things and surprises. Although, on the other hand, why wait for a specific day? What prevents you from doing this every day? But still, many people are waiting for this particular day to show tender feelings for their second half.

At the same time, people do not even think about Valentine's Day as a holiday. What's the story behind this holiday? In this article I want to acquaint you with this holiday better.

The history of the emergence of Valentine's Day

Traditionally, in many countries, the most romantic of all holidays is celebrated on February 14 - 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 th century AD in Rome.

During the reign of Emperor Claudius ΙΙ, war began with the Goths and to preserve 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 the 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 governor of the prison, who became his lover. In the letter, Valentine said goodbye to her, thanked her for everything and signed: "your Valentine." This served as 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 was outlawed in Rome at that time. The wedding ceremony itself was formed in the church only in the Middle Ages. Consequently, in the ΙΙΙ century AD, such a ceremony simply could not exist and Valentine did not marry anyone.

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

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

The Feast of Lupercalia was celebrated on February 15 in honor of the goddess of feverish love Yuno 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 Romans were waiting for them.

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

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

In ancient Rome, the education of young men and women was carried out separately. They practically did not see 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 young men took them out in turn. That girl, whose name was on a piece of paper, became a couple for a young man during the holiday and for the entire following year. They could meet without hindrance.

Such couples in rare cases were connected by marriage. The rest simply 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 from the memory of the people of the pagan gods and all the celebrations dedicated to them. Therefore, the holiday of Lupercalia was included in the number of prohibited holidays.

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

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

Well, Valentine's Day acquired the look familiar to most people only in the 19th century. This holiday started from America. It was invented by the managers of the American postal marketing service.

After a severe crisis, the country experienced financial difficulties. Here are marketers and came up with valentines in the shape of hearts in honor of some Valentine, which people could send to their beloved with declarations of love. This idea quickly gained popularity and businessmen earned millions of dollars from it.

Currently, this holiday is considered a secular one. Many people condemn this holiday and say that it was imposed on us by the West. But if the holiday inspires, inspires and evokes good feelings, then why shouldn't it take place in our life. What do you think?

Signs, customs and conspiracies for Valentine's Day

How is Valentine's Day celebrated in different countries of the world?

Valentine's Day is a day of love and romance and is exclusively secular. In different countries, the attitude towards Valentine's Day has developed 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 travel, sweets. And also men make a marriage proposal to their chosen ones.

England

In England, on Valentine's Day, it is customary to give postcards, heart-shaped sweets, flowers to their soulmates. 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, Saint Valentine is not the patron saint of lovers, but of people with nervous and mental illness. 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 for Valentine's Day is the most widespread. Danes also give their lovers and friends white snowdrops and compose poems, funny poems and love notes. Very often, poems written by girls are not signed and the girls must 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 receive a fine or even go to jail.

USA

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

Jamaica

In Jamaica, many couples get married on Valentine's Day. Down the aisle, couples go completely naked.

In Iran and Saudi Arabia, celebrating Valentine's Day is prohibited by law.

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 beloved and there is nothing shameful in the opinion of the Dutch. Girls will 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 fires in the name of Odin's son, Vali (Vili). So the passion between lovers can kindle a kind of ritual, when girls hang coals on the boys '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 rubbing stone against 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 a sign of attention and love to someone is very close to Swedes.

Japan

The clever inhabitants of the land of the rising sun have come 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 gets a prize. It should also be noted that in Japan, February 14 is like we have on March 8 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, in the opinion of the Poles, it was they who were fortunate. Since in Poland, according to beliefs, 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

On this day, various flash mobs are organized in Ukraine, events, promotions, concerts are held. Special mailboxes are hung in the school corridors, in which everyone can put their Valentine's 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 St. 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.