This holiday, perhaps, is one of the most controversial and at the same time one of the most romantic! Valentine's Day, whose holiday story leaves more questions than answers, is celebrated annually in many countries of the world.
By the way, there are countries in which such a holiday is strictly prohibited by law. Did you know about this?
history of the holiday
On Valentine's Day it is customary to give sweets and postcards - " valentines ", received their name in honor of St. Valentine, he sacrificed his own life for the sake of love.
The history of the Valentine's Day dates back to the year 269. This period is marked by the existence of the Roman Empire, which was then headed by Emperor Claudius ll. He forbade the soldiers to marry, so that they devoted all their time and attention to the military business. But, nevertheless, no one can abolish love!
Breaking all the laws and risking their own lives, there was a priest who secretly crowned the lovers. He lived in the city of Terni and called him Valentine. It is interesting that the priest not only crowned, but also reconciled the couple, helped write romantic letters with love confessions and passed flowers to beloved soldiers.
Of course, the emperor learned about this and sentenced Valentine to execution. The order was executed, and after the death of the priest, the daughter of the jailer received a farewell letter with a confession of love. For most people, Valentine's Day has exactly this history of origin.
Anti-history
Today, there are a lot of conflicting opinions about Valentine's Day and the history of this holiday.
Many skeptics argue that during the time when the priest Valentine lived, there was not even a wedding ceremony. It was invented only in the Middle Ages. A beautiful romantic story is just an invention of enterprising American capitalists. The peak of the popularity of the holiday falls on the 19th century, and with it the mass production and sale of beautiful greeting cards-hearts and all kinds of sweets.
Historically, it has been proved that the pagan feasts of Love were known more than 16 centuries ago. But they had nothing to do with pure feeling and were more antimoral in nature.
It is interesting that psychologists sound the alarm and insist that the holiday distorts the understanding of the meaning of the word "love". Today very few really know what it means. In return for love came the usual love - a feeling that destroys human beings. Especially it concerns teenagers. Love is dependence, a craze that leads to disappointment and tragedy, and as a result - broken hearts and even suicides .
In any case, no matter what the true story of the Valentine's Day holiday, for many it is associated with gentle and quivering feelings.
Valentine's Day in different countries of the world
In many countries there are special traditions of celebration. The Japanese ask their beloved for chocolate, the French give jewelry, the Danes present white dried flowers, and in Britain, young girls wake up to the sunrise, stand in front of the window and look out for their betrothed, who should become the first unmarried man who passed by.