Valentine's Day (All Lovers' Day)
Description:
First light of day
You're your Valentine.
Name me.
(W. Shakespeare's Hamlet)
This day was named after the Christian martyr Valentine (priest and physician), who was sentenced by the Roman pagans to death. In the third century CE, the Roman emperor Claudius issued a decree banning marriage - it was necessary to strengthen the position of Rome, and marriage kept men at home. According to legend, the priest Valentine disobeyed the decree and secretly married the lovers.
In prison, through the prayer of Valentine, the jailer’s daughter was healed from blindness. Valentine and the girl fell in love and communicated through notes. Before his execution on February 14, 270, he sent her a last note and signed it “from Valentine.”
The ashes of St. Valentine were buried in the church of St. Praxidis in Rome. The gate of this church was called the “Valentine’s Gate”. In 496, Pope Gelasius declared February 14 Valentine’s Day and lovers around the world consider St. Valentine their patron. Nowadays, this holiday no longer has a deep religious basis.
During the Roman invasion of Britain, Valentine’s Day was also introduced. In England, this holiday was accompanied by the secret presentation of gifts, the selection of a couple by lot. On this day they give sweets, soft toys, jewelry, and, of course, the emblem of this holiday is the heart.
A special place is given to flowers on this day. The British borrowed from the French this custom of giving flowers on Valentine's Day in the early XVIII century. It reached its peak during the reign of Queen Victoria (1837-1901). As you know, there is a whole alphabet of colors with which you can express all your feelings. But still, the greatest preference is given to the red rose, which, according to legend, appeared thanks to the goddess of love and beauty Aphrodite - she stepped on a bush of white roses, and, pricking her foot on the thorns, painted these flowers in scarlet color. Louis XVI presented Marie Antoinette on this day a bouquet of red roses and from here, as many believe, this tradition went.
In addition to any gift on this day, of course, are valentines - cards with the image of hearts and words about love. Some believe that the greeting card appeared in connection with Valentine’s Day. The first factory production of valentines dates back to 1840.
Now you can buy a variety of valentines: from the smallest and simplest, made serially, to real works of art - made on cramped paper, with silk liners. The caption on the postcards is “To You, with Love from Valentine.”