Saint valentines day праздник

Valentine’s Day
1909 Valentine’s card
Also called	Saint Valentine’s Day or the Feast of Saint Valentine
Observed by	People in many countries; Anglican Communion (see calendar) Lutheran Church (see calendar) Traditionalist Catholicism (see calendar)
Type	Christian, romantic, cultural, commercial observance
Significance	Feast day of Saint Valentine; the celebration of love and affection
Observances	Sending greeting cards and gifts, dating, church services, novenas
Date	February 14 (fixed by the Western Christian Church) July 6 (fixed by the Eastern Orthodox Church) July 30 (fixed by the Eastern Orthodox Church)
Frequency	Annual

Valentine’s Day, also called Saint Valentine’s Day or the Feast of Saint Valentine,^[1] is celebrated annually on February 14.^[2] It originated as a Christian feast day honoring one or two early Christian martyrs named Saint Valentine and, through later folk traditions, has become a significant cultural, religious, and commercial celebration of romance and love in many regions of the world.^[3]

There are a number of martyrdom stories associated with various Valentines connected to February 14,^[4] including an account of the imprisonment of Saint Valentine of Rome for ministering to Christians persecuted under the Roman Empire in the third century.^[5][6] According to an early tradition, Saint Valentine restored sight to the blind daughter of his jailer.^[7] Numerous later additions to the legend have better related it to the theme of love: an 18th-century embellishment to the legend claims he wrote the jailer’s daughter a letter signed «Your Valentine» as a farewell before his execution;^[8] another tradition posits that Saint Valentine performed weddings for Christian soldiers who were forbidden to marry.^[6]

The 8th century Gelasian Sacramentary recorded the celebration of the Feast of Saint Valentine on February 14.^[9][10] The day became associated with romantic love in the 14th and 15th centuries when notions of courtly love flourished, apparently by association with the «lovebirds» of early spring. In 18th-century England, it grew into an occasion in which couples expressed their love for each other by presenting flowers, offering confectionery, and sending greeting cards (known as «valentines»). Valentine’s Day symbols that are used today include the heart-shaped outline, doves, and the figure of the winged Cupid. Since the 19th century, handwritten valentines have given way to mass-produced greeting cards.^[11] In Italy, Saint Valentine’s Keys are given to lovers «as a romantic symbol and an invitation to unlock the giver’s heart», as well as to children to ward off epilepsy (called Saint Valentine’s Malady).^[12]

Saint Valentine’s Day is not a public holiday in any country, although it is an official feast day in the Anglican Communion^[13] and the Lutheran Church.^[14] Many parts of the Eastern Orthodox Church also celebrate Saint Valentine’s Day on July 6 in honor of Roman presbyter Saint Valentine, and on July 30 in honor of Hieromartyr Valentine, the Bishop of Interamna (modern Terni).^[15]

Saint Valentine

History

Numerous early Christian martyrs were named Valentine.^[16] The Valentines honored on February 14 are Valentine of Rome (Valentinus presb. m. Romae) and Valentine of Terni (Valentinus ep. Interamnensis m. Romae).^[17] Valentine of Rome was a priest in Rome who was martyred in 269 and was added to the calendar of saints by Pope Gelasius I in 496 and was buried on the Via Flaminia. The relics of Saint Valentine were kept in the Church and Catacombs of San Valentino in Rome, which «remained an important pilgrim site throughout the Middle Ages until the relics of St. Valentine were transferred to the church of Santa Prassede during the pontificate of Nicholas IV».^[18][19] The flower-crowned skull of Saint Valentine is exhibited in the Basilica of Santa Maria in Cosmedin, Rome. Other relics are found at Whitefriar Street Carmelite Church in Dublin, Ireland.^[20]

Valentine of Terni became bishop of Interamna (now Terni, in central Italy) and is said to have been martyred during the persecution under Emperor Aurelian in 273. He is buried on the Via Flaminia, but in a different location from Valentine of Rome. His relics are at the Basilica of Saint Valentine in Terni (Basilica di San Valentino). Professor Jack B. Oruch of the University of Kansas notes that «abstracts of the acts of the two saints were in nearly every church and monastery of Europe.»^[21] The Catholic Encyclopedia also speaks of a third saint named Valentine who was mentioned in early martyrologies under date of February 14. He was martyred in Africa with a number of companions, but nothing more is known about him.^[22] A relic claimed to be Saint Valentine of Terni’s head was preserved in the abbey of New Minster, Winchester, and venerated.^[23]

February 14 is celebrated as St. Valentine’s Day in various Christian denominations; it has, for example, the rank of ‘commemoration’ in the calendar of saints in the Anglican Communion.^[13] In addition, the feast day of Saint Valentine is also given in the calendar of saints of the Lutheran Church.^[14] However, in the 1969 revision of the Roman Catholic Calendar of Saints, the feast day of Saint Valentine on February 14 was removed from the General Roman Calendar and relegated to particular (local or even national) calendars for the following reason: «Though the memorial of Saint Valentine is ancient, it is left to particular calendars, since, apart from his name, nothing is known of Saint Valentine except that he was buried on the Via Flaminia on February 14.»^[24]

The feast day is still celebrated in Balzan (Malta) where relics of the saint are claimed to be found, and also throughout the world by Traditionalist Catholics who follow the older, pre-Second Vatican Council calendar (see General Roman Calendar of 1960).

In the Eastern Orthodox Church, St. Valentine is recognized on July 6, in which Saint Valentine, the Roman presbyter, is honoured; in addition, the Eastern Orthodox Church observes the feast of Hieromartyr Valentine, Bishop of Interamna, on July 30.^[25][26][27]

J.C. Cooper, in The Dictionary of Christianity, writes that Saint Valentine was «a priest of Rome who was imprisoned for succouring persecuted Christians.»^[28] Contemporary records of Saint Valentine were most probably destroyed during this Diocletianic Persecution in the early 4th century.^[29] In the 5th or 6th century, a work called Passio Marii et Marthae published a story of martyrdom for Saint Valentine of Rome, perhaps by borrowing tortures that happened to other saints, as was usual in the literature of that period. The same events are also found in Bede’s Martyrology, which was compiled in the 8th century.^[29][30] It states that Saint Valentine was persecuted as a Christian and interrogated by Roman Emperor Claudius II in person. Claudius was impressed by Valentine and had a discussion with him, attempting to get him to convert to Roman paganism in order to save his life. Valentine refused and tried to convert Claudius to Christianity instead. Because of this, he was executed. Before his execution, he is reported to have performed a miracle by healing Julia, the blind daughter of his jailer Asterius. The jailer’s daughter and his forty-six member household (family members and servants) came to believe in Jesus and were baptized.^[31][29]

A later Passio repeated the legend, adding that Pope Julius I built a church over his sepulchre (it is a confusion with a 4th-century tribune called Valentino who donated land to build a church at a time when Julius was a Pope).^[30] The legend was picked up as fact by later martyrologies, starting with Bede’s martyrology in the 8th century.^[30] It was repeated in the 13th century, in The Golden Legend.^[32]

There is an additional embellishment to The Golden Legend, which according to Henry Ansgar Kelly, was added in the 18th century and widely repeated.^[33] On the evening before Valentine was to be executed, he is supposed to have written the first «valentine» card himself, addressed to the daughter of his jailer Asterius, who was no longer blind, signing as «Your Valentine.»^[33] The expression «From your Valentine» was later adopted by modern Valentine letters.^[34] This legend has been published by both American Greetings and The History Channel.^[35]

John Foxe, an English historian, as well as the Order of Carmelites, state that Saint Valentine was buried in the Church of Praxedes in Rome, located near the cemetery of Saint Hippolytus. This order says that according to legend, «Julia herself planted a pink-blossomed almond tree near his grave. Today, the almond tree remains a symbol of abiding love and friendship.»^[36][37]

Another embellishment suggests that Saint Valentine performed clandestine Christian weddings for soldiers who were forbidden to marry.^[38] The Roman Emperor Claudius II supposedly forbade this in order to grow his army, believing that married men did not make for good soldiers.^[38][39] However, George Monger writes that this marriage ban was never issued and that Claudius II told his soldiers to take two or three women for themselves after his victory over the Goths.^[40]

According to legend, in order «to remind these men of their vows and God’s love, Saint Valentine is said to have cut hearts from parchment», giving them to these soldiers and persecuted Christians, a possible origin of the widespread use of hearts on St. Valentine’s Day.^[41]

Saint Valentine supposedly wore a purple amethyst ring, customarily worn on the hands of Christian bishops with an image of Cupid engraved in it, a recognizable symbol associated with love that was legal under the Roman Empire;^[39][42] Roman soldiers would recognize the ring and ask him to perform marriage for them.^[39] Probably due to the association with Saint Valentine, amethyst has become the birthstone of February, which is thought to attract love.^[43]

Folk traditions

While the European folk traditions connected with Saint Valentine and St. Valentine’s Day have become marginalized by modern customs connecting the day with romantic love, there are still some connections with the advent of spring.

While the custom of sending cards, flowers, chocolates and other gifts originated in the UK, Valentine’s Day still remains connected with various regional customs in England. In Norfolk, a character called ‘Jack’ Valentine knocks on the rear door of houses leaving sweets and presents for children. Although he was leaving treats, many children were scared of this mystical person.^[44][45]

In Slovenia, Saint Valentine or Zdravko was one of the saints of spring, the saint of good health and the patron of beekeepers and pilgrims.^[46]
A proverb says that «Saint Valentine brings the keys of roots». Plants and flowers start to grow on this day. It has been celebrated as the day when the first work in the vineyards and in the fields commences. It is also said that birds propose to each other or marry on that day. Another proverb says «Valentin – prvi spomladin» («Valentine – the first spring saint»), as in some places (especially White Carniola), Saint Valentine marks the beginning of spring.^[47] Valentine’s Day has only recently been celebrated as the day of love. The day of love was traditionally March 12, the Saint Gregory’s day, or February 22, Saint Vincent’s Day. The patron of love was Saint Anthony, whose day has been celebrated on June 13.^[46]

Connection with romantic love

Possible ancient origins

The «Feast» (Latin: «in natali», lit.: on the birthday) of Saint Valentine originated in Christendom and has been marked by the Western Church of Christendom in honour of one of the Christian martyrs named Valentine, as recorded in the 8th century Gelasian Sacramentary.^[21][10] In Ancient Rome, Lupercalia was observed February 13–15 on behalf of Pan & Juno, pagan gods of love, marriage & fertility. It was a rite connected to purification and health, and had only slight connection to fertility (as a part of health) and none to love. The celebration of Saint Valentine is not known to have had any romantic connotations until Chaucer’s poetry about «Valentine’s Day» in the 14th century, some seven hundred years after celebration of Lupercalia is believed to have ceased.^[29] Lupercalia was a festival local to the city of Rome. The more general Festival of Juno Februa, meaning «Juno the purifier» or «the chaste Juno», was celebrated on February 13–14. Although the Pope Gelasius I (492–496) article in the Catholic Encyclopedia says that he abolished Lupercalia, theologian and Methodist minister Bruce Forbes wrote that «no evidence» has been demonstrated to link St. Valentine’s Day and the rites of the ancient Roman purification festival of Lupercalia, despite claims by many authors to the contrary.^{[notes 1][23][48][49]}

Some researchers have theorized that Gelasius I replaced Lupercalia with the celebration of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary and claim a connection to the 14th century’s connotations of romantic love, but there is no historical indication that he ever intended such a thing.^{[notes 2][49][50]} Also, the dates do not fit because at the time of Gelasius I, the feast was only celebrated in Jerusalem, and it was on February 14 only because Jerusalem placed the Nativity of Jesus (Christmas) on January 6.^{[notes 3]} Although it was called «Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary», it also dealt with the presentation of Jesus at the temple.^[51] Jerusalem’s Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary on February 14 became the Presentation of Jesus at the Temple on February 2 as it was introduced to Rome and other places in the sixth century, after Gelasius I’s time.^[51]

Alban Butler in his The Lives of the Fathers, Martyrs, and Other Principal Saints (1756–1759) claimed without proof that men and women in Lupercalia drew names from a jar to make couples, and that modern Valentine’s letters originated from this custom. In reality, this practice originated in the Middle Ages, with no link to Lupercalia, with men drawing the names of girls at random to couple with them. This custom was combated by priests, for example by Frances de Sales around 1600, apparently by replacing it with a religious custom of girls drawing the names of apostles from the altar. However, this religious custom is recorded as soon as the 13th century in the life of Saint Elizabeth of Hungary, so it could have a different origin.^[23]

Chaucer’s Parliament of Fowls

The first recorded association of Valentine’s Day with romantic love is believed to be in the Parliament of Fowls (1382) by Geoffrey Chaucer, a dream vision portraying a parliament for birds to choose their mates.^[29] Honoring the first anniversary of the engagement of fifteen-year-old King Richard II of England to fifteen-year-old Anne of Bohemia,^[52] Chaucer wrote (in Middle English):

«For this was on seynt Valentynes day
Whan every foul cometh there to chese his make
Of every kynde that men thynke may
And that so huge a noyse gan they make
That erthe, and eyr, and tre, and every lake
So ful was, that unethe was there space
For me to stonde, so ful was al the place.»^[53][54]

In modern English:

«For this was on Saint Valentine’s Day
When every bird comes there to choose his match
Of every kind that men may think of
And that so huge a noise they began to make
That earth and air and tree and every lake
Was so full, that not easily was there space
For me to stand—so full was all the place.»

Readers have uncritically assumed that Chaucer was referring to February 14 as Valentine’s Day. Henry Ansgar Kelly has observed that Chaucer might have had in mind the feast day of St. Valentine of Genoa, an early bishop of Genoa who died around AD 307; it was probably celebrated on 3 May.^[52][55][56] A treaty providing for Richard II and Anne’s marriage, the subject of the poem, was signed on May 2, 1381.^[57]

Jack B. Oruch notes that the date on which spring begins has changed since Chaucer’s time because of the precession of the equinoxes and the introduction of the more accurate Gregorian calendar only in 1582. On the Julian calendar in use in Chaucer’s time, February 14 would have fallen on the date now called February 23, a time when some birds have started mating and nesting in England.^[29]

Chaucer’s Parliament of Fowls refers to a supposedly established tradition, but there is no record of such a tradition before Chaucer. The speculative derivation of sentimental customs from the distant past began with 18th-century antiquaries, notably Alban Butler, the author of Butler’s Lives of Saints, and have been perpetuated even by respectable modern scholars. Most notably, «the idea that Valentine’s Day customs perpetuated those of the Roman Lupercalia has been accepted uncritically and repeated, in various forms, up to the present».^[23][58]

Three other authors who made poems about birds mating on St. Valentine’s Day around the same years: Otton de Grandson from Savoy, John Gower from England, and a knight called Pardo from Valencia. Chaucer most probably predated all of them; but due to the difficulty of dating medieval works, it is not possible to ascertain which of the four may have influenced the others.^[59]

Court of love

The earliest description of February 14 as an annual celebration of love appears in the Charter of the Court of Love. The charter, allegedly issued by Charles VI of France at Mantes-la-Jolie in 1400, describes lavish festivities to be attended by several members of the royal court, including a feast, amorous song and poetry competitions, jousting and dancing.^[60] Amid these festivities, the attending ladies would hear and rule on disputes from lovers.^[61] No other record of the court exists, and none of those named in the charter were present at Mantes except Charles’s queen, Isabeau of Bavaria, who may well have imagined it all while waiting out a plague.^[60]

Valentine poetry

The earliest surviving valentine is a 15th-century rondeau written by Charles, Duke of Orléans to his wife, which commences.

«Je suis desja d’amour tanné
Ma tres doulce Valentinée…»

— Charles d’Orléans, Rondeau VI, lines 1–2^[62]

At the time, the duke was being held in the Tower of London following his capture at the Battle of Agincourt, 1415.^[63]

The earliest surviving valentines in English appear to be those in the Paston Letters, written in 1477 by Margery Brewes to her future husband John Paston «my right well-beloved Valentine».^[64]

Valentine’s Day is mentioned ruefully by Ophelia in William Shakespeare’s Hamlet (1600–1601):

«To-morrow is Saint Valentine’s day,
All in the morning betime,
And I a maid at your window,
To be your Valentine.
Then up he rose, and donn’d his clothes,
And dupp’d the chamber-door;
Let in the maid, that out a maid
Never departed more.»

— William Shakespeare, Hamlet, Act IV, Scene 5

John Donne used the legend of the marriage of the birds as the starting point for his epithalamion celebrating the marriage of Elizabeth, daughter of James I of England, and Frederick V, Elector Palatine, on Valentine’s Day:

«Hayle Bishop Valentine whose day this is

All the Ayre is thy Diocese
And all the chirping Queristers
And other birds ar thy parishioners
Thou marryest every yeare
The Lyrick Lark, and the graue whispering Doue,
The Sparrow that neglects his life for loue,
The houshold bird with the redd stomacher
Thou makst the Blackbird speede as soone,
As doth the Goldfinch, or the Halcyon
The Husband Cock lookes out and soone is spedd
And meets his wife, which brings her feather-bed.
This day more cheerfully than ever shine

This day which might inflame thy selfe old Valentine.»

— John Donne, Epithalamion Vpon Frederick Count Palatine and the Lady Elizabeth marryed on St. Valentines day

The verse «Roses are red» echoes conventions traceable as far back as Edmund Spenser’s epic The Faerie Queene (1590):

«She bath’d with roses red, and violets blew,
And all the sweetest flowres [sic], that in the forrest grew.»^[65]

The modern cliché Valentine’s Day poem can be found in Gammer Gurton’s Garland (1784), a collection of English nursery rhymes published in London by Joseph Johnson:

«The rose is red, the violet’s blue,

The honey’s sweet, and so are you.
Thou art my love and I am thine;
I drew thee to my Valentine:
The lot was cast and then I drew,

And Fortune said it shou’d be you.»^[66][67]

Modern times

In 1797, a British publisher issued The Young Man’s Valentine Writer, which contained scores of suggested sentimental verses for the young lover unable to compose his own. Printers had already begun producing a limited number of cards with verses and sketches, called «mechanical valentines.» Paper Valentines became so popular in England in the early 19th century that they were assembled in factories. Fancy Valentines were made with real lace and ribbons, with paper lace introduced in the mid-19th century.^[68] In 1835, 60,000 Valentine cards were sent by post in the United Kingdom, despite postage being expensive.^[69]

A reduction in postal rates following Sir Rowland Hill’s postal reforms with the 1840 invention of the postage stamp (Penny Black) saw the number of Valentines posted increase, with 400,000 sent just one year after its invention, and ushered in the less personal but easier practice of mailing Valentines.^[70] That made it possible for the first time to exchange cards anonymously, which is taken as the reason for the sudden appearance of racy verse in an era otherwise prudishly Victorian.^[71] Production increased, «Cupid’s Manufactory» as Charles Dickens termed it, with over 3,000 women employed in manufacturing.^[70] The Laura Seddon Greeting Card Collection at Manchester Metropolitan University gathers 450 Valentine’s Day cards dating from early nineteenth century Britain, printed by the major publishers of the day.^[72] The collection appears in Seddon’s book Victorian Valentines (1996).^[73]

In the United States, the first mass-produced Valentines of embossed paper lace were produced and sold shortly after 1847 by Esther Howland (1828–1904) of Worcester, Massachusetts.^[74][75] Her father operated a large book and stationery store, but Howland took her inspiration from an English Valentine she had received from a business associate of her father.^[76][77] Intrigued with the idea of making similar Valentines, Howland began her business by importing paper lace and floral decorations from England.^[77][78] A writer in Graham’s American Monthly observed in 1849, «Saint Valentine’s Day … is becoming, nay it has become, a national holyday.»^[79] The English practice of sending Valentine’s cards was established enough to feature as a plot device in Elizabeth Gaskell’s Mr. Harrison’s Confessions (1851): «I burst in with my explanations: ‘The valentine I know nothing about.’ ‘It is in your handwriting’, said he coldly.»^[80] Since 2001, the Greeting Card Association has been giving an annual «Esther Howland Award for a Greeting Card Visionary».^[75]

Since the 19th century, handwritten notes have given way to mass-produced greeting cards.^[11] In the UK, just under half of the population spend money on their Valentines, and around £1.9 billion was spent in 2015 on cards, flowers, chocolates and other gifts.^[81] The mid-19th century Valentine’s Day trade was a harbinger of further commercialized holidays in the U.S. to follow.^[82]

In 1868, the British chocolate company Cadbury created Fancy Boxes – a decorated box of chocolates – in the shape of a heart for Valentine’s Day.^[83][84] Boxes of filled chocolates quickly became associated with the holiday.^[83] In the second half of the 20th century, the practice of exchanging cards was extended to all manner of gifts, such as giving jewelry.

The U.S. Greeting Card Association estimates that approximately 190 million valentines are sent each year in the US. Half of those valentines are given to family members other than husband or wife, usually to children. When the valentine-exchange cards made in school activities are included the figure goes up to 1 billion, and teachers become the people receiving the most valentines.^[74] The average valentine’s spending has increased every year in the U.S, from $108 a person in 2010 to $131 in 2013.^[85]

The rise of Internet popularity at the turn of the millennium is creating new traditions. Millions of people use, every year, digital means of creating and sending Valentine’s Day greeting messages such as e-cards, love coupons or printable greeting cards. Valentine’s Day is considered by some to be a Hallmark holiday due to its commercialization.^[86]

In the modern era, liturgically, the Lutheran Church and Anglican Church have a service for St. Valentine’s Day (the Feast of St. Valentine), which includes the optional rite of the renewal of marriage vows.^[87][88] In 2016, the Catholic Bishops of England and Wales established a novena prayer «to support single people seeking a spouse ahead of St Valentine’s Day.»^[89]

Celebration and status worldwide

Valentine’s Day customs – sending greeting cards (known as «valentines»), offering confectionery and presenting flowers – developed in early modern England and spread throughout the English-speaking world in the 19th century. In the later 20th and early 21st centuries, these customs spread to other countries, like those of Halloween, or than aspects of Christmas, (such as Santa Claus).

Valentine’s Day is celebrated in many East Asian countries with Singaporeans, Chinese and South Koreans spending the most money on Valentine’s gifts.^[90]

Americas

Latin America

In most Latin American countries, for example, Costa Rica,^[91] Mexico,^[92] and the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico, Saint Valentine’s Day is known as Día de los Enamorados (‘Day of Lovers’)^[93] or as Día del Amor y la Amistad (‘Day of Love and Friendship’). It is also common to see people perform «acts of appreciation» for their friends.^[94]

In Guatemala it is known as Día del Cariño (‘Affection Day’).^[95] Some countries, in particular the Dominican Republic and El Salvador,^[96] have a tradition called Amigo secreto («Secret friend»), which is a game similar to the Christmas tradition of Secret Santa.^[94]

Brazil

In Brazil, the Dia dos Namorados (lit. «Lovers’ Day», or «Boyfriends’/Girlfriends’ Day») is celebrated on June 12, probably because that is the day before Saint Anthony’s day, known there as the ‘marriage saint’,^{[citation needed]} when traditionally many single women perform popular rituals, called simpatias, in order to find a good husband or boyfriend. Couples exchange gifts, chocolates, cards, and flower bouquets. The February 14 Valentine’s Day is not celebrated at all because it usually falls too little before or too little after the Brazilian Carnival^[97] – that can fall anywhere from early February to early March and lasts almost a week. Because of the absence of Valentine’s Day and due to the celebrations of the Carnivals, Brazil was recommended by U.S. News & World Report as a tourist destination during February for Western singles who want to get away from the holiday.^[98]

Colombia

Colombia celebrates Día del amor y la amistad on the third Saturday in September instead.^[99] Amigo Secreto is also popular there.^[100]

United States

On the United States mainland, about 190 million Valentine’s Day cards are sent each year, not including the hundreds of millions of cards school children exchange.^[101]

Valentine’s Day is a major source of economic activity, with total expenditures in 2017 topping $18.2 billion in 2017, or over $136 per person.^[102] This is an increase from $108 per person in 2010.^[85] In 2019, a survey by the National Retail Federation found that over the previous decade, the percentage of people who celebrate Valentine’s Day had declined steadily. From their survey results, they found three primary reasons: over-commercialization of the holiday, not having a significant other, and not being interested in celebrating it.^[103]

Asia

Afghanistan

In pre-Taliban years Koch-e-Gul-Faroushi (Flower Street) in the down town Kabul used to be adorned with innovative flower arrangements to attract Valentine’s Day celebrating youth.^[104] In the Afghan tradition, love is often expressed through poetry. Some new generation budding poets like Ramin Mazhar, Mahtab Sahel are expressing themselves through poetry using Valentine’s Day expressing concerns on any likelihood of erosion of freedoms. In their political comment they defy fear by saying I kiss you amid the Taliban^[105][106]

Bangladesh

Valentine’s Day was first celebrated in Bangladesh by Shafik Rehman, a journalist and editor of Jaijaidin in 1993. He was acquainted with Western culture by studying in London.^[107] He highlighted Valentine’s Day to the Bangladeshi people through Jaijaidin newspaper. Rehman is called the «father of Valentine’s Day in Bangladesh».^[108] On this day, people in various bonds including lovers, friends, husbands and wives, mothers and children, students and teachers express their love for each other with flowers, chocolates, cards and other gifts. On this day, various parks and recreation centers of the country are full of people of love.^[109][110] No public holiday is declared on this day in Bangladesh.

Some in Bangladesh feel that celebrating this day is not acceptable from a cultural and Islamic point of view.^[111] Before the celebration of Valentine’s Day, February 14 was celebrated as the anti-authoritarian day in Bangladesh. However, that day is disregarded by people to celebrate Valentine’s Day.^{[112][113][114]}

China

In Chinese, Valentine’s Day is called lovers’ festival (simplified Chinese: 情人节; traditional Chinese: 情人節; Mandarin: Qīng Rén Jié; Hokkien: Chêng Lîn Chiat; Cantonese: Chìhng Yàhn Jit; Shanghainese Xin Yin Jiq). The «Chinese Valentine’s Day» is the Qixi Festival (meaning «The Night of Sevens» (Chinese: 七夕; pinyin: Qi Xi)), celebrated on the seventh day of the seventh month of the lunar calendar. According to the legend, the Cowherd star and the Weaver Maid star are normally separated by the Milky Way (silvery river) but are allowed to meet by crossing it on the 7th day of the 7th month of the Chinese calendar.^[115]

In recent years, celebrating White Day has also become fashionable among some young people.^[116]

India

In ancient India, there was a tradition of adoring Kamadeva, the lord of love — exemplified by the erotic carvings in the Khajuraho Group of Monuments and by the writing of the Kamasutra.^[117] This tradition was lost around the Middle Ages, when Kamadeva was no longer celebrated, and public displays of sexual affection became frowned upon.^[117] This repression of public affections began to loosen in the 1990s.^[118]

Valentine’s Day celebrations did not catch on in India until around 1992. It was spread due to the programs in commercial TV channels, such as MTV, dedicated radio programs, and love letter competitions, in addition to an economical liberalization that allowed the explosion of the valentine card industry.^[117][119] The celebration has caused a sharp change on how people have been displaying their affection in public since the Middle Ages.^[117]

On a 2018 online survey, it was found that 68% of the respondents do not wish to celebrate Valentine’s Day.^[120] It can be also observed that different religious groups, including Hindu,^[121] Muslim^[122] and Christian people of India do not support Valentine’s Day.

In modern times, Hindu and Islamic^[123] traditionalists have considered the holiday to be cultural contamination from the West, a result of globalization in India.^[117][119] Shiv Sena and the Sangh Parivar have asked their followers to shun the holiday and the «public admission of love» because of them being «alien to Indian culture».^[124] Although these protests are organized by political elites, the protesters themselves are middle-class Hindu men who fear that the globalization will destroy the traditions in their society: arranged marriages, Hindu joint families, full-time mothers, etc.^[119][123] Despite these obstacles, Valentine’s Day is becoming increasingly popular in India.^[125]

Valentine’s Day has been strongly criticized from a postcolonial perspective by intellectuals from the Indian left. The holiday is regarded as a front for «Western imperialism», «neocolonialism», and «the exploitation of working classes through commercialism by multinational corporations».^[126] It is claimed that as a result of Valentine’s Day, the working classes and rural poor become more disconnected socially, politically, and geographically from the hegemonic capitalist power structure. They also criticize mainstream media attacks on Indians opposed to Valentine’s Day as a form of demonization that is designed and derived to further the Valentine’s Day agenda.^[127][128]
Right wing Hindu nationalists are also hostile. In February 2012, Subash Chouhan of the Bajrang Dal warned couples that «They cannot kiss or hug in public places. Our activists will beat them up».^[129]
He said «We are not against love, but we criticize vulgar exhibition of love at public places».^[130]

Iran

The history of Valentine’s Day in Iran dates back to the Qajar era of the latter half of the 19th century—Naser al-Din Shah Qajar did not take his wife with him during his trip to Europe and he sent her a greeting card from distance on Valentine’s Day. This greeting card is available in Iranian museums.^[131]

Since the mid-2000s, Valentine’s Day has become increasingly popular in Iran, especially among young people. However, it has also been the subject of heavy criticism from Iranian conservatives, who see it as part of the spread of «decadent» Western culture.^[132] Since 2011, authorities have attempted to discourage celebrations and impose restrictions on the sale and production of Valentine’s Day-related goods, although the holiday remains popular as of 2018.^[133] Additionally, there have been efforts to revive the ancient Persian festival of Sepandārmazgān, which takes place around the same time, to replace Valentine’s Day, although, as of 2016, this has also been largely unsuccessful.^[134]

Israel

In Israel, the Jewish tradition of Tu B’Av has been revived and transformed into the Jewish equivalent of Valentine’s Day. It is celebrated on the 15th day of the month of Av (usually in late August). In ancient times girls would wear white dresses and dance in the vineyards, where the boys would be waiting for them (Mishna Taanith end of Chapter 4). Today, Tu B’Av is celebrated as a second holiday of love by secular people (along with Valentine’s Day), and it shares many of the customs associated with Saint Valentine’s Day in western societies. In modern Israeli culture Tu B’Av is a popular day to proclaim love, propose marriage, and give gifts like cards or flowers.^[135]

Japan

In Japan, Morozoff Ltd. introduced the holiday for the first time in 1936, when it ran an advertisement aimed at foreigners. Later, in 1953, it began promoting the giving of heart-shaped chocolates; other Japanese confectionery companies followed suit thereafter. In 1958, the Isetan department store ran a «Valentine sale». Further campaigns during the 1960s popularized the custom.^[136][137]

The custom that only women give chocolates to men may have originated from the translation error of a chocolate-company executive during the initial campaigns.^[138] In particular, office ladies give chocolate to their co-workers. Unlike western countries, gifts such as greeting cards,^[138] candies, flowers, or dinner dates^[139] are uncommon, and most of the gifts-related activity is about giving the right amount of chocolate to each person.^[138] Japanese chocolate companies make half their annual sales during this time of the year.^[138]

Many women feel obliged to give chocolates to all male co-workers, except when the day falls on a Sunday, a holiday. This is known as giri-choko (義理チョコ), from ‘giri’ («obligation») and ‘choko’, («chocolate»), with unpopular co-workers receiving only «ultra-obligatory» (超義理チョコ ‘chō-giri choko’) cheap chocolate. This contrasts with honmei-choko (本命チョコ, lit. «true feeling chocolate»), chocolate given to a loved one. Friends, especially girls, may exchange chocolate referred to as tomo-choko (友チョコ, from ‘tomo’ meaning «friend»).^[140]

In the 1980s, the Japanese National Confectionery Industry Association launched a successful campaign to make March 14 a «reply day», where men are expected to return the favour to those who gave them chocolates on Valentine’s Day, calling it White Day for the color of the chocolates being offered. A previous failed attempt to popularize this celebration had been done by a marshmallow manufacturer who wanted men to return marshmallows to women.^[136][137]

In Japan, the romantic «date night» associated with Valentine’s Day is celebrated on Christmas Eve.^[141]

Lebanon

Saint Valentine is the patron saint for a large part of the Lebanese population. Couples take the opportunity of Valentine’s feast day to exchange sweet words and gifts as proof of love. Such gifts typically include boxes of chocolates, cupcakes, and red roses, which are considered the emblem of sacrifice and passion.^{[citation needed]}

Lebanese people celebrate Valentine’s Day in a different way in every city. In Beirut, men take women out to dine and may buy them a gift. Many women are asked to marry on that day. In Sidon, Valentine’s Day is celebrated with the whole family – it is more about family love than a couple’s love.^{[citation needed]}

Malaysia

Islamic officials in West Malaysia warned Muslims against celebrating Valentine’s Day, linking it with vice activities. Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin said the celebration of romantic love was «not suitable» for Muslims. Wan Mohamad Sheikh Abdul Aziz, head of the Malaysian Islamic Development Department (Jakim), which oversees the country’s Islamic policies said that a fatwa (ruling) issued by the country’s top clerics in 2005 noted that the day ‘is associated with elements of Christianity,’ and ‘we just cannot get involved with other religions’ worshipping rituals.’ Jakim officials planned to carry out a nationwide campaign called «Awas Jerat Valentine’s Day» («Mind the Valentine’s Day Trap»), aimed at preventing Muslims from celebrating the day on February 14, 2011. Activities include conducting raids in hotels to stop young couples from having unlawful sex and distributing leaflets to Muslim university students warning them against the day.^[142][143]

On Valentine’s Day 2011, West Malaysian religious authorities arrested more than 100 Muslim couples concerning the celebration ban. Some of them would be charged in the Shariah Court for defying the department’s ban against the celebration of Valentine’s Day.^[144]

In East Malaysia, the celebration are much more tolerated among young Muslim couples although some Islamic officials and Muslim activists from the West side have told younger generations to refrain from such celebration by organising da’wah and tried to spread their ban into the East.^[145][146] In both the states of Sabah and Sarawak, the celebration is usually common with flowers.^{[147][148][149]}

Pakistan

The concept of Valentine’s Day was introduced into Pakistan during the late 1990s with special TV and radio programs. The Jamaat-e-Islami political party has called for the banning of Valentine’s Day celebration.^[125] Despite this, the celebration is becoming popular among urban youth and the florists expect to sell a great number of flowers, especially red roses. The case is the same with card publishers.^[150]

In 2016, the local governing body of Peshwar officially banned the celebration of Valentine’s Day in the city. The ban was also implemented in other cities such as Kohat by the local governments.^[151]

In 2017, the Islamabad High Court banned Valentine’s Day celebrations in public places in Pakistan.^[152] More than 80% of Dawn readers polled on its website agreed with this decision.^[111]

In 2018, because of a petition by a citizen, Abdul Waheed, the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority advised broadcasters and newspapers against airing any Valentine’s Day celebrations.^[153][154]

Philippines

In the Philippines, Valentine’s Day is called Araw ng mga Puso in much the same manner as in the West. It is usually marked by a steep increase in the price of flowers, particularly red roses.^[155] It is the most popular day for weddings,^[156] with some localities offering mass ceremonies for no charge.^[157]

Saudi Arabia

In Saudi Arabia, in 2002 and 2008, religious police banned the sale of all Valentine’s Day items, telling shop workers to remove any red items, because the day is considered a Christian holiday.^[158][159] This ban has created a black market for roses and wrapping paper.^[159][160] In 2012, the religious police arrested more than 140 Muslims for celebrating the holiday, and confiscated all red roses from flower shops.^[161] Muslims are not allowed to celebrate the holiday, and non-Muslims can celebrate only behind closed doors.^[162]

«Saudi cleric Sheikh Muhammad Al-‘Arifi said on Valentine’s Day Eve that celebrating this holiday constitutes bid’a – a forbidden innovation and deviation from religious law and custom – and mimicry of the West.»^[163][164]

However, in 2017 and 2018, after a fatwa was widely circulated, the religious police did not prevent Muslims from celebrating the day.^[165] In 2018, Sheikh Ahmed Qasim Al-Ghamdi, a Saudi cleric and former president of the Committee for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, said that Valentine’s Day is not haram and is compatible with Islamic values.^[166][167]

Singapore

According to findings, Singaporeans are among the biggest spenders on Valentine’s Day, with 60% of Singaporeans indicating that they would spend between $100 and $500 during the season leading up to the holiday.^[90]

South Korea

In South Korea, women give chocolate to men on February 14, and men give non-chocolate candy to women on March 14 (White Day). On April 14 (Black Day), those who did not receive anything on February or March 14 go to a Chinese-Korean restaurant to eat black noodles (짜장면 jajangmyeon) and lament their ‘single life’.^[139] Koreans also celebrate Pepero Day on November 11, when young couples give each other Pepero cookies. The date ’11/11′ is intended to resemble the long shape of the cookie. The 14th of every month marks a love-related day in Korea, although most of them are obscure. From January to December: Candle Day, Valentine’s Day, White Day, Black Day, Rose Day, Kiss Day, Silver Day, Green Day, Music Day, Wine Day, Movie Day, and Hug Day.^[168] Korean women give a much higher amount of chocolate than Japanese women.^[139]

Taiwan

In Taiwan, traditional Qixi Festival, Valentine’s Day and White Day are all celebrated. However, the situation is the reverse of Japan’s. Men give gifts to women on Valentine’s Day, and women return them on White Day.^[139]

Europe

Estonia and Finland

In Finland, Valentine’s Day is called ystävänpäivä, which means «Friend’s Day». As the name indicates, this day is more about remembering friends, not significant others. In Estonia, Valentine’s Day was originally called valentinipäev and later also sõbrapäev (‘Friend’s Day’) as a calque of the Finnish term.^[169]

France

In France, a traditionally Catholic country, Valentine’s Day is known simply as «Saint Valentin», and is celebrated in much the same way as other western countries.^[170] The relics of Saint Valentin de Terni, the patron of the St Valentine’s Day, are in the Catholic church of Saint-Jean-Baptiste and Saint-Jean-l’Evangéliste located in the southern France town of Roquemaure, Gard. The celebrations of «Fête des Amoureux» takes place every two years on the Sunday closest to February 14. The village gets dressed in its 19th-century costume and put on the program with over 800 people.

Greece

St. Valentine’s Day, or Ημέρα του Αγίου Βαλεντίνου in Greek tradition was not associated with romantic love. In the Eastern Orthodox church there is another Saint who protects people who are in love, Hyacinth of Caesarea (feast day July 3), but this was not widely known until the late 1990s^[171] In contemporary Greece, Valentine’s Day is generally celebrated as in the common Western tradition.^[172]

Ireland

On Saint Valentine’s Day in Ireland, many individuals who seek true love make a Christian pilgrimage to the Shrine of St. Valentine in Whitefriar Street Carmelite Church in Dublin, which is said to house relics of Saint Valentine of Rome; they pray at the shrine in hope of finding romance.^[173] There lies a book in which foreigners and locals have written their prayer requests for love.^[174]

Poland

Saint Valentine’s Day was introduced to Poland together with the cult of Saint Valentine via Bavaria and Tyrol.^[175] However, it rose in popularity in the 1990s.^[175] The only (and the biggest) public celebration in Poland is held annually from 2002 in Chełmno^[175] under the name „Walentynki Chełmińskie” (Chełmno Valentine’s). Because Chełmno’s parish church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary has been holding the relic of St. Valentine since the Middle Ages, local cult of the saint has been combined with the Anglo-Saxon tradition.^[175]

Portugal

In Portugal, the holiday is known as «Dia dos Namorados» (Lover’s Day / Day of the Enamoured). As elsewhere, couples exchange gifts, but in some regions, women give a lenço de namorados («lovers’ handkerchief»), which is usually embroidered with love motifs.^[176]

Romania

In recent years, Romania has also started celebrating Valentine’s Day. This has drawn backlash from several groups, institutions,^[177] and nationalist organizations like Noua Dreaptǎ, who condemn Valentine’s Day for being superficial, commercialist, and imported Western kitsch. In order to counter the perceived denaturation of national culture, Dragobete, a spring festival celebrated in parts of Southern Romania, has been rekindled after having been ignored during the Communist years as the traditional Romanian holiday for lovers. The holiday is named after a character from Romanian folklore who was supposed to be the son of Baba Dochia.^[178] Its date used to vary depending on the geographical area, however nowadays it is commonly observed on February 24.^[179]

Scandinavia

In Denmark and Norway, February 14 is known as Valentinsdag, and is celebrated in much the same manner as in the United Kingdom.^[180] In Sweden it is called Alla hjärtans dag («All Hearts’ Day») but is not widely celebrated. A 2016 survey revealed that less than 50% of men and women were planning to buy presents for their partners.^[181] The holiday has only been observed since the 1960s.^[180]

Spain

The holiday was first introduced in Spain through a 1948 advertisement campaign by the department store chain Galerías Preciados,^[182] and had become widespread by the 1970s.^[182]

Known as «San Valentín», the holiday is celebrated the same way as in the rest of the West.

United Kingdom

In the UK, just under half of the population spends money on their Valentines and around £1.3 billion is spent yearly on cards, flowers, chocolates, and other gifts, with an estimated 25 million cards being sent.^[183]

In Wales, some people celebrate Dydd Santes Dwynwen (St. Dwynwen’s Day) on January 25 instead of (or as well as) Valentine’s Day. The day commemorates St Dwynwen, the Welsh patron saint of love.^[184] The Welsh name for Saint Valentine is Sant Ffolant.

In a 2016 poll conducted by Channel 4 for Valentine’s Day, Jane Austen’s line, “My heart is, and always will be, yours”, from her novel Sense and Sensibility as said by Edward Ferrars (Hugh Grant) to Elinor Dashwood (Emma Thompson) in the acclaimed 1995 film adaptation, was voted the most romantic line from literature, film, and TV by thousands of women.^[185]

Restrictions on Valentine’s day in some countries

The celebration of Valentine’s Day has been banned in Indonesia, Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia due to beliefs the holiday conflicts with Islamic culture.^[111]

Since 2009, certain practices pertaining to Valentine’s Day (such as giving flowers, cards, or other gifts suggestive of Valentine’s Day) are banned in Iran.^[186] Iran’s Law Enforcement Force prosecutes distributors of goods with symbols associated with Valentine’s Day.^[187] In 2021, the Prosecutor’s Office of Qom, Iran, stated that it will prosecute those who disseminate and provide anti-cultural symbols like those of Valentine’s Day.^[188] Although Valentine’s Day is not accepted or approved by any institution in Iran and has no official status, it’s highly accepted among a large part of the population.^[189] One of the reasons for Valentine’s Day acceptance since the 2000s by the general population is the change in relations between the sexes, and because sexual relationship are no longer strictly limited to be within marriage.^[190]

See also

• World Kiss Day
• Dia dos Namorados
• Sailor’s valentine
• Saint Valentine’s Day Massacre
• Singles Awareness Day
• Steak and Blowjob Day
• Valentine’s Day (2010 film)
• V-Day, the global movement to end violence against women and girls.
• Women’s Memorial March, held on Valentine’s Day in Vancouver, British Columbia.
• Cake and Cunnilingus Day

Notes

References

Bibliography

Further reading

• Anthony M. Sammarco (January 24, 2022). Valentine’s Day Traditions in Boston. America Through Time. ISBN 978-1635001075.

External links

14 февраля во многих странах мира отмечается День святого Валентина (Valentine’s Day) или День всех влюбленных.

Считается, что День святого Валентина существует уже более 16 веков, но праздники Любви известны с еще более ранних времен — со времен древних языческих культур. Например, римляне в середине февраля праздновали фестиваль эротизма, называемый Lupercalia, в честь богини любви Juno Februata.

У праздника есть и конкретный «виновник» — христианский священник Валентин. Эта история датируется примерно 269 годом, в то время Римской Империей правил император Клавдий II. Воюющая римская армия испытывала острый недостаток солдат для военных походов, и военачальник был убежден, что главный враг его «наполеоновских» планов — браки, ибо женатый легионер о славе империи думает гораздо меньше, чем о том, как семью прокормить. И, дабы сохранить в своих солдатах воинский дух, император издал указ, запрещающий легионерам жениться.

Но влюбляться-то солдаты от этого не стали меньше. И к их счастью нашелся человек, который, не страшась императорского гнева, стал тайно венчать легионеров с их возлюбленными. Им был священник по имени Валентин из римского города Терни (Valentine of Terni). Видимо, он был настоящим романтиком, так как его любимыми развлечениями было мирить поссорившихся, помогать писать любовные письма и дарить по просьбе легионеров цветы предметам их страсти.

Ясное дело, как только об этом узнал император, он решил его «преступную деятельность» прекратить. Валентина приговорили к казни. Трагедия ситуации была еще и в том, что и сам Валентин был влюблен в дочку тюремщика. За день до казни священник написал девушке прощальное письмо, где рассказал о своей любви, и подписал его «Твой Валентин». Прочитано оно было уже после того, как его казнили.

Впоследствии, как христианский мученик, пострадавший за веру, Валентин был канонизирован католической церковью. А в 496 году римский Папа Геласиус (Pope Gelasius I) объявил 14 февраля Днем святого Валентина.

С 1969 года в результате реформы богослужения святой Валентин был изъят из литургического календаря католической церкви (вместе с прочими римскими святыми, сведения о жизни которых противоречивы и недостоверны). Впрочем, и до 1969 года церковь не одобряла и не поддерживала традиций празднования этого дня.

Так ли это было или иначе, но, по всей видимости, именно оттуда повелось писать в День святого Валентина любовные записки — «валентинки». А еще в этот праздник любят устраивать свадьбы и венчаться. Считается, что это станет залогом вечной любви.

В Западной Европе День святого Валентина стал широко отмечаться с 13 века, в США — с 1777 года.

Традиция дарить в этот день подарки крепла с каждым годом и для некоторых стала достаточно успешным бизнесом. Например, в начале прошлого века у американцев было принято посылать своим невестам марципаны, которые были довольно дороги.

В Японии традиция дарить в этот день сладкое появилась с подачи одной крупной фирмы по производству шоколада. Там начали праздновать День святого Валентина в 30-е годы, и до сих пор шоколад остается самым распространенным подарком. Кстати, там День святого Валентина слегка напоминает «8 Марта для мужчин», так как японские мужчины получают, пожалуй, даже больше подарков, чем женщины: мужские аксессуары типа бритвы, лосьона, бумажника и так далее.

У страстных французов же в День святого Валентина принято дарить драгоценности, а в романтичной Дании люди посылают друг другу засушенные белые цветы.

В Британии незамужние девушки 14 февраля встают до восхода солнца, становятся возле окна и смотрят на проходящих мужчин. Согласно поверью, первый мужчина, которого они увидят, и есть суженый.

Но есть в мире некоторые страны, которые особенно отличились в праздновании Дня святого Валентина. В первую очередь это Саудовская Аравия, которая является единственной в мире страной, где этот праздник… официально запрещен, причем, под страхом больших штрафов.

На Руси был свой праздник влюбленных, вот только отмечался он не зимой, а летом, и был был связан с легендарной историей любви Петра и Февронии. Сегодня в России в этот день отмечается официальный праздник Всероссийский день семьи, любви и верности.

Кадр из фильма «День Святого Валентина»

День Святого Валентина считается большим праздником в англоговорящих странах, совсем недавно стали праздновать его в Европе и у нас в стране. В этой статье вы сможете познакомиться с историей праздника, его традициями, а так же выучите несколько полезных слов из английской лексики на тему романтики.

История Дня Святого Валентина

Этот день на английском называется Valentine’s Day, Saint Valentine’s Day, February 14-th. Согласно легенде, святой Валентин тайком от римского императора Клавдия II женил влюбленные пары. Император считал, что солдаты, у которых нет жен и семьи, сражаются намного лучше, чем их женатые коллеги. Такое неповиновение со стороны Валентина закончилось смертной казнью. Считается, что сама казнь состоялась 14 февраля. Более того, до смерти Валентин успел влюбиться в дочку тюремщика и даже признаться ей в своих чувствах в записке, подписав ее «Твой Валентин». Она прочитала это послание только после его смерти. Эта самая открытка и стала прототипом современной Валентинки.

Английский словарь по тексту:

Святой на английском saint, легенда — legend. Свадьба по-английски — wedding, а жениться или выходить замуж — get married. Execution переводится как «казнь».

Подарки на День Всех Влюбленных

Вручение gifts (это подарки на английском) — обязательная традиция праздника. Чаще всего молодые люди дарят своим дамам букеты цветов (bouquet of flowers). В Европе и Америке в этот день можно купить цветы и в магазине, и вдоль дорог, и заказать через интернет. Есть опции для самого разного бюджета.

Interesting fact! Если вы закажите цветы в США, то не удивляйтесь, когда букет придет вместе с вазой (vase).

Многие пары пишут друг другу признания в любви на открытках (Valentine’s card). Некоторые идут немного дальше и вкладывают в такую открытку любовные купоны (love coupons). Такой купон — своеобразное письменное обещание, которые вы выполните для своего партнера. (К примеру, помыть посуду, сделать массаж и т.д.).

Ни один подарок не может обойтись без чего-то сладенького. Коробки конфет (box of chocolates), конфетки (candies), шоколад (chocolate) — все это можно в изобилии найти на полке любого магазина. Конечно же, все дары шоколадной фабрики должны быть в форме сердца (heart shape), без этого их шансы на покупку сильно уменьшаются.

Во многих странах возлюбленным дарят еще и воздушные шары (ballons). Они тоже обязательно должны быть в форме сердца и обещать вечную любовь. Некоторые молодые люди покупают своим девушкам (girlfriends) мягкие игрушки. На английском такие игрушки называют stuffed toy, cuddly toys, plush toys, plushies, snuggies, stuffies, snuggled animals, stuffed animals, soft toys. Чаще всего на 14 февраля в почете мишки (teddy bears). Некоторые американцы могут сокращать teddy bear до просто teddy. Но тут стоит быть внимательным, так как teddy в определенном контексте может означать женское нижнее белье.

Если у вас серьезные отношения, то подарком на День Всех Влюбленных могут стать драгоценности (jewelry). Перед этим праздником в каждом почтовом ящике и по каждому телевизору идет столько рекламы колец, сережек и кулонов, что нужно обладать незаурядной силой воли, чтобы не купить что-нибудь этакое своей возлюбленной. Кстати, если вы собираетесь на этот праздник подарить именно ювелирные украшения, то мы рекомендуем вам ознакомиться с нашей статьей на эту тему.

Английская лексика для свиданий

Итак, вас пригласили на свидание (date). Скорее всего, на Valentine’s day вы пойдете в какой-нибудь уютный ресторан (cosy restaurant). Там вы не только насладитесь хорошим ужином (dinner), но и возможно даже выпьете вина (wine) или шампанского (sparkling wine, champagne, bubbly).
Зачастую после такого хорошего ужина пара идет в кино. Но не на ужастик (horror movie) или боевик (action movie, thriller), а на романтическую комедию (romantic comedy).

Конечно, есть масса менее стандартных вариантов для свидания. К примеру, сходить в планетарий (planetarium) или уехать в небольшую романтическую поездку (romantic getaway). Некоторые пары снимают номер в отеле или заказывают себе сеанс парного массажа (couple’s massage).

Как и любой праздник, День Святого Валентина не может обойтись без вечеринок (party). Плюс такого времяпрепровождения в том, что так праздником могут наслаждаться и парочки (couples), и одиночки (singles). Иногда те, кто остался один на этот праздник, устраивают свои вечеринки только для «холостых». Не удивительно, что на общем разочаровании любовной жизнью, иногда возникают самые крепкие из пар.

Более подробную лексику по свиданиям вы можете получить, перейдя по ссылке.

В нашей стране многие пары не отмечают День Святого Валентина. Но не обязательно идти в ресторан или бронировать поездку куда-то далеко. Иногда шоколадка и искреннее признание в любви дарит такие же незабываемые эмоции, как и самые дорогие цветы в шикарном отеле.

Признавайтесь в любви с помощью английских идиом, которые вы найдете в этой статье.

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День Влюбленных стал поистине международным праздником, который давно отмечают не только в англоязычных странах. Каждый вносит в этот праздник что-то от себя: новые традиции, необычные способы поздравить и порадовать любимых. Пройдите новый урок английского по теме Valentine’s Day, узнайте, как празднуют этот день в разных точках мира, и возьмите на заметку способы порадовать близкого человека сегодня и в другие дни года!

Happy Valentine’s Day!

About the festival / О празднике

The 14th of February is St. Valentine’s Day, a holiday which is celebrated by loving couples in different countries. Each year on St. Valentine’s Day, people give valentine cards, candies and chocolate, flowers and other gifts to their friends and lovers. Loving couples like to celebrate this day in a romantic restaurant.	14 февраля — День Святого Валентина, праздник, который отмечают влюбленные в разных уголках мира. Каждый год в этот день друзья и влюбленные обмениваются валентинками, дарят друг другу сладости, цветы и другие подарки. Влюбленным парам нравится отмечать этот день в романтических ресторанах.
Hearts, roses and cupids are popular symbols of Valentine’s Day. This symbol of cupid comes from ancient Roman times. Cupid was the son of the love goddess, Venus. He was a playful child who flew around shooting love arrows into people’s hearts, making them fall in love.	Популярные символы Дня Святого Валентина – сердце, розы и Купидон. Символ Купидона берет истоки еще со времен Римской Империи. Купидон — сын богини любви Венеры. Этот игривый ребенок летал и пускал любовные стрелы в сердца людей, заставляя влюбляться друг в друга.
There are different legends about the origins of Valentine’s Day. Let’s discuss the most famous of them.	Существует множество историй о возникновении праздника. Мы обратимся к двум самым известным.

According to the 1st legend during the times of Roman Empire, the Romans celebrated the festival of Lupercalia in the middle of February. This festival was in honor of the god, Lupercus, keeper of the crops and farm animals. As time passed, the Romans began to honor another god during this festival. Her name was Juno, goddess of women and marriage.	По первой легенде во времена Римской Империи римляне отмечали фестиваль луперкалии в середине февраля. Он проводился в честь бога урожая и стада Луперкалия. Спустя некоторое время римляне чествовали другую богиню во время фестиваля — Юнону, богиню женщин и брака.
During this festival, all of the young women in a village wrote their names on a piece of paper and drop them into a special box. Then every young man took a paper from the box and the woman whose name he had chosen would become his sweetheart. Since those days, mid-February has been remembered as a special time for love.	Во время фестиваля все молодые девушки деревни писали свои имена на маленьких записках и опускали в специальную коробку. Затем каждый молодой человек доставал записку из коробки и таким образом узнавал имя своей возлюбленной. С тех пор середина февраля считается особенным временем для любви.

According to the 2nd legend, the Emperor Claudius wanted to have a strong army consisted of unmarried men. He thought they would defend their emperor better. But young men didn’t want to leave their families to fight emperor’s wars, so Claudius prohibited them to marry. A priest named Valentinus lived in Rome at that time and he felt sorry for the young people, so he decided to marry them secretly.

Согласно второй легенде римскому императору Клавдию II требовалась сильная армия, состоящая из неженатых мужчин. Он считал, что они могли лучше защищать своего императора. Но женатые мужчины не желали покидать семьи, чтобы участвовать в императорских войнах, поэтому Клавдий запретил им жениться. Живущий в то время в Риме священник Валентин сочувствовал молодым парам, поэтому стал женить их тайно.

Soon Claudius found that out and put Valentinus in prison. He was sentenced to death. While in jail, Valentinus fell in love with a jail’s daughter. She was blind, but Valentinus managed to cure her (he had some special abilities to do that). The girl brought him food and left paper messages. The night before his execution, Valentinus wrote the last note to his love and signed it with “Your Valentine”. Valentinus was executed on the 14th of February.

Вскоре императору стало известно об этом, Валентина отправили в тюрьму и приговорили к смертной казни. В тюрьме он влюбился в дочь тюремщика. Девушка была слепой, но Валентин излечил ее (у него был особый дар). Девушка приносила любимому еду и оставляла записки. В ночь перед казнью Валентин написал своей любимой прощальную записку и подписался «Твой Валентин». Валентина казнили 14 февраля.

Japan / Япония

In Japan women give chocolate to their sweethearts. They give giri-choco chocolate to friends and close relatives. Hon-mei chocolate is given to boyfriends and husbands. In turn on the White Day (the 14th of March) men give white chocolate to their women.

В Японии девушки и женщины дарят любимым шоколад. Вид шоколада giri-choco они дарят друзьям и близким родственникам. Шоколад hon-mei дарят молодым людям и мужьям. В свою очередь 14 марта, в Белый день, мужчины дарят белый шоколад дамам.

Great Britain / Великобритания

British people honor Saint Valentine by writing verses about love and giving each other presents in the form of a heart. In all parts of Britain Valentine’s Day is celebrated according to that tradition and newspapers publish love lyrics.

В Великобритании чтят святого Валентина, сочиняя стихи о любви и даря подарки в форме сердца. Во всех уголках Великобритании день влюбленных отмечают традиционно, а газеты публикуют лирические стихи о любви.

Australia / Австралия

One interesting story is connected with Australia, where Valentine’s Day is very popular. During the gold rush in Australia, miners from Ballarat had found a huge amount of gold and became rich. They could have ordered splendid valentine cards that cost thousands of dollars. Nowadays Australians celebrate Valentine’s Day as everybody does in the world. According to statistics men there buy more valentine cards then women do. They seem to be more romantic too.

Интересная история связана с Австралией, где день Святого Валентина очень популярен. Во время золотой лихорадки, горняки города Балларат нашли огромное количество золота и разбогатели. Они смогли позволить заказывать шикарные валентинки стоимостью в несколько тысяч долларов. Современные жители Австралии отмечают праздник так же, как и во всем мире. По статистике, мужчины здесь покупают больше валентинок, чем женщины. Похоже, они более романтичны.

Finland / Финляндия

In Finland they celebrate Friendship Day instead of Valentine’s Day. People also exchange valentine cards (each year Finnish people send about 5 million cards), candies and gifts as people do in other countries. Friendship Day is the next popular holiday in Finland after New Year’s Day and Christmas.

В Финляндии вместо Дня влюбленных празднуют День дружбы. Люди обмениваются валентинками (каждый год финны отправляют около 5 миллионов открыток), сладостями и подарками, как и люди других стран. День друзей — следующий по популярности праздник Финляндии после Нового года и Рождества.

France / Франция

French people have been celebrating Valentine’s Day for a long time. The traditional gift is jewelry, but also candies, lottery tickets, romantic trips, artificial flowers… On that day, French people congratulate not only their love but also their close relatives and friends.

Французы давно празднуют День Валентина. Традиционные подарки — украшения, сладости, лотерейные билеты, романтические путешествия, искусственные цветы…. В этот день французы поздравляют не только вторую половинку, но и близких родственников и друзей.

Vocabulary / Словарь

holiday праздник celebrate отмечать couple пара valentine card валентинка heart сердце candy конфета gift подарок Cupid Купидон ancient древний god бог goddess богиня Venus Венера shoot стрелять an arrow стрела fall in love влюбляться origins истоки according to в соответствии с middle середина in honor of в честь crop урожай sweetheart возлюбленный(ая)

emperor император consist of состоять из defend защищать prohibit запрещать priest священник jail тюрьма cure исцелять in turn в свою очередь write verses писать стихи miner шахтер huge огромный cost стоить exchange обмениваться friendship дружба jewelry украшение artificial искусственный date свидание embarrassed смущенный to court ухаживать spouse супруг(а) bouquet букет

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Questions / Вопросы

1. Who celebrates Valentine’s Day?
2. What are the symbols of Valentine’s Day?
3. What do people exchange on Valentine’s Day?
4. How do couples usually celebrate Valentine’s Day?
5. Who is Cupid?
6. Who is Valentinus?
7. Why was Valentinus put in jail?
8. Why didn’t Emperor Claudius want young men to marry?
9. How did Valentinus help the jailer’s daughter?
10. What was the first valentine card?
11. What is Lupercalia?
12. How do people celebrate Valentine’s Day in Japan?
13. What Australian story is connected with Valentine’s Day?
14. What country celebrates Friendship Day?
15. How do people celebrate Valentine’s Day in Britain and in France?

Quotes / Цитаты

What lies behind us, and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us. (Ralph Waldo Emerson)	То, что позади нас и то, что впереди нас – ничто, по сравнению с тем, что внутри нас. (Ральф Вальдо Эмерсон)
Friendship is Love without wings! (Lord Byron)	Дружба – это любовь без крыльев! (Лорд Байрон)
Gravitation is not responsible for people falling in love. (Albert Einstein)	Гравитация не несет ответственности за влюбленных. (Альберт Эйнштейн)
Love conquers all. (Virgil)	Любовь побеждает все. (Вергилий)
One is loved because one is loved. No reason is needed for loving. (Paulo Coelho)	Любят потому, что любят. Для любви нет причины. (Пауло Коэльо)
A successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always with the same person. (Mignon McLaughlin)	Чтобы брак был счастливым, нужно влюбляться много раз, всегда в одного и того же человека. (Миньон МакЛафлин)
Chains do not hold a marriage together. It is threads, hundreds of tiny threads which sew people together through the years. (Simone Signoret)	Не цепи держат брак, а тысячи крошечных нитей, которые сшивают людей вместе многие годы подряд. (Симона Синьоре)

When marrying, ask yourself this question: Do you believe that you will be able to converse well with this person into your old age? Everything else in marriage is transitory. (Friedrich Nietzsche)	Прежде чем вступать в брак, задайте себе вопрос: Верите ли вы, что сможете хорошо общаться с этим человеком до старости? Остальное в браке преходяще. (Фридрих Ницше)
Where there’s marriage without love, there will be love without marriage. (Benjamin Franklin)	Пока есть брак без любви, всегда будет любовь без брака. (Бенджамин Франклин)
Tell me who admires you and loves you, and I will tell you who you are. (Charles Augustin Sainte-Beuve)	Скажи мне, кто восхищается тобой и любит тебя, и я скажу кто ты. (Шарль Огюстен Сент-Бев)
When you love someone, you love the person as they are, and not as you’d like them to be. (Leo Tolstoy)	Когда ты любишь кого-то, ты любишь его таким, какой он есть, а не таким каким бы ты хотел его видеть. (Лев Толстой)
You come to love not by finding the perfect person, but by learning to see an imperfect person perfectly. (Sam Keen)	Любовь приходит не тогда, когда находишь идеального партнера, а тогда, когда научишься идеально видеть неидеального. (Сэм Кин)
In dreams and in love there are no impossibilities. (Janos Arnay)	В мечтах и любви нет ничего невозможного. (Джанос Арнай)
True love stories never have endings. (Richard Bach)	Настоящие истории любви никогда не заканчиваются. (Ричард Бах)

The best and most beautiful things in this world cannot be seen or even heard, but must be felt with the heart. (Helen Keller)	Самые прекрасные вещи в этом мире нельзя увидеть или услышать, но можно почувствовать сердцем. (Хелен Келлер)
It takes a moment to tell someone you love them, but it takes a lifetime to prove it. (Erich Fromm)	Чтобы признаться в любви нужна секунда, чтобы доказать это – нужна целая жизнь. (Эрик Фромм)
Love is that condition in which the happiness of another person is essential to your own. (Robert Heinlein)	Любовь это такое состояние, когда счастье другого человека является необходимым условием твоего собственного. (Роберт Хайнлайн)
If you have love, you don’t need to have anything else. If you don’t have it, it doesn’t matter much what else you have. (James Barrie)	Если у тебя есть любовь, то тебе больше ничего не нужно. Если у тебя ее нет, то не слишком важно, что еще у тебя есть. (Джеймс Барри)
Love is not a matter of counting the years… But making the years count. (Michelle Amand)	Любить, это не значит считать года… это значит придавать им смысл. (Мишель Аманд)
He’s more myself than I am. Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same. (Emily Bronte)	Он больше я, чем я сама. Из чего бы не были сделаны наши души, его и моя состоят из одного вещества. (Эмили Бронте)

Poems / Стихи

Valentines so bright and gay,
I’ll be sending out today,
With the message, «I love you;»
Hoping that you love me, too!

* * *

Sing a song of snowflakes,
Secrets in the air,
Valentines are coming,
Hiding everywhere.
Some are red and
Some are pink and
Some are soft and blue,
Some are in the mailbox
On their way to you.

* * *

«Among the winter’s chilly days
Comes one in February,
When young and old send valentines
To make each other merry.

* * *

When Valentine’s Day comes around,
I’ll run right out to see-eee,
If any one of you has left
A valentine for me!

Gifts / Подарки

1 Важный элемент гардероба

Подарки для мужчины делать проще, чем девушки, ведь для сильного пола важен стиль и практичность. Для ценителя своего время подойдут новомодные часы со множеством функций. Они оснащены всеми необходимыми для настоящего мужчины приспособлениями: секундомером, тремя циферблатами с индикатором, полированным корпусом и минеральным стеклом и даже водонепроницаемы!

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2 Тем, кто следит за собой

Если вы хотите вручить своему мужчине полезный подарок, который точно не будет лежать без дела, то бритва — лучший выбор. Если только ваша половинка не отращивает бороду, как викинг! Но большинство мужчин все же предпочитают удалять с лица лишние волосы, поэтому качественный набор для бритья просто необходим! К нему можно добавить еще пену или гель, чтобы бритье было комфортным.

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3 Лекарство от грусти

Мягкие игрушки любят не все девушки, но выход из этой ситуации все же есть. Практичным дамам, которые не любят у себя дома пылесборники, можно подарить вот такую очаровательную подушку-антистресс. От такого подарка трудно отказаться — он милый, полезный и магическим способом поможет отлично снять напряжение! Это идеальный выбор для того, чтобы подарить своей половинке хорошее настроение на целый день.

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4 Для тепла и уюта

Этот подарок просто идеально подходит любой девушке! Уютный набор плед + кружка — отличный вариант для холодных февральских вечеров перед телевизором, совсем как в романтических мелодрамах. Этот сюрприз автоматически сделает мужчину заботливым, нежным и чутким спутником жизни, который беспокоится о комфорте своей возлюбленной.

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5 Важные детали

Если парочка живет вместе, можно сделать роскошный подарок, который подойдет сразу для двоих. Банально, но это комплект постельного белья! Конечно, речь идет не об уютных семейных наборах со спокойными узорами. Дарить нужно страстно-красный, волнующий комплект, который не только станет украшением вашей спальни, но и разбудит тайные желания.

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6 Игры только для двоих

Для того, чтобы разнообразить свои романтические отношения, можно подарить игровой набор для влюбленных In Love. Эта увлекательная игра предназначена только для двоих и настроит кого угодно на игривое настроение. Отличный выбор для 14 февраля — игра поможет провести вечер вдвоем и узнать друг друга получше. Причем игра подходит как для влюбленных пар, так и для супругов, которые уже не один год вместе!

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Tips to celebrate St. Valentine’s Day

1. Give your lover a dozen of roses and do it with a creative twist.
2. Give eleven red roses and one white rose. Attach a note that reads: «In every bunch there’s one who stands out and you are that one.»
3. Write him a little love note. Insert it into the book he’s reading.
4. Record mix CDs. It can be your favorite songs as a couple or some personal favorites.
5. Make a photo album or a scrapbook. It can be a book of memories or your favorite pictures and reminders of your relationship.
6. Make a Homemade Valentine card instead of buying one. Use different items to do this.
7. No time or too lazy to wrap those gifts? Buy fancy bags and pre-decorated boxes for presents.

Узнайте больше о легендах, традициях и интересных фактах Дня Святого Валентина, как весело отметить праздник и что дарить близким, продолжив чтение здесь.

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Valentine’s Day occurs every February 14. Across the United States and in other places around the world, candy, flowers and gifts are exchanged between loved ones, all in the name of St. Valentine. But who is this mysterious saint and where did these traditions come from? Find out about the meaning and history of Valentine’s Day, from the ancient Roman ritual of Lupercalia that welcomed spring to the card-giving customs of Victorian England.

WATCH: 7 Things You Didn’t Know About Valentine’s Day

The Legend of St. Valentine

Where did Valentine’s Day originate from? The history of the holiday—and the story of its patron saint—is shrouded in mystery. We do know that February has long been celebrated as a month of romance, and that St. Valentine’s Day, as we know it today, contains vestiges of both Christian and ancient Roman tradition. But who was Saint Valentine, and how did he become associated with this ancient rite?

READ MORE: Who Was the Real St. Valentine?

The Catholic Church recognizes at least three different saints named Valentine or Valentinus, all of whom were martyred. One legend contends that Valentine was a priest who served during the third century in Rome. When Emperor Claudius II decided that single men made better soldiers than those with wives and families, he outlawed marriage for young men. Valentine, realizing the injustice of the decree, defied Claudius and continued to perform marriages for young lovers in secret. When Valentine’s actions were discovered, Claudius ordered that he be put to death. Still others insist that it was Saint Valentine of Terni, a bishop, who was the true namesake of the holiday. He, too, was beheaded by Claudius II outside Rome.

Other stories suggest that Valentine may have been killed for attempting to help Christians escape harsh Roman prisons, where they were often beaten and tortured. According to one legend, an imprisoned Valentine actually sent the first “valentine” greeting himself after he fell in love with a young girl—possibly his jailor’s daughter—who visited him during his confinement. Before his death, it is alleged that he wrote her a letter signed “From your Valentine,” an expression that is still in use today. Although the truth behind the Valentine legends is murky, the stories all emphasize his appeal as a sympathetic, heroic and—most importantly—romantic figure. By the Middle Ages, perhaps thanks to this reputation, Valentine would become one of the most popular saints in England and France.

Origins of Valentine’s Day: A Pagan Festival in February

While some believe that Valentine’s Day is celebrated in the middle of February to commemorate the anniversary of Valentine’s death or burial—which probably occurred around A.D. 270—others claim that the Christian church may have decided to place St. Valentine’s feast day in the middle of February in an effort to “Christianize” the pagan celebration of Lupercalia. Celebrated at the ides of February, or February 15, Lupercalia was a fertility festival dedicated to Faunus, the Roman god of agriculture, as well as to the Roman founders Romulus and Remus.

To begin the festival, members of the Luperci, an order of Roman priests, would gather at a sacred cave where the infants Romulus and Remus, the founders of Rome, were believed to have been cared for by a she-wolf or lupa. The priests would sacrifice a goat, for fertility, and a dog, for purification. They would then strip the goat’s hide into strips, dip them into the sacrificial blood and take to the streets, gently slapping both women and crop fields with the goat hide. Far from being fearful, Roman women welcomed the touch of the hides because it was believed to make them more fertile in the coming year. Later in the day, according to legend, all the young women in the city would place their names in a big urn. The city’s bachelors would each choose a name and become paired for the year with his chosen woman. These matches often ended in marriage.

READ MORE: 6 Surprising Facts About St. Valentine

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Valentine’s Day Meaning: A Day of Romance and Love

Lupercalia survived the initial rise of Christianity but was outlawed—as it was deemed “un-Christian”—at the end of the 5th century, when Pope Gelasius declared February 14 St. Valentine’s Day. It was not until much later, however, that the day became definitively associated with love. During the Middle Ages, it was commonly believed in France and England that February 14 was the beginning of birds’ mating season, which added to the idea that the middle of Valentine’s Day should be a day for romance. The English poet Geoffrey Chaucer was the first to record St. Valentine’s Day as a day of romantic celebration in his 1375 poem “Parliament of Foules,” writing, ““For this was sent on Seynt Valentyne’s day / Whan every foul cometh ther to choose his mate.”

Valentine greetings were popular as far back as the Middle Ages, though written Valentine’s didn’t begin to appear until after 1400. The oldest known valentine still in existence today was a poem written in 1415 by Charles, Duke of Orleans, to his wife while he was imprisoned in the Tower of London following his capture at the Battle of Agincourt. (The greeting is now part of the manuscript collection of the British Library in London, England.) Several years later, it is believed that King Henry V hired a writer named John Lydgate to compose a valentine note to Catherine of Valois.

READ MORE: Momentous Kisses Through History

Who Is Cupid?

Cupid is often portrayed on Valentine’s Day cards as a naked cherub launching arrows of love at unsuspecting lovers. But the Roman God Cupid has his roots in Greek mythology as the Greek god of love, Eros. Accounts of his birth vary; some say he is the son of Nyx and Erebus; others, of Aphrodite and Ares; still others suggest he is the son of Iris and Zephyrus or even Aphrodite and Zeus (who would have been both his father and grandfather).

According to the Greek Archaic poets, Eros was a handsome immortal played with the emotions of Gods and men, using golden arrows to incite love and leaden ones to sow aversion. It wasn’t until the Hellenistic period that he began to be portrayed as the mischievous, chubby child he’d become on Valentine’s Day cards.

READ MORE: How Cupid Came to Represent Love 

Typical Valentine’s Day Greetings and Gifts

In addition to the United States, Valentine’s Day is celebrated in Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, France and Australia. In Great Britain, Valentine’s Day began to be popularly celebrated around the 17th century. 

By the middle of the 18th, it was common for friends and lovers of all social classes to exchange small tokens of affection or handwritten notes, and by 1900 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.

Americans probably began exchanging hand-made valentines in the early 1700s. In the 1840s, Esther A. Howland began selling the first mass-produced valentines in America. Howland, known as the “Mother of the Valentine,” made elaborate creations with real lace, ribbons and colorful pictures known as “scrap.” Today, according to the Greeting Card Association, an estimated 145 million Valentine’s Day cards are sent each year, making Valentine’s Day the second largest card-sending holiday of the year (more cards are sent at Christmas). 

READ MORE: Victorian-Era Valentines Could Be Mean and Hostile

Whether you love Valentine’s Day or hate it, one thing’s clear: Valentine’s Day history goes way back. And while Valentine’s Day is now known for kissing, Valentine’s Day gifts, and hard-to-get dinner reservations, the origins of the holiday are far less romantic. Here, the Valentine’s Day history that wouldn’t make it into a rom-com, featuring a saint, a massacre, and even the sinful nuns of Valentine’s Day (seriously!).

When is Valentine’s Day?

First, a quick refresher: Valentine’s Day always falls on February 14. Valentine’s Day 2023 is Monday, February 14, and Valentine’s Day 2022 fell on a Monday. (For those wanting to make big plans, Valentine’s Day 2024 will be Wednesday, February 14.)

At the end of the 5th century, Pope Gelasius declared February 14 St. Valentine’s Day, and since then, February 14th has been a day of celebration—though it was generally more religious than romantic.

How did Valentine’s Day start?

Valentine’s Day is a fixed day on the calendar that got lumped into a mid-February holiday on the ancient Roman calendar called Lupercalia—which some historians believe is what led to Valentine’s Day being all about love. Lupercalia celebrated fertility, and may have included a ritual in which men and women were paired off by choosing names from a jar. In Ancient Greece, people observed a mid-winter celebration for the marriage of the god Zeus and the goddess Hera.

Why is Valentine’s Day celebrated on February 14th?

In general, early Christians often opted to celebrate holidays on days that coincide with existing festivals and celebrations (like Christmas and winter solstice), so they placed Valentine’s Day on February 14th, while Lupercalia was celebrated on February 15th.

Who was Saint Valentine? (And what does he have to do with chocolate hearts?)

Not much, it turns out. St. Valentine’s Day was a feast day in the Catholic religion, added to the liturgical calendar around 500 AD. The day was commemorated for martyred saints named—you guessed it—Valentine. Differing legends celebrate three different saints called Valentine or Valentinus, but since very little was known about these men and there were conflicting reports of the St. Valentine Day story, the feast day was removed from the Christian liturgical calendar in 1969.

But even though not much is known about the real history of the Saint Valentines on whom the holiday is based, the legend of Saint Valentine has several tellings. One legend says that Saint Valentine refused to convert to paganism and was executed by Roman Emperor Claudius II. Prior to his execution, he was able to miraculously heal the daughter of his jailer, who then converted to Christianity along with his family. Another legend says a bishop called Saint Valentine of Terni is the true namesake of the holiday; this Saint Valentine was also executed.

But according to others—and this is how Saint Valentine became affiliated with a love-focused holiday—Saint Valentine was a Roman priest who performed weddings for soldiers forbidden to marry, because of a Roman emperor’s edict decreeing married soldiers did not make good warriors and thus young men could not marry. This Saint Valentine wore a ring with a Cupid on it—a symbol of love—that helped soldiers recognize him. And, in a precursor to greeting cards, he handed out paper hearts to remind Christians of their love for God.

Because of this legend, Saint Valentine became known as the patron saint of love. The Saint Valentine prayer asks Saint Valentine to connect lovers together, so that two become one, and the couple remembers their devotion to God.

While the Saint Valentine story set the groundwork for establishing the day as a holiday for romantic love, what truly solidified the connection between Saint Valentine and love was a poem by medieval author Geoffrey Chaucer in 1381, which historians consider the origin of the «modern» celebration of Valentine’s Day, where we celebrate our romantic partnership with one other person.

Why do we celebrate Valentine’s Day?

Chaucer lived in the Middle Ages, the era of courtly love, when broad, romantic statements of devotion—poems, songs, paintings—celebrated partnership. By the end of the 15th century, the word «valentine» was being used to describe a lover in poems and songs of the day, and in the 18th century, a book called The Young Man’s Valentine Writer was published in England. By the mid-19th century, mass-produced paper Valentine’s Cards were being created (though DIY Valentine card ideas are still worth trying), and Valentine’s Day as we know it was born.

The truth about Valentine’s Day history is that the romantic holiday isn’t immune to tragedy. During Prohibition in Chicago, seven men were killed by a gang organized by Al Capone on Feb. 14, 1929. The Valentine’s Day Massacre became a flashpoint in Prohibition history, with police and lawmakers going after the gangs and mobs that had formed in cities to control then-illegal substances like alcohol.

What is Galentine’s Day, and how is it related to Valentine’s Day?

A modern (and fun!) take on Valentine’s Day, Galentine’s Day seems to have been popularized by Amy Poehler’s character Leslie Knope on Parks and Recreation. It’s a day to celebrate the friends that you love. It’s celebrated on February 13 (leaving you plenty of time to celebrate your mate on official Valentine’s Day the following day). Galentine’s Day gifts have become a nice way to celebrate the people who mean so much to you.

Is Valentine’s Day a holiday?

While many people celebrate Valentine’s Day in all kinds of different ways, it’s no longer an official Catholic holiday—and unfortunately for all the romantics out there, it’s not an official bank holiday or day off (though you can always take the day off for a special day with your significant other!).

What is the meaning of Valentine’s Day?

Over the years (and centuries), Valentine’s Day has been a religious celebration, an ancient ritual day, and a commercial holiday. All that change means the meaning of Valentine’s Day is truly whatever you want it to be: You can skip the celebrations completely, buy yourself some chocolate or flowers, or express your love and appreciation for the people in your life, whether they’re co-workers, romantic partners, friends, or family members.

What are some fun things to do for Valentine’s Day?

You can celebrate the day of love however you want—even if it’s just through self-love. Some ideas that could inspire you:

• Plan a nice dinner out

• Watch a romantic movie (at the theater or cozy at home)

• Cook up a fancy romantic meal at home (or just a great Valentine’s Day dessert)

• Host a Valentine’s Day party

• Do some fun Valentine’s crafts with your family

Valentine’s Day or Saint Valentine’s Day is a holiday celebrated on February 14 by many people throughout the world. In the English-speaking countries, it is the traditional day on which lovers express their love for each other by sending Valentine’s cards, presenting flowers, or offering confectionery. The holiday is named after two among the numerous Early Christian martyrs named Valentine. The day became associated romantic love in the circle of Geoffrey Chaucer in the High Middle Ages, when the tradition of courtly love flourished.

The day is most closely associated with the mutual exchange of love notes in the form of «valentines». Modern Valentine symbols include the heart-shaped outline, doves, and the figure of the winged Cupid. Since the 19th century, handwritten notes have largely given way to mass-produced greeting cards.^[1] The sending of Valentines was a fashion in nineteenth-century England, and, in 1847, Esther Howland developed a successful business in her Worcester, Massachusetts home with hand-made Valentine cards based on British models. The popularity of Valentine cards in 19th century America, where many Valentine cards are now general greeting cards rather than declarations of love, was a harbinger of the future commercialization of holidays in the United States.^[2]

The U.S. Greeting Card Association estimates that approximately one billion valentines are sent each year worldwide, making the day the second largest card-sending holiday of the year, behind Christmas. The association estimates that, in the US, men spend on average twice as much money as women.^[3]

Saint Valentine

Numerous early Christian martyrs were named Valentine.^[4] The Valentines honored on February 14 are Valentine of Rome (Valentinus presb. m. Romae) and Valentine of Terni (Valentinus ep. Interamnensis m. Romae).^[5] Valentine of Rome^[6] was a priest in Rome who suffered martyrdom about 269 CE and was buried on the Via Flaminia. His relics are at the Church of Saint Praxed in Rome.^[7] and at Whitefriar Street Carmelite Church in Dublin, Ireland.

Valentine of Terni^[8] became bishop of Interamna (modern Terni) about 197 CE and is said to have been killed during the persecution of Emperor Aurelian. He is also buried on the Via Flaminia, but in a different location than Valentine of Rome. His relics are at the Basilica of Saint Valentine in Terni (Basilica di San Valentino).^[9]

The Catholic Encyclopedia also speaks of a third saint named Valentine who was mentioned in early martyrologies under date of February 14. He was martyred in Africa with a number of companions, but nothing more is known about him.^[10]

No romantic elements are present in the original early medieval biographies of either of these martyrs. By the time a Saint Valentine became linked to romance in the fourteenth century, distinctions between Valentine of Rome and Valentine of Terni were utterly lost.^[11]

In the 1969 revision of the Roman Catholic Calendar of Saints, the feastday of Saint Valentine on February 14 was removed from the General Roman Calendar and relegated to particular (local or even national) calendars for the following reason: «Though the memorial of Saint Valentine is ancient, it is left to particular calendars, since, apart from his name, nothing is known of Saint Valentine except that he was buried on the Via Flaminia on February 14.»^[12] The feast day is still celebrated in Balzan (Malta) where relics of the saint are claimed to be found, and also throughout the world by Traditionalist Catholics who follow the older, pre-Vatican II calendar.

The Early Medieval acta of either Saint Valentine were excerpted by Bede and briefly expounded in Legenda Aurea.^[13] According to that version, St Valentine was persecuted as a Christian and interrogated by Roman Emperor Claudius II in person. Claudius was impressed by Valentine and had a discussion with him, attempting to get him to convert to Roman paganism in order to save his life. Valentine refused and tried to convert Claudius to Christianity instead.He was executed as a result. Before his execution, he is reported to have performed a miracle by healing the blind daughter of his jailer.

Legenda Aurea still providing no connections whatsoever with sentimental love, appropriate lore has been embroidered in modern times to portray Valentine as a priest who refused an unattested law attributed to Roman Emperor Claudius II, allegedly ordering that young men remain single. The Emperor supposedly did this to grow his army, believing that married men did not make for good soldiers. The priest Valentine, however, secretly performed marriage ceremonies for young men. When Claudius found out about this, he had Valentine arrested and thrown in jail. In a widely repeated embellishment to The Golden Legend, before Valentine was to be executed, he wrote the first «valentine» himself, addressed to a young girl variously identified as his beloved,^[14] as the jailer’s daughter whom he had befriended and healed,^[15] or both. It was a note that read «From your Valentine.»^[14]

Attested traditions

Lupercalia

Though popular modern sources link unspecified Greco-Roman February holidays alleged to be devoted to fertility and love to St Valentine’s Day, Professor Jack Oruch of the University of Kansas argued^[16] that prior to Chaucer, no links between the Saints named Valentinus and romantic love existed. In the ancient Athenian calendar the period between mid-January and mid-February was the month of Gamelion, dedicated to the sacred marriage of Zeus and Hera.

In Ancient Rome, Lupercalia, observed February 13 through 15, was an archaic rite connected to fertility. Lupercalia was a festival local to the city of Rome. The more general Festival of Juno Februa, meaning «Juno the purifier «or «the chaste Juno,» was celebrated on February 13-14. Pope Gelasius I (492-496) abolished Lupercalia. Some historians argue that Candlemas (then held on February 14, later moved to February 2) was promoted as its replacement, but this feast was already being celebrated in Jerusalem by AD 381.

It is a common opinion that the Christian church may have decided to celebrate Valentine’s feast day in the middle of February in an effort to Christianize celebrations of the pagan Lupercalia, and that a commemorative feast was established in 496 by Pope Gelasius I, of those «… whose names are justly reverenced among men, but whose acts are known only to God,» among whom was Valentine, was set for the useful day. Alternatively, William M. Green argues that the Catholic Church could not abolish the deeply rooted Lupercalia festival, so the church set aside a day to honor the Virgin Mary.^[17]

Chaucer’s love birds

While some claim the first recorded association of Valentine’s Day with romantic love is in Parlement of Foules (1382) by Geoffrey Chaucer^[18] this may be the result of misinterpretation. Chaucer wrote:

Whan euery bryd comyth there to chese his make.

This poem was written to honor the first anniversary of the engagement of King Richard II of England to Anne of Bohemia.^[19] A treaty providing for a marriage was signed on May 2, 1381.^[20] (When they were married eight months later, he was 13 or 14, and she was 14.)

Readers have uncritically assumed that Chaucer was referring to February 14 as Valentine’s Day; however, mid-February is an unlikely time for birds to be mating in England. Henry Ansgar Kelly has pointed out^[21] that in the liturgical calendar, May 2 is the saints’ day for Valentine of Genoa. This St. Valentine was an early bishop of Genoa who died around AD 307.^[22]

Chaucer’s Parliament of Foules is set in a fictional context of an old tradition, but in fact there was no such tradition before Chaucer. The speculative explanation of sentimental customs, posing as historical fact, had their origins among eighteenth-century antiquaries, notably Alban Butler, the author of Butler’s Lives of Saints, and have been perpetuated even by respectable modern scholars. Most notably, «the idea that Valentine’s Day customs perpetuated those of the Roman Lupercalia has been accepted uncritically and repeated, in various forms, up to the present»^[23]

Medieval period and the English Renaissance

Using the language of the law courts for the rituals of courtly love, a «High Court of Love» was established in Paris on Valentine’s Day in 1400. The court dealt with love contracts, betrayals, and violence against women. Judges were selected by women on the basis of a poetry reading.^[24][25]
The earliest surviving valentine is a fifteenth-century rondeau written by Charles, Duke of Orleans to his «valentined» wife, which commences.

At the time, the duke was being held in the Tower of London following his capture at the Battle of Agincourt, 1415.^[27]

Valentine’s Day is mentioned ruefully by Ophelia in Hamlet (1600-1601):

Modern times

In 1797, a British publisher issued The Young Man’s Valentine Writer, which contained scores of suggested sentimental verses for the young lover unable to compose his own. Printers had already begun producing a limited number of cards with verses and sketches, called “mechanical valentines,” and a reduction in postal rates in the next century ushered in the less personal but easier practice of mailing valentines. That, in turn, made it possible for the first time to exchange cards anonymously, which is taken as the reason for the sudden appearance of racy verse in an era otherwise prudishly Victorian.^[28]

Paper Valentines being so popular in England in early 1800s, Valentines began to be assembled in factories. Fancy Valentines were made with real lace and ribbons, with paper lace introduced in mid 1800’s.^[29] The reinvention of Saint Valentine’s Day in the 1840s has been traced by Leigh Eric Schmidt.^[30] As a writer in Graham’s American Monthly observed in 1849, «Saint Valentine’s Day… is becoming, nay it has become, a national holyday.»^[31] In the United States, the first mass-produced valentines of embossed paper lace were produced and sold shortly after 1847 by Esther Howland (1828-1904) of Worcester, Massachusetts. Her father operated a large book and stationery store, but Howland took her inspiration from an English valentine she had received, so clearly the practice of sending Valentine’s cards had existed in England before it became popular in North America. The English practice of sending Valentine’s cards appears in Elizabeth Gaskell’s Mr. Harrison’s Confessions (published 1851). Since 2001, the Greeting Card Association has been giving an annual «Esther Howland Award for a Greeting Card Visionary.» The U.S. Greeting Card Association estimates that approximately one billion valentines are sent each year worldwide, making the day the second largest card-sending holiday of the year behind Christmas. The association estimates that, in the US, men spend in average twice as much money as women.^[3]

Since the 19th century, handwritten notes have largely given way to mass-produced greeting cards.^[1] The mid-nineteenth century Valentine’s Day trade was a harbinger of further commercialized holidays in the United States to follow.^[2]

In the second half of the twentieth century, the practice of exchanging cards was extended to all manner of gifts in the United States, usually from a man to a woman.Such gifts typically include roses and chocolates packed in a red satin, heart-shaped box. In the 1980s, the diamond industry began to promote Valentine’s Day as an occasion for giving jewelry. The day has come to be associated with a generic platonic greeting of «Happy Valentine’s Day.» As a joke, Valentine’s Day is also referred to as «Singles Awareness Day.» In some North American elementary schools, children decorate classrooms, exchange cards, and eat sweets. The greeting cards of these students often mention what they appreciate about each other.

The rise of Internet popularity at the turn of the millennium is creating new traditions. Millions of people use, every year, digital means of creating and sending Valentine’s Day greeting messages such as e-cards, love coupons or printable greeting cards.

In the West

Europe

Valentine’s Day has regional traditions in England. In Norfolk, a character called ‘Jack’ Valentine knocks on the rear door of houses leaving sweets and presents for children. Although he was leaving treats, many children were scared of this mystical person. In Wales, many people celebrate Dydd Santes Dwynwen (St Dwynwen’s Day) on January 25 instead of or as well as St Valentine’s Day. The day commemorates St Dwynwen, the patron saint of Welsh lovers. In France, a traditionally Catholic country, Valentine’s Day is known simply as Saint Valentin, and is celebrated in much the same way as other western countries.
In Spain Valentine’s Day is known as San Valentín and is celebrated the same way as in the U.K, although in Catalonia it is largely superseded by similar festivities of rose and/or book giving on La Diada de Sant Jordi (Saint George’s Day). In Portugal it’s more commonly referred to as Dia dos Namorados (Boy/Girlfriend’s Day).

In Denmark and Norway, Valentine’s Day is known as Valentinsdag. It is not celebrated to a large extent, but many people take time to eat a romantic dinner with their partner, to send a card to a secret love or give a red rose to their loved one. In Sweden it is called Alla hjärtans dag («All Hearts’ Day») and was launched in the 1960s by the flower industry’s commercial interests, and due to the influence of American culture. It is not an official holiday, but its celebration is recognized and sales of cosmetics and flowers for this holiday are only exceeded by those for Mother’s Day.

In Finland Valentine’s Day is called Ystävänpäivä which translates into «Friend’s day». As the name indicates, this day is more about remembering all your friends, not only your loved ones. In Estonia Valentine’s Day is called Sõbrapäev, which has a similar meaning.

In Slovenia, a proverb says that «St Valentine brings the keys of roots,» so on February 14, plants and flowers start to grow. Valentine’s Day has been celebrated as the day when the first work in the vineyards and in the fields commences. It is also said that birds propose to each other or marry on that day. Nevertheless, it has only recently been celebrated as the day of love. The day of love is traditionally March 12, Saint Gregory’s day.

In Romania, the traditional holiday for lovers is Dragobete, which is celebrated on February 24. It is named after a character from Romanian folklore who was supposed to be the son of Baba Dochia. Part of his name is the word drag («dear»), which can also be found in the word dragoste («love»). In recent years, Romania has also started celebrating Valentine’s Day, despite already having Dragobete as a traditional holiday. This has drawn backlash from many groups, reputable persons and institutions^[32] but also nationalist organizations like Noua Dreaptǎ, who condemn Valentine’s Day for being superficial, commercialist and imported Western kitsch.

Valentine’s Day is called Sevgililer Günü in Turkey, which translates into «Sweethearts’ Day».

According to Jewish tradition the 15th day of the month of Av — Tu B’Av (usually late August) is the festival of love. In ancient times girls would wear white dresses and dance in the vineyards, where the boys would be waiting for them (Mishna Taanith end of Chapter 4). In modern Israeli culture this is a popular day to pronounce love, propose marriage and give gifts like cards or flowers.

Central and South America

In Guatemala and in El Salvador, Valentine’s Day is known as «Día del Amor y la Amistad» (Day of Love and Friendship). Although it is similar to the United States’ version in many ways, it is also common to see people do «acts of appreciation» for their friends.^[33]

In Brazil, the Dia dos Namorados (lit. «Day of the Enamored», or «Boyfriends’/Girlfriends’ Day») is celebrated on June 12, when couples exchange gifts, chocolates, cards and flower bouquets. This day was chosen probably because it is the day before the Festa junina’s Saint Anthony’s day, known there as the marriage saint, when traditionally many single women perform popular rituals, called simpatias, in order to find a good husband or boyfriend. The February 14’s Valentine’s Day is not celebrated at all, mainly for cultural and commercial reasons, since it usually falls too little before or after Carnival, a major floating holiday in Brazil — long regarded as a holiday of sex and debauchery by many in the country^[34] — that can fall anywhere from early February to early March.

In Venezuela, in 2009, President Hugo Chavez said in a meeting to his supporters for the upcoming referendum vote on February 15, that «since on the 14th, there will be no time of doing nothing, nothing or next to nothing … maybe a little kiss or something very superficial», he recommended people to celebrate a week of love after the referendum vote.^[35]

In most of South America the Día del amor y la amistad (lit. «Love and Friendship Day») and the Amigo secreto («Secret friend») are quite popular and usually celebrated together on the 14 of February (one exception is Colombia, where it is celebrated every third Saturday of September). The latter consists of randomly assigning to each participant a recipient who is to be given an anonymous gift.

Asia

Thanks to a concentrated marketing effort, Valentine’s Day is celebrated in some Asian countries with Singaporeans, Chinese and South Koreans spending the most money on Valentine’s gifts.^[36]

In Japan, in 1960, Morinaga, one of the biggest Japanese confectionery companies, originated the present custom that only women may give chocolates to men. In particular, office ladies will give chocolate to their co-workers. One month later, in March 14, there is White Day, created by the Japanese National Confectionery Industry Association as a «reply day», where men are expected to return the favour to those who gave them chocolates on Valentine’s Day. Unlike western countries, gifts such as candies, flowers, or dinner dates are uncommon. It has become an obligation for many women to give chocolates to all male co-workers. A man’s popularity can be measured for how many chocolate they receive on that day; the amount of chocolate received is a touchy issue for men, and they will only comment on it after getting assurances that the amount will not be made public. This is known as giri-choko (義理チョコ), from the words giri («obligation») and choko, («chocolate»), with unpopular co-workers receiving only «ultra-obligatory» chō-giri choko cheap chocolate. This contrasts with honmei-choko (本命チョコ, Favorite chocolate); chocolate given to a loved one. Friends, especially girls, may exchange chocolate referred to as tomo-choko (友チョコ); from tomo meaning «friend».^[37]

In South Korea, women give chocolate to men on February 14, and men give non-chocolate candy to women on March 14 (White Day). On April 14 (Black Day), those who did not receive anything on the 14th of February or March go to a Chinese restaurant to eat black noodles and «mourn» their single life. Koreans also celebrate Pepero Day on November 11, when young couples give each other Pepero cookies. The date ’11/11′ is intended to resemble the long shape of the cookie. The 14th of every month marks a love-related day in Korea, although most of them are obscure. From January to December: Candle Day, Valentine’s Day, White Day, Black Day, Rose Day, Kiss Day, Silver Day, Green Day, Music Day, Wine Day, Movie Day, and Hug Day.^[38]

In China, the common situation is the man gives chocolate, flowers or both to the woman that he loves.

In the Philippines, Valentine’s Day is called Araw ng mga Puso or «Hearts Day». It is usually marked by a steep increase in the prices of flowers.

Similar Asian traditions

In Chinese culture, there is an older observance related to lovers, called «The Night of Sevens». According to the legend, the Cowherd star and the Weaver Maid star are normally separated by the milky way (silvery river) but are allowed to meet by crossing it on the seventh day of the seventh month of the Chinese calendar.

In Japan, a slightly different version of «The Night of Sevens» (called Tanabata, which is said to mean a weaver for a god) is celebrated, on July 7 on the Gregorian calendar.It is never regarded that the celebration is even remotely related to St. Valentine’s Day or lovers giving gifts to each other.

India

In India, in the past Valentine’s Day has been explicitly discouraged by some of the Hindu fundamentalists.^[39] Since 2001 there has been each year violent clashes between shopkeepers dealing in Valentine related items and Shiv Sena die-hards, who oppose it as «cultural pollution from the west».^[39][40] Especially in Mumbai and surrounding areas Bal Thackeray and others sent out signals before the day warning people not to have anything to do with Valentine.^[41] Those who violate this are dealt with harshly by baton-holding brigands of Shiv Sena who lurk in public places especially parks, chasing young people holding hands and others suspected to be lovers. In many parts of south India couples who are found in parks and other public places are immediately forced to marry on the spot by the Shiv Sena and other similar activists.

The Middle East

Iran

Young Iranians are seen on this day going out and buying gifts and celebrating.^[42]

Lebanon

Lebanese people send roses, cards, and balloons on Valentine’s Day to each other. Many couples go out on a romantic dinner. Shops are decorated with a lot of red items. Several shops remain open until midnight.

Saudi Arabia

In Saudi Arabia, in 2002 and 2008, religious police banned the sale of all Valentine’s Day items, telling shop workers to remove any red items, as the day is considered a non-Islamic holiday.^[40][43] In 2008 this ban created a black market in roses and wrapping paper.^[43]

See also

• Dydd Santes Dwynwen

References

External links

• Media related to Valentine’s Day on Wikimedia Commons
• Valentine’s Day on Wikiquote
• Valentine’s Day Portal on Wikisource.

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Если вам нужно написать или рассказать на английском языке про День Святого Валентина (St. Valentine’s Day), воспользуйтесь текстом на этой странице — он дается с переводом и аудио. День Святого Валентина — праздник, ставший популярным во многих странах, во многом благодаря своей романтической натуре и привлекательным традициям. Наиболее узнаваемый атрибут праздника — «валентинки», поздравительные открытки в форме сердечка.

Из этого текста вы узнаете о том, как отмечают этот праздник и откуда он произошел.

Это текст на английском языке про День Святого Валентина, плюс аудио. Вариант “текст + перевод” вы найдете ниже.

Скачать аудио.

SAINT VALENTINE’S DAY

St. Valentine’s Day is an important romantic holiday for millions of Christian people of all ages, races, and nationalities. It’s a celebration of love observed annually on February 14. Everyone in love has a chance to express their feelings and give presents to the ones they are attached to. People express their feelings in the form of sophisticated Valentine’s cards.

These lovely valentines are recognized as the true symbol of the holiday. They contain passionate messages for the ones who are called sweeties, honeys, and darlings. The picture of Cupid and small red hearts create positive emotions. Birds are another symbol of the holiday.

The history of St. Valentine’s Day is rather dark and sad. In ancient Rome, many men had no desire to become soldiers. Emperor Claudius II ordered the execution of many males because of their strong attachments to women that prevented them from performing their military duties. Valentine was a priest, he secretly performed weddings for the couples who we not allowed to be married. The Emperor did not like it and the priest was executed.

The Catholic Church honored the martyrdom of the priest Valentine with the observance of this religious holiday. There are many other stories and legends about him.

Today, St. Valentine’s Day is popular in many countries. People give chocolates, fresh roses, and other gifts to their loved ones, including friends, and family members. They share heart-warming messages with one another to show their deep love and respect. Loving couples are excited about having fun together. They decorate their homes and organize romantic dinners. Usually, party arrangements are made in advance. In different countries, these celebrations are different, because they incorporate the local customs and traditions.

Текст на английском языке с переводом. St. Valentine’s Day / День Святого Валентина

Это такой же текст про День Святого Валентина, но с переводом. Перевод сделан для каждого предложения в отдельной строке.

Текст на английском языке	Перевод
St. Valentine’s Day is an important romantic holiday for millions of Christian people of all ages, races, and nationalities.	День Святого Валентина — важный романтический праздник для миллионов христиан всех возрастов, рас и национальностей.
It’s a celebration of love observed annually on February 14.	Это праздник любви, отмечаемый ежегодно 14 февраля.
Everyone in love has a chance to express their feelings and give presents to the ones they are attached to.	У каждого влюбленного есть возможность выразить свои чувства и подарить подарки тем, к кому он привязан.
People express their feelings in the form of sophisticated Valentine’s cards.	Люди выражают свои чувства в виде изысканных валентинок.
These lovely valentines are recognized as the true symbol of the holiday.	Эти милые валентинки признаны истинным символом праздника.
They contain passionate messages for the ones who are called sweeties, honeys, and darlings.	Они содержат страстные послания для тех, кого называют милашками, дорогими и любимыми.
The picture of Cupid and small red hearts create positive emotions.	Изображение Купидона и маленьких красных сердечек создает положительные эмоции.
Birds are another symbol of the holiday.	Птицы — еще один символ праздника.
The history of St. Valentine’s Day is rather dark and sad.	История Дня Святого Валентина довольно темна и печальна.
In ancient Rome, many men had no desire to become soldiers.	В Древнем Риме у многих мужчин не было желания становиться солдатами.
Emperor Claudius II ordered the execution of many males because of their strong attachments to women that prevented them from performing their military duties.	Император Клавдий II приказал казнить многих мужчин из-за их сильной привязанности к женщинам, которая мешала им выполнять воинский долг.
Valentine was a priest, he secretly performed weddings for the couples who we not allowed to be married.	Валентин был священником, он тайно проводил свадьбы для пар, которым мы не разрешали вступать в брак.
The Emperor did not like it and the priest was executed.	Императору это не понравилось, и священник был казнен.
The Catholic Church honored the martyrdom of the priest Valentine with the observance of this religious holiday.	Католическая церковь почтила мученическую смерть священника Валентина празднованием этого религиозного праздника.
There are many other stories and legends about him.	О нем ходит много других историй и легенд.
Today, St. Valentine’s Day is popular in many countries.	Сегодня День Святого Валентина популярен во многих странах.
People give chocolates, fresh roses, and other gifts to their loved ones, including friends, and family members.	Люди дарят шоколадные конфеты, свежие розы и другие подарки людям, которых они любят, включая друзей и членов семьи.
They share heart-warming messages with one another to show their deep love and respect.	Они делятся друг с другом трогательными посланиями, чтобы выразить свою глубокую любовь и уважение.
Loving couples are excited about having fun together.	Возлюбленные рады весело провести время вместе.
They decorate their homes and organize romantic dinners.	Они украшают свои дома и устраивают романтические ужины.
Usually, party arrangements are made in advance.	Обычно организация вечеринок оговаривается заранее.
In different countries, these celebrations are different, because they incorporate the local customs and traditions.	В разных странах эти праздники разные, потому что они включают в себя местные обычаи и традиции.

Полезные слова из текста:

• romantic holiday – романтический праздник.
• Christian people – христиане
• to observe – отмечать (о празднике).
• celebration – празднование.
• to be in love (with smb) – быть влюбленным (в кого-то).
• to express one’s feelings – выражать свои чувства.
• to be attached to smb – быть привязанным к кому-то.
• Valentine’s cards – валентинки.
• sophisticated – изысканный.
• lovely – красивые, восхитительные (не «влюбленные»).
• passionate – страстный.
• sweety, honey, darling – различные способы ласкового обращения к возлюбленным
• Cupid – Купидон
• positive/negative emotions – положительные/отрицательные эмоции.
• rather dark – довольно темная.
• to have no desire to do smt – не иметь ни малейшего желания что-то делать.
• to prevent smb from doing smt – мешать кому-то что-то делать (не давать этого сделать).
• military duties – военные обязанности, воинский долг.
• priest – священник.
• couples – пары (в т.ч. возлюбленные, семейные).
• to execute – казнить.
• The Catholic Church – Католическая церковь.
• martyrdom – мученичество, мученическая смерть.
• to honor smt (USA), to honour smt (UK) – почтить что-то, оказать честь.
• chocolates – шоколадные конфеты (не путайте с candies, sweets – леденцы, «твердые» конфеты).
• their loved ones – их возлюбленные.
• heart-warming – букв. «согревающие сердце», теплые, сердечные.
• to be excited about smt – радоваться чему-то.
• to have fun – веселиться.
• to decorate smt – украшать что-то.
• to make an arrangement – организовать, устроить что-то (напр. договориться о мероприятии).
• customs – обычаи.

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