The legend of the origin of Valentine's Day. Valentine's Day: history and traditions of the holiday. And, in order to preserve the military spirit in his soldiers, the emperor issued a decree prohibiting legionnaires from marrying

Children about the holiday Valentine's Day.

The widely known holiday of all loving hearts has its own ancient history. There is a legend that in the distant past, a merciful priest named Valentine lived in the Roman Empire. He preached kindness, care for loved ones and love of young hearts. He also encouraged love marriages. However, unfortunately, on February 14, 269, the Roman authorities executed the priest. The main accusation was Valentine's wedding of Roman soldiers who dared to marry, although they did not have the right to do so. Valentin attached special spiritual significance to love; he believed that if people reject it in order to build a career, in this case a military one, or for some other reason, then their life will be empty and meaningless.

The order to execute the priest was met with great protest by the people. However, this did not change the authorities' decision. In order to somehow support Valentin before his death, strengthen his spirit and thank him for his good deeds, people in love brought hearts cut out of paper into his prison cell, on which they wrote their names and those of their loved ones, words of gratitude and support. Since then, February 14 has been celebrated as the memory of St. Valentine - the holiday of all lovers.

The holiday is widely known in Europe and America, but in Russia it began to be celebrated not so long ago - about two decades ago. At first, he timidly and hesitantly gained the trust of the Russian people. But thanks to their love of life, love for everything good and kind, Russian people quickly fell in love with Valentine's Day. Every year it is celebrated with ever brighter colors, funny jokes and beautiful declarations of love.

St. Valentine's Day- this is a holiday that is primarily awaited by young hearts, whose place has already been taken or they are expecting their other half. This holiday is not marked in red on the calendar, but this does not stop lovers: they are ready to once again confess their love in the colorful highlights of a bright holiday, create a good mood for themselves and their loved ones, and spend time in good company.

The main event of the holiday is to give and receive a valentine. And if you find in it exactly those words that you have been waiting for for a long time, which you did not dare to say, but took advantage of a good occasion - a bright holiday of love - then you can consider that you are on the right path: you are in love!

Valentine's Day, the patron saint of lovers, is celebrated on February 14th. On this day, it is customary to congratulate couples in love or simply representatives of the opposite sex. Also February 14th is the name day of Valentinov and Valentin.

The holiday is celebrated differently in different countries. In the USA and Germany, colleagues receive congratulations, and residents of Foggy Albion honor not only people, but also pets: cats, dogs, parrots and guinea pigs. The Japanese give each other chocolate, and the French give each other jewelry.

On Valentine's Day, it is customary to pay increased attention to the object of your love, give each other valentines (heart-shaped greeting cards), bake dough hearts, make dates and arrange romantic evenings.

Like other holidays, Valentine's Day has its own history, the hero of which is the ancient Roman priest and doctor Valentine. Since the events took place many centuries ago, today it is difficult to determine what is fiction and what is true in the surviving legends. One thing is certain: the legend of St. Valentine tells of an extraordinary ordinary man who knows how to love his neighbor, as it is written in the Bible.

Martyr

Valentin was one of the clergy of Ancient Rome who professed the Christian faith. The emperor himself worshiped pagans and Zeus. Christians in those days were persecuted and tortured.

One day the guards grabbed Valentine and brought him to the emperor. The ruler tried to convince the holy father, to force the believer in Christ to change his beliefs. But Saint Valentine, whose legend has survived to this day, was adamant - he prayed to God and invited the emperor to repent.

The tyrant remained deaf to the priest's requests, and the dignitary Asterius invited Valentin to undergo a test. Asterius had a blind daughter, and he asked to restore the girl’s sight. Thanks to fervent prayers, the baby regained her sight, and the official’s family, believing in a miracle, converted to Christianity.

Having learned what had happened, the emperor ordered all Christians to be imprisoned, and Valentine himself to be beaten with sticks and executed. The priest bravely accepted all the trials and died under the hand of the executioner. This is the legend of Valentine's Day, but it is not the only one.

Priest

Another legend about St. Valentine tells how a clergyman went against the will of the emperor. At that time, Claudius II ruled the Roman Empire. The tyrant had few conquered lands; he sought to expand the borders of his possessions. But the legionnaire soldiers did not want to fight, because they saw no point in fighting.

Claudius II decided that the soldiers refused to take up arms, since many of them had families and children. Then a law was passed in the empire prohibiting marriage. Of course, the people of Rome were against this law.

Valentin also opposed the unreasonable decree. He secretly married lovers, for which he was arrested and thrown into prison. There the priest fell in love with the jailer's daughter, but since he was tied up he could not give vent to his feelings. Awaiting execution, Valentin wrote a letter to his beloved and enclosed a crocus flower in the message. According to one version of the legend, blindness, but also faith helped her to see. The day after sending the letter - February 14 - Valentin was executed.

Healer

Saint Valentine was not only a priest, but also a doctor. During treatment, he tried not to cause suffering to his patients. Pain was relieved with herbs, wounds were washed with wine, and bitter medicines were diluted with milk and honey.

One day there was a knock on Valentin's door. The jailer stood on the threshold. His daughter was blind from birth, and the guard asked the doctor to heal her. The priest understood that it was impossible to restore vision, but still prescribed herbs and ointments. Valentin was later arrested for his religious beliefs and sentenced to death. On the eve of his death, Valentin wrote a love letter to the girl, after reading which she saw the light of day.

This legend about St. Valentine is very similar to previous legends, but there is nothing surprising about it. In those years, a clergyman could be a doctor, a scientist, a psychologist, a teacher, and even an unofficial judge.

Children's friend

Another legend tells that the ancient Roman youth Valentin was very fond of the little citizens of the empire and enjoyed spending time with them. The young man was a Christian, so he did not worship pagan gods. For this he was imprisoned.

The children really missed their older friend, they came to the window of the cell in which Valentin was, and brought him letters with declarations of love. Unfortunately, the young man could not play with his little friends, since he was imprisoned and sentenced to death. The legend of St. Valentine - the friend of children - is less known than other legends.

Canonization of Valentine

Valentine's canonization occurred before the division of the Christian Church into Orthodox and Catholic, in 494 AD. e. on the initiative of Gelasius. The saint was supposed to be venerated on the day of the pagan fertility holiday (February 14), when young men and women behaved more freely than in everyday life. Today in the pantheon of the church there are three saints bearing this name: martyr Valentin Dorostolsky, holy martyrs Valentin Interamsky and Valentin of Rome.

The clergy do not welcome the idea of ​​​​connecting the image of a saint with the holiday of lovers, because love must be given every day. Saint Valentine, whose legend is told differently each time, is revered as a martyr who suffered for the faith.

The Orthodox Church celebrates Valentine's Day on August 12th. On this day, as well as on other days, believers have the opportunity to venerate the relics of the saint in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow. And the legend of Valentine's Day remains in the hearts of all people as a memory of the great martyr.

Each country has adapted the holiday to its cultural traditions, and people have introduced new elements to the celebration. Now they congratulate not only lovers, but also relatives, friends, good acquaintances, and colleagues.

Why the holiday appeared, how it is celebrated in different countries and how to spend this day in an interesting way - I tell you in the article.

Symbols

The main symbols of the holiday: roses, chocolate, Cupid, heart, flowers, pink and red colors, valentines, candies.

Legends

There are many stories about the origin of the holiday.

According to one version, during the Roman Empire, the Lupercalia festival was celebrated in honor of the god of the harvest, Lupercalia.

The festival was held in February and, according to tradition, village girls wrote their names on pieces of paper and then hid them in a special box. And the young people then took out notes and paired up with those girls whose names they got. Often this ended in marriage.

According to another version, the Roman Emperor Claudius II needed a strong army consisting of unmarried men. He believed that they would protect him better. But married soldiers refused to leave their families to fight for the emperor, and he forbade young men to marry.

A Roman priest named Valentine empathized with the couples and began to marry them secretly. When everything was revealed, the emperor ordered Valentine to be sent to prison and executed. While Valentin was in prison, he fell in love with the jailer's daughter, who looked after him. On the night before his execution on February 14, Valentin wrote her a farewell note and signed it “Your Valentine.”

Short story

Ancient Rome: The festival of Lupercalia, a festival of fertility, was celebrated in mid-February.

200-300s AD: at least 2 Christian priests named Valentine were executed.

1300s: Valentine's Day is associated with love and romance.

1600s: In Europe, a tradition emerges of exchanging postcards in the Far East.

1840s: In the United States, holiday cards are being mass-produced and sold for the first time.

1. There is no exact information about the origin of the holiday, only assumptions and legends.
2. The image of St. Valentine may belong to two people at once.
3. King Henry VII of England declared the day a holiday in 1537.
4. The oldest Valentine card dates back to 1400 and is in the British Museum in London.
5. Valentine's Day is celebrated in America, Italy, the United Kingdom, Mexico, Canada, France, Australia, Denmark.
6. The main characters of Shakespeare's play Romeo and Juliet lived in Verona. Thousands of valentines addressed to Juliet are sent there every year.
7. More than a billion postcards are sent every year around the world.
8. According to statistics, teachers receive the most postcards from parents, students, and families.

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In different countries

USA

In the States, Valentine's Day is the most popular holiday of the year. This is the peak of sales for companies selling toys, gifts, chocolate, and flowers. During this time, parties and romantic dinners take place, and children put on performances in schools. In America alone, millions of heart-shaped chocolate boxes are purchased each year and 150 million Valentine cards are sent.

GREAT BRITAIN

In the UK they like to celebrate the holiday by writing love poems and giving gifts in the shape of a heart. This tradition is observed in every corner of the country, and love lyrics are published in newspapers.

JAPAN

DENMARK

In Denmark, February 14 is considered a youth holiday, as it is celebrated mainly by people between 16 and 30 years old. On this day, many take a break from work to spend time with their loved one. Among the traditional ones there are interesting gift ideas: snowdrops, love musical cards and funny poems. Parties, concerts, shows and exhibitions are held.

ITALY

For Italians, Valentine's Day is an American holiday, like... They themselves have an important day il giorno della festa degli innamorati. It is celebrated with family (Italians are generally very family people), but no one exchanges gifts. However, recently, in Italy, Valentine's Day is celebrated traditionally - congratulating the other half. Couples go to restaurants and exchange gifts (roses, perfume, candy, jewelry, depending on the person's preferences). Baci Perugina - chocolate covered hazelnuts with a piece of paper with romantic quotes inside - is another Italian tradition.

What to give for Valentine's Day

1 An important wardrobe item

It is easier to make gifts for men than for girls, because style and practicality are important to the stronger sex. For a time connoisseur, a new-fangled watch with many functions is suitable. They are equipped with all the necessary accessories for a real man: a stopwatch, three dials with an indicator, a polished case and mineral glass, and they are even waterproof!

2 For those who take care of themselves

If you want to give your man a useful gift that will definitely not sit idle, then a razor is the best choice. Unless your significant other grows a beard like a Viking! But most men still prefer to remove excess hair from their faces, so a high-quality shaving kit is a must! You can add foam or gel to it to make shaving more comfortable.

3 The cure for sadness

Not all girls love soft toys, but there is still a way out of this situation. Practical ladies who don’t like dust collectors in their homes can be given this charming anti-stress pillow. It’s hard to refuse such a gift - it’s cute, useful and will magically help relieve stress! This is the perfect choice to give your partner a good mood for the whole day.

4 For warmth and comfort

This gift is just perfect for any girl! A cozy set of blanket + mug is a great option for cold February evenings in front of the TV, just like in romantic melodramas. This surprise will automatically make a man a caring, gentle and sensitive life partner who is concerned about the comfort of his beloved.

5 Important Details

If a couple lives together, you can make a luxurious gift that is suitable for two at once. It's corny, but this is a set of bed linen! Of course, we are not talking about cozy family sets with calm patterns. You need to give a passionate red, exciting set that will not only decorate your bedroom, but will also awaken secret desires.

6 Games for two only

In order to diversify your romantic relationship, you can give the In Love game set for lovers. This exciting game is designed for two people only and will put anyone in a playful mood. An excellent choice for February 14th - the game will help you spend the evening together and get to know each other better. Moreover, the game is suitable for both couples in love and spouses who have been together for more than one year!

Celebration ideas

It seems that it is difficult to come up with original ideas for gifts and congratulations. But sometimes the simplest things can become extraordinary. Depending on how you want to celebrate this day (a day of love, friendship, family - there is a lot of choice!), think about it. Perhaps you haven’t gone to a restaurant with your loved one for a long time, haven’t gone on a nature trip with your family, haven’t seen your best friends... This could be your holiday!

• Throw a party for your favorite friends.
• Organize an event with your family (movie night, picnic, sports day).
• Take time for yourself and do what you have long dreamed of.
• Get out of the house with your partner and visit a restaurant, cinema or exhibition.
• Prepare unusual dishes together for a romantic dinner.
• Write a love note and hide it somewhere where the recipient is sure to find it.
• Make a video in advance with your photos and favorite music.
• Give yourself and your loved one a gift voucher: a parachute jump, a guitar lesson, piloting an airplane - you know better what your loved ones will like!

You can still improve your English! How?))

There are a number of legends about the origin of the holiday of all lovers - Valentine's Day. We will tell you a few of them.

In ancient Rome, the so-called Lupercalia - the festival of the wolf - was popular. It is considered the forerunner of Valentine's Day. The Wolf Festival was celebrated from February 13 to 15. It was believed that this would help increase productivity and fertility. On the eve of the festival, the boys sent postcards to the girls asking them to accompany them. The next day, the boy and girl appeared together at the festival and, according to some historians, for the guy this meant the girl’s consent to become his sexual partner for the whole year.

Several more versions are associated with a priest named Valentin. One of them says that he became famous because he married Roman soldiers against the will of Emperor Claudius II. Valentin was caught, arrested and executed on February 14th. According to another legend, the saint, while in prison, cured the daughter of his overseer of blindness. As a result, the daughter fell in love with him (with Valentin, not the overseer) and began sending him Valentines. The third story combines the first two: got married, sat, fell in love.

The next version is not very romantic, but the most plausible.

Once upon a time there lived a Mr. Hallmark in America. He was engaged in the production of postcards. And so, one long winter evening, he sat and was sad about the past Christmas, which was the peak of sales of his cards.

And he had a daughter. That day she received a declaration of love from a young man. The confession was not simple, but written on a paper heart. She greatly admired the creativity of her fan and immediately ran to share her joy with her father:

- Dad! Look how cool this thing is! We can make these and sell them! When a young man wants to confess his love to a girl, he writes a note not on a piece of paper, but on a decent postcard. Great, right?

“Really great,” Hallmark thought, “but such cards will sell like addresses for an anniversary. And I want them to be sold the same way as Christmas greetings. How can we arrange this?

He thought about this for three days and three nights. And as a result, legends emerged about Valentine, who secretly married soldiers, healed them from blindness and made the daughters of jailers fall in love with him.

It was just a marketing ploy, but nevertheless, Mr. Hallmark gave us another reason to people. Don't miss it -)

For inspiration, here are a few quotes about love from our books.

• Love is a basic human need. Everything a person does in life, except for what is aimed at physical survival, he does in the name of love. (From the book “New Thoughts on Personal Development”).

• Love never demands anything, it always gives. Love suffers, but is not offended and never takes revenge. (From the book “The Wisdom of Gandhi”).

• Love is born within us and is a product of the imagination, a creative act designed to satisfy our deepest aspirations, desires and long-held dreams; it helps us change and transform. (From the book “Reproduction in Captivity”).

• The more you love, the more you prosper. There's nothing you can do about it. By loving, you change your future possibilities in spite of fear and pain. (From book

Every year, Valentine's Day is gaining more and more popularity in our country and is already becoming an absolutely familiar date in a series of the most beloved holidays. Moreover, exactly February 14, on Valentine's Day, not only people who love each other, but even close relatives and friends confess their love. According to tradition, on this day it is customary to give each other valentines. These can be ordinary cards with images of little cupids, flowers, hearts and other cute attributes.

The Legend of Valentine's Day

According to the main legend of Valentine's Day holiday– Valentine appeared back in 269 AD, when the Roman Emperor Claudius II was preparing to once again conquer and conquer the whole world. But there was one big flaw in his ambitious idea - the tyrant's army was too small. Claudius decided to fight this problem in the bud and believed that the reason for the failures of his army was the family life of the soldiers, and that is why he issued a law prohibiting soldiers from marrying during their entire service. Family, wife and other burdens are too distracting from important, state affairs, Claudius believed, and therefore the planes come first, and the girls come later. Moreover, Claudius II himself, according to contemporaries, loved girls, often and a lot. Such a hypocrite.


However, all the soldiers came to terms with the new law and began to diligently engage in service, but there was one rebel among them who did not agree with the vile law. As you might guess, this troublemaker’s name was Valentin. The young priest even then believed that it was better to make love rather than war and, contrary to the emperor’s decree, he married lovers en masse. As soon as Claudius learned about such a daring act, he immediately ordered the execution of the culprit.

Continuation of the history of Valentine's Day

While awaiting his fate, Valentin did not waste time and, on the eve of his execution, fell in love with the jailer’s daughter. I must say that the girl was very beautiful, but blind from birth. A practicing alchemist managed to cure the beauty of her illness and years later she was able to see the world, and at the same time the good Valentine, who managed to cope with the disease. On the eve of the execution, he decided to send his beloved a message, where he confessed his feelings and signed simply - “Your Valentine.” This message became the world's very first Valentine's card.


The execution of the priest took place on February 14, 269. For disobeying the emperor's decree, Valentin's head was cut off. Many years later, the Catholic Church elevated him to the ranks of saints and in 469, on the eve of the bicentenary of the execution of Valentine, Pope Gilasius decreed that from now on, every year on the day of the priest's execution, all lovers of the world receive their own holiday - St. Valentine's Day.

Valentine's Day Traditions

Tradition to celebrate Valentine's Day Its roots go back to the 12th century and has been celebrated in Western European countries for 800 years. With the first settlers, the holiday migrated to North America, where the saint has been revered since the end of the 18th century. In our country, the popularity of St. Valentine came with independence and the collapse of the USSR.


On the eve of Valentine's Day, thousands of lovers are racking their brains about how to surprise their soulmate and what surprise to prepare. Of course, it’s nice to receive a colorful Valentine’s card with a touching confession written on it, or to give a decorative heart with cupids, but, as they say, you want something more substantial.
For example, practical Americans came up with give sweet gifts to your loved ones on Valentine's Day. At the beginning of the 19th century, on Valentine's Day, men always gave their ladies a variety of marzipan sweets, as well as caramels made in the shape of this very heart.


Special colors were also chosen for the candies - red and white, symbolizing red, bright passion and white purity of feelings. The sweets were marked with the names of a loved one and recognitions. Progress did not stand still and instead of one “heart” candy, it became customary to give entire sweet sets, usually the candies were placed in a special heart-shaped box.

Valentine's Day in different countries:

How is Valentine's Day celebrated in England?

If we look at the traditions of celebrating Valentine's Day in different countries of the world, it is interesting that in England men chose your own Valentine. They wrote the girls' names on pieces of paper, then mixed them in a hat, and then pulled them at random. Something like a sports draw, only instead of a future opponent for competition, men drew a partner - and a girl, for example, with the name Rebecca, overnight became Valentina for this particular man.

Valentine's Day in Italy

Italians, like Americans, have turned Valentine's Day into a sweet holiday and give each other cakes, pastries and candies.

February 14 in France

The French prefer something more spectacular and give various jewelry. By the way, it was the French who came up with the idea of ​​giving each other beautiful messages in the form of poetry. Apparently the point here is not so much in the consistency of the quatrains, but in the very language in which it is performed. As you know, French is recognized throughout the world as the language of love.

Finnish Valentine's Day

Hot Finnish guys decided to turn Valentine's Day into International Women's Day, or rather, into a small branch of it. On this day, only women in Finland receive gifts.

Japan February 14th

And in Japan, as always, everything was turned upside down on this day It is customary to congratulate men, and the most popular gift for Valentine's Day is some kind of men's accessory.

Valentine's Day in Poland

Our neighbors, the Poles, were the luckiest of all on this day. It is in their country, or more precisely, on the territory of the Poznan metropolis, that the holy relics of Valentine are located. There is also a miraculous image of the saint, to which thousands of pilgrims annually turn for help and blessing. And as a rule Saint Valentine refuses no one, continuing to work miracles hundreds of years after his departure to another world.