History of St. Valentine’s Day

History of St. Valentine’s Day Introduction:

• Saint Valentine’s Day (commonly shortened to Valentine’s Day) is an annual commemoration (celebration) held on February 14 celebrating love and affection between intimate companions.

• The day is named after one or more early Christian martyrs(s somebody who suffers death for the people) named Valentine.

• It is traditionally a day on which lovers express their love for each other by presenting flowers, offering confectionery (CANDY) (is the set of food items that are rich in sugar), and sending greeting cards (known as “valentines”). Modern Valentine’s Day symbols include the heart-shaped outline, doves, and the figure of the winged Cupid (winged boy). Since the 19th century, handwritten valentines have largely given way to mass-produced greeting cards and the oldest known Valentine card is on display at the British Museum.

• By the end of the century, printed cards began to replace written letters due to improvements in printing technology. Ready-made cards were an easy way for people to express their emotions in a time when direct expression of one’s feelings was discouraged. Cheaper postage rates also contributed to an increase in the popularity of sending Valentine’s Day greetings.

• According to the Greeting Card Association, an estimated one billion valentine cards are sent each year, making Valentine’s Day the second largest card-sending holiday of the year (An estimated 2. 6 billion cards are sent for Christmas. ).

• Approximately 85 percent of all valentines are purchased by women. In addition to the United States, Valentine’s Day is celebrated in Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, France, and Australia.

The first commercial Valentine’s Day greeting cards produced in the U. S. were created in the 1840s by Esther A. Howland. Howland, known as the Mother of the Valentine, made elaborate creations with real lace, ribbons and colourful pictures known as “scrap. ” Who was valentine? The Saint Valentine that appears in various martyrologies in connection with February 14 is described either as: ? A priest in Rome, ? A bishop, or A martyr in the Roman province of Africa. History: (And coming to St . valentine day was supposedly started in the time of the Roman Empire. In Ancient Rome, the date of February 14 was a holiday to honour the Queen of Roman Goddesses and Gods, Juno. Juno was known as the Goddess of women and marriage. The next day February 15 was the first day of the Festival known as the Feast of Lupercia. ) ? On February 14 is was said that the young boys and girls of the villages would write down the names of every girl and place these names in a jar of which each young man would have to draw a name of a girl and this particular maiden would be their partner for the duration of the festival.

Sometimes these parings would last a year and end up in marriage. These rituals under the laws of Claudius were banned as the Emperor believed that the reasons why men would now go to war were because they did not want to leave their lovers or families. ?  As a result all marriages and engagements were cancelled as a result Saint Valentine a Roman priest was said to have married these couples in secret and for this he was executed on the 14th day of February. ? While St Valentine was in jail it is said that he fell in love with the jailers’ daughter. By a miracle or some say by the prayers of Valentine she gained her sight and as a last farewell in a note he was to “From Your Valentine”. Another story as to the origins of Valentine’s Day was that he was a priest who was also a physician and would cure the sick. ? He was also said to have tried to cure the jailers blind daughter, but, was arrested and on the day of his execution he wrote a note as a final farewell saying “From your Valentine” which some say is what caused her to gain her sight. ? It is also said while he was in jail awaiting execution that he was sent little notes and flowers from the children whom he had helped when they were sick.

This also may have been one of the reasons why he sent a farewell note to the jailers’ daughter and why we send valentines. St Valentine’s Day is celebrated on February 14 of each year; the reason why it is celebrated on this day is because this was the day that the Patron Saint of Lovers “St Valentine” was supposedly executed on. On this day lovers all around the world mark this occasion as a day for sending poems, cards, flowers or candy, etc. They might also be a social gathering or ball to mark the occasion. Valentine Traditions ? Hundreds of years ago in England, many children dressed up as adults on Valentine’s Day. They went singing from home to home. One verse they sang was: ? Good morning to you, valentine; Curl your locks as I do mine — Two before and three behind.

Good morning to you, valentine. ? In Wales wooden love spoons were carved and given as gifts on February 14th. Hearts, keys and keyholes were favourite decorations on the spoons. The decoration meant, “You unlock my heart! ” ? In the Middle Ages, young men and women drew names from a bowl to see who their valentines would be. They would wear these names on their sleeves for one week. To wear your heart on your sleeve now means that it is easy for other people to know how you are feeling. In some countries, a young woman may receive a gift of clothing from a young man. If she keeps the gift, it means she will marry him. ? Some people used to believe that if a woman saw a robin flying overhead on Valentine’s Day, it meant she would marry a sailor. If she saw a sparrow, she would marry a poor man and be very happy. If she saw a goldfinch, she would marry a millionaire. ? A love seat is a wide chair. It was first made to seat one woman and her wide dress. Later, the love seat or courting seat had two sections, often in an S-shape. In this way, a couple could sit together — but not too closely! Think of five or six names of boys or girls you might marry, As you twist the stem of an apple, recite the names until the stem comes off. You will marry the person whose name you were saying when the stem fell off. ? Pick a dandelion that has gone to seed. Take a deep breath and blow the seeds into the wind.

Count the seeds that remain on the stem. That is the number of children you will have. ? If you cut an apple in half and count how many seeds are inside, you will also know how many children you will have. How did flowers and lace join Valentine’s Day? Most of the items linked to Valentine’s Day came from old-fashioned customs that used lace handkerchiefs and floral bouquets to pass on non-verbal messages. ? When the custom went out of style for everyday use, the original meaning was lost and eventually they became part of the Valentine’s Day tradition. ? Giving flowers dates back to the 1700s when Charles II of Sweden introduced the Persian custom of “the language of flowers” to Europe. Books about the meanings of particular flowers were published, and entire conversations could be carried out using only a bouquet of flowers.

The rose has become the traditional Valentine’s Day flower. As it has always been a popular flower, the meaning of the red rose is still well known as the flower of passion and love. The red rose is also the favourite flower of Venus, the goddess of love, which helped give the rose its symbolic meaning. ? Lace Centuries ago, a woman would drop her handkerchief in front of the man she liked. This was a form of encouragement to him, and if he picked it up for her an introduction could be made. Lace has always been part of women’s handkerchiefs, and it has since been linked to romance. Cupid He is the winged child whose arrows are shot into the hearts of potential lovers.

His victims are supposed to fall deeply in love with someone. In both Greek and Roman mythology Cupid is the son of the goddess of love and is always part of celebration of love and lovers. ? The heart The heart is linked to Valentine’s Day because it was once considered the source of all human emotions. The custom of drawing a heart shape is believed to come from early attempts to draw an organ no one had ever seen.

The symbol progressed to become known as a sign of love. It’s for the birds: Lovebirds are often part of Valentine’s Day. Found in Africa, these brightly coloured birds sit very close together with their mates, earning them their name. ? Doves are also part of the tradition. They are symbols of love and loyalty because they mate for life. A pair of doves will also share the care of all their babies. ? Love knots A love knot is a symbol of everlasting love, because its winding loops have no beginnings or ends. In times past, they were made of ribbon or drawn on paper to prove ones undying love. Celebrations: In India, in the past Valentine’s Day has been explicitly discouraged by activists. Since 2001 there has been protests opposing it as “cultural pollution from the West”. Those who violate this are dealt with harshly, chasing young people holding hands and others suspected to be lovers. ? Despite complaints from religious groups that it is an affront to Indian tradition and culture, and further westernizing the Indian populous, Valentine’s Day has now become a widely recognized and celebrated day with Indian people. ? Traditionally, the choice of whom a young girl marries, was usually made by her parents.

Now though, many educated and professional women in India are following their own hearts, and the young men have also discovered that Valentine’s Day offers an opportunity to lure the young women their way. ? The Indian Post Office is also cashing in. It has launched a set of floral-scented stamps for Valentine’s Day and hopes this will encourage people to send letters and cards to each other, rather than relying on emails and text messages to express their love. ? Traditional Indian society does not approve of public displays of affection between men and women, including hand-holding and kissing. Another Hindu organization, the Shiv Sena, has said it will take pictures of couples caught expressing their love in cinemas, cafes, and shopping malls and give the pictures to their parents. ? Valentine’s Day is a relatively new concept in India but it has grown in significance in the past five years. Valentine Day Facts ? Teachers receive the most Valentine’s Day cards, followed by children, mothers, wives, and then, sweethearts. Children between ages 6 to 10 exchange more than 650 million Valentine’s cards with teachers, classmates, and family members. 73% of Valentine Day flowers are bought by men, whereas women buy only 23% of Valentine flowers. ? Amongst the earliest Valentine’s Day gifts were candies. The most common were chocolates in heart shaped boxes. ? Around 3% of pet owners prefer to give Valentine gifts to their pets, as they are more grateful than humans.

Conclusion: And so here is a complete list of suggestions to give at Valentines. Hope you and *someone* live happy forever. I like chocolates and plushies and my favourite sidebar is the valentines’ one. Just in case you were wondering. Quotes Gravitation is not responsible for people falling in love When love is not madness, it is not love. “Life’s greatest happiness is to be convinced we are loved. ” “A life without love is like a year without summer. ” “There is no remedy for love but to love more. ” “Some love lasts a lifetime.

True love lasts forever. ” Love is the greatest refreshment in life. At the touch of love everyone becomes a poet. Love is a mutual self-giving which ends in self-recovery. “Better to have loved and lost, than to have never loved at all. ” “To love another person is to see the face of God. ” “There is no remedy for love but to love more. ” Def: Valentines Day is a day to express your love, and to celebrate the spirit of love. On feb 14, we think about people we love. we also think abt frnds. we may send these special people messages called valentines. it is fun to make or choose these decorated greetings. it feels good to thm when some times give and get gifts. February 14 is valentines day. Every FEB 14, people around the world show their frndship & love for those around them by celebrating valentines day. Valentines day has been around for hundred of years.

The antient Romans celebrated a Lupercalia, a festival in honour of roman god faunas.

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