Who was ValentineWho was Valentine? ?

• Some legends link him to erotic festivals in Some legends link him to erotic festivals in ancient Rome that happened to take place ancient Rome that happened to take place during February. Women would dress up as during February. Women would dress up as wolves and wait to be whipped by men wearing wolves and wait to be whipped by men wearing loin cloths. Today in Italy and Greece, young loin cloths. Today in Italy and Greece, young men still chase young women while brandishing men still chase young women while brandishing whips - made of plastic. The whips - made of plastic. The LupercaliaLupercalia (Feb. (Feb. 15), was a fertility festival until 495 A.D., when 15), was a fertility festival until 495 A.D., when a pope put a stop to it. Another legend holds a pope put a stop to it. Another legend holds that Valentinus was a that Valentinus was a priestpriest in third-century in third-century Rome who secretly married couples, although Rome who secretly married couples, although the Emperor had forbidden it. the Emperor had forbidden it.

According to another legend Valentinus

was a Christian imprisoned for refusing to worship pagan gods.

Supposedly he cured his jailer's blind daughter through prayers. On February

14, the day of his execution, he sent her a note, signed "Your Valentine." Or maybe

he was the Bishop of Terni, born around 268, who was executed for his

Christian beliefs. Of him it is said that he presented lovers with flowers. For

whatever reason, he was canonized in the Middle Ages, and St. Valentine has been

the patron Saint of lovers ever since.

In Germany men and women give each other flowers as an expression of love. The symbol of love for Germans are red Roses. "Dunkelrote Rosen, bring ich schöne Frau, und was das bedeutet, wissen Sie genau," goes one song. The name of Valentin(e) is also linked to the brother of Margarete (Gretchen) in Faust, the brother who defended his sister's honor to his death.

Saint Valentine's Day

commonly called Valentine's Day, is an annual holiday held on February 14 celebrating love and affection between intimate companions. The holiday is named after one or more early Christian martyrs named Valentine and was established by Pope Gelasius I in 496 AD.

It is traditionally a day on which lovers express their love for each other by presenting flowers, offering confectionery, and sending greeting cards (known as "valentines"). The holiday first became associated with romantic love in the circle of Geoffrey Chauser in the High Middle Ages, when the tradition of courtly love flourished.

Modern Valentine's Day symbols include the heart - shaped outline, doves, and the figure of the winged Cupid. Since the 19th century, handwritten valentines have largely given way to mass-produced greeting cards.

The sending of Valentines was a fashion in nineteenth-century Great Britain, 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

It's considered one of the Hallmark Holidays.The U.S. Greeting Card Assotiation 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.

Valentine’s Day PoemsValentine’s Day Poems are special and unique expressions of love in the form of words. Valentine’s Day, which falls on February 14th of every year is celebrated by everyone, young and old alike, by exchanging cards, chocolates, candies, flowers and gifts that symbolizes love. What is more special than a letter or a note expressing one's feelings to a loved one in a form of a poem? Valentine's day poems are used by men and women, young and old like to convey expressions of love to the recipients. The poems can be of their own composition, borrowed from someone, verses or quotes from a greeting card, or researched from the internet. There are many possibilities. Valentine's day poems can be romantic, affectionate, funny, serious, childish, sexy, or sarcastic and they vary to suit anyone. Valentine's Day poems came about in 1415, when Charles, Duke of Orleans, wrote a poem to his wife. This is the oldest known poem in existence and was written when he was in prison following the Battle of Agincourt. Although, legend has it that St. Valentine gets the recognition for the first love letter written to the woman he loved and signed it “From Your Valentine" before he was martyred around 270 A.D. on February 14th.

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