Some people like this holiday more than the New Year, others basically ignore it. But everyone knows about the Day of all lovers. Lovely valentines, attention signs, flowers and sweets - all this with trepidation we prepare our beloved ones. But where the Valentine's Day came from, not everyone knows, some do not even know about the existence of alternative versions.
The day of Valentine's Day - the main version
One of the most popular variants of the history of Valentine's Day is considered to be the secret wedding of the lovers by the priest. The Roman Emperor Claudius II lived around the third century BC and was known as an ardent opponent of conjugal unions. The fact is that it was the marriage ties and the family that he perceived as a hindrance to his plans to conquer new lands, the legionaries had to be free.
But, contrary to this prohibition, Valentin continued to marry all the lovers. For such disobedience, he was thrown into prison and later sentenced to death. It turned out that the daughter of the jailer and Valentin met and fell in love with each other. Being in the cell he communicated with his passion through notes. And the very last immediately before the execution, he signed "from Valentine". This version, where the Valentine's Day came from, is today considered to be the most believable. But there are several alternative options.
The Origination of Valentine's Day - alternative versions
According to another version of the familiar to us, Valentine fell in love with the daughter of the prison governor. Her name was Julia and the girl was blind. On the last day before the execution, Valentine wrote her a letter to put a yellow saffron in it. After the girl received a note and took out the saffron from the envelope, she was healed.
At what under a name "Valentine" several saints were known at once. One of them was executed in 269, it was a Roman priest. Also known as Valentine was the Bishop of Interamna. This man is known for his healing abilities, and he was executed but he was for turning the son of the mayor into Christianity.
There is a legend according to which the history of the Valentine's Day originates much deeper and begins already in times of paganism. According to this version, this day was originally a feast of Lupercalia. Day of frank eroticism and abundance, which was dedicated to the patron god of the Faun's flocks in Ancient Rome. On this day it was customary to write notes and put them in a small vessel. The notes were written by the girls, and the guys got them: whose note the young man took out, he had to take care of that girl that day.
How to spend Valentine's Day?
A small card in the form of a heart is considered to be an obligatory attribute of this holiday. It is believed that the first valentine sent to his wife the Duke of Orleans, while in prison. From anguish, he began to write to his beloved wife a message full of love and confession.
Today, these cards have been sold for a long time in every bookstore. There are small and lovely, but there are huge ones with texts and beautiful verses. A day of love would be incomplete without flowers and sweets. Today it is customary to give roses and chocolate. This is the traditional symbolism for lovers.
As for the traditions of celebrating, and how to celebrate Valentine's Day , then there are lots of scenarios. Of course, the most suitable among them consists of flowers, a romantic dinner and walks under the stars, it will always be relevant. But many entertainment establishments offer excellent options for young people. For example, on this day, many clubs organize theme parties. City authorities sometimes prepare a surprise for their residents and establish a scene on the main street of the city. And very many couples try to set a wedding day for this date.