On February 14, many countries around the world celebrate Valentine's Day.

 

It is believed that Valentine's Day has existed for more than 16 centuries, but the holidays of Love have been known from even earlier times - from the time of ancient cultures. For example, the Romans in mid-February celebrated a festival of eroticism called Lupercalia, in honor of the goddess of love Juno Februata.

 

The holiday also has a specific "culprit" - the Christian priest Valentine. This story dates back to around 269, when the Roman Empire was ruled by Emperor Claudius II. The warring Roman army experienced an acute shortage of soldiers for military campaigns, and the commander was convinced that the main enemy of his "Napoleonic" plans was marriage, for a married legionnaire thought much less about the glory of the empire than about how to feed his family. And, in order to preserve the military spirit in his soldiers, the emperor issued a decree forbidding legionnaires to marry.

 

Bemorepanda collected some lovely facts about Valentine's day.

 

 

1. Valentine's Day was born in 496, with the light hand of the Pope - Gelasius. This holiday is a successful attempt by the Catholic Church to replace the popular pagan festival (Luperkali) with a Christian event - the Day of its saint, the patron saint of lovers.

 

2. In Europe, February 14 began to be celebrated in the 13th century. This holiday reached the USA only in the 18th century, and to Japan and Russia - in the last century.

 

3. In Germany, February 14 is celebrated as the day of the mentally ill. Psychiatric clinics are decorated with red ribbons on this day, and a special service is held in the chapels at the hospitals.

 

4. Valentine's Day has another name, which is almost forgotten - "Bird's Wedding". In the old days, it was believed that birds begin to build a nest and prepare for procreation on February 14th.

 

5. In Muslim countries, in particular in the UAE, Valentine's Day is strictly prohibited. The holiday is considered sinful, contrary to the foundations of Islam. For the propaganda of dissolute Western traditions on this day, they are punished with fines. No scarlet roses and plush hearts!

 

 

6. The Catholic Church expelled Valentine from the host of its saints in the 20th century. This decision was explained by the lack of evidence and true facts about the life and deeds of this priest before Christianity.

 

7. The Russian Orthodox Church does not approve of this holiday, considering it immoral and unworthy of the ancient Orthodox foundations and traditions. The Day of family, love and fidelity is proposed, and as a role model - a married couple of Murom saints Peter and Fevronia.

 

8. The French are considered the inventors of poetic valentines. On this day, they give their beloved a ripe red tomato - "the apple of love", as it is called here.

 

9. The Italians named February 14 "sweet day". It is chocolate and other confectionery that is the most common gift in this country for Valentine's Day.

 

10. Americans spend the most money on chocolate sets - $ 700 million!

 

11. Every 15th American woman gives flowers to herself on February 14th.

 

But the soldiers did not become less in love from this. And to their happiness, a man was found who, not fearing the imperial wrath, began to secretly marry the legionnaires with their beloved. It was a priest named Valentine from the Roman city of Terni (Valentine of Terni). Apparently, he was a real romantic, since his favorite pastimes were to reconcile the quarreling, help write love letters and give flowers to the objects of their passion at the request of the legionnaires.

Of course, as soon as the emperor found out about this, he decided to stop his "criminal activities". Valentine was sentenced to death. The tragedy of the situation was also that Valentine himself was in love with the jailer's daughter. The day before the execution, the priest wrote a farewell letter to the girl, where he told about his love, and signed it "Your Valentine". It was read after he was executed.

 

Subsequently, as a Christian martyr who suffered for the faith, Valentine was canonized by the Catholic Church. And in 496, Pope Gelasius I declared February 14 Valentine's Day.

 

Since 1969, as a result of the reform of the divine services, Saint Valentine was removed from the liturgical calendar of the Catholic Church (along with other Roman saints, information about whose life is contradictory and unreliable). However, even until 1969, the church did not approve and did not support the traditions of celebrating this day.

 

Whether it was so or otherwise, but, most likely, it was from there that it was customary to write love notes on Valentine's Day - "valentines". And also on this holiday they like to arrange weddings and get married. It is believed that this will become a guarantee of eternal love.

 

 

12. In America, in the state of Texas, there is a city called Valentine. The name was born not in honor of a famous resident with that name, but on the case of the first arrival in the city of a train, which coincided with February 14 - Valentine's Day.

 

13. 73% of all flowers sold on February 14 are bought by men. And only 27% are women.

 

14. Valentines have the second largest sales after Christmas cards. A billion heart-shaped postcards are sent around the world every year.

 

15. In Jamaica on February 14, "naked weddings" are held, attracting tourists. People from all over the world come here to gaze at the newlyweds, who are wearing nothing but a wedding ring.

 

16. The first Valentine's-themed chocolate box was designed and marketed in 1868 by Richard Cadbury.

 

17. Valentine's Day is a fruitful holiday for private detective agencies. Recipients of anonymous valentines constantly contact them with a request to find the sender.

 

In Western Europe, Valentine's Day has been widely celebrated since the 13th century, in the United States since 1777.

 

The tradition of giving gifts on this day grew stronger every year and for some it has become a fairly successful business. For example, at the beginning of the last century, it was customary for Americans to send marzipans to their brides, which were quite expensive.

 

In Japan, the tradition of giving sweets on this day appeared at the suggestion of a large chocolate company. They began to celebrate Valentine's Day there in the 30s, and to this day, chocolate remains the most common gift. By the way, there Valentine's Day slightly resembles "March 8 for men", as Japanese men receive, perhaps, even more gifts than women: men's accessories such as a razor, lotion, wallet, and so on.

 

It is customary for passionate French people to give jewelry on Valentine's Day, and in romantic Denmark, people send dried white flowers to each other.

 

In Britain, on February 14, unmarried girls get up before sunrise, stand by the window and look at the passing men. According to legend, the first man they see is the betrothed.

 

But there are some countries in the world that have particularly excelled in celebrating Valentine's Day. First of all, this is Saudi Arabia, which is the only country in the world where this holiday is ... officially banned, moreover, under pain of heavy fines.

 

 

18. For Finns, February 14 is a holiday of friendship. On this day, they give gifts and show cute signs of attention not only to beloved ones, but also to parents, friends and other close people.

 

19. In England, there are a lot of signs and beliefs associated with Valentine's Day. On the eve of this day, young English Women fall asleep with laurel leaves tied to the corners of the pillow, and get up with neither light nor dawn, running to the window to see the first passer-by. So they hope to see their betrothed, predict family fate.

 

20. In the old days, lovers themselves made valentines, decorating them with bird feathers, dried flowers, beads and pieces of lace. It was believed that lace would help to catch a loved one in a love net, to entangle him with heart charms.

 

21. Sales of contraceptives increased by 25% on this day. 

 

21. In 2001, the record was set for the highest number of marriages on this day. 

 

Human perception is amazing. Very often we tend to take some information for truth only on the grounds that it has, in modern terms, a high citation index. In other words, the same text with slight variations wanders from edition to edition, from blog to blog. And the more often it is reproduced, the more often we are ready to take it on faith on the grounds that "everyone says."

 

But alas, it often happens that the text copied from each other is initially erroneous to one degree or another, and by spreading it further, we involuntarily mislead an increasing number of people.

 

It is such a story that happened to the biography of a man whose memory is supposedly proposed to be celebrated on February 14. If you search the Internet, the query "Valentine's Day" will return tens and hundreds of links, retelling the same legend with some variations.

 

As far as the veneration of the saint is concerned, this is what happened in modern times. During the 1969 reform of the Roman Catholic calendar of saints, the celebration of the memory of St. Valentine as a church-wide saint was abolished on the grounds that there is no information about this martyr, except for the name and information about the beheading by the sword. Today, on February 14, the memory of St. Valentine is solely optional.

 

In the Orthodox Church, on the contrary, Saint Valentine is still venerated. More precisely, both of the previously mentioned martyrs - the bishop and the presbyter - have their own days of remembrance. Valentine the Roman - presbyter - is venerated on July 19, and the Holy Martyr Valentine, Bishop of Interamna - on August 12. If you carefully read the lives of these saints, it becomes clear that in the legends widespread nowadays, fragments relating to completely different people have been mixed, and even medieval writings have supplemented them with many romantic, but completely unrealistic episodes.

 

 

23. The Day of Mental Health is celebrated by the Germans on this day. 

 

24. More than 75% of suicides on this day are attributed to unhappy love. 

 

25. Once upon a time, lovers exchanged postcards decorated with gold on this day. 

 

26. This day is called sweet in Italy. 

 

27. Women's Day is celebrated in Finland on 14 February. 

 

28. In France, for the first time, a tradition arose to give poetry on this day. 

 

29. In England, gifts are also given to pets on this day. 

 

 

30. Handmade gifts are especially appreciated on this day. 

 

31. On February 14, Pope Gelasius declared Valentine's Day around 498 BC.

 

32. More than 53% of women abandon their men if they come to them without gifts. 

 

33. Richard Cadbury in 1868 presented the first box of chocolate on this day. 

 

34. About 1 billion cards are sent on this day every year. 

 

35. 85% of all valentines are bought by women. 

 

36.39% of all sweets are received by children on this day. 

 

 

37. In Japan, it is customary to give sweets, linen and jewelry on this day. 

 

38. The sale of pregnancy tests in pharmacies is increasing on this day. 

 

39. Flowers presented on this day have different meanings. 

 

40. This day was called "Bird's wedding" in the Middle Ages. 

 

41. In 2011, the world's largest chocolate bar was made in Switzerland, designed specifically for this holiday. 

 

42. The British Museum has the world's first Valentine. 

 

43. In Germany, it is customary to plant an onion in a pot on this day with the written name of a loved one.

 

 

44. In Saudi Arabia, this holiday is prohibited because it promotes sexual liberation.

 

45. In Korea, black noodles are prepared for singles on Valentine's Day in special restaurants to help people mourn their loneliness without a pair.

 

46. Dutch women on Valentine's Day can ask for a wife from any man they like. If he refuses, he must give the lady a silk dress. And Canadian men can pay a fine for refusing to marry.

 

47. Many people write valentines anonymously. To add mystery, they are written from right to left or with the left hand, they do not indicate the name of the donor and his address.

 

48. The largest valentine was placed at a pedestrian crossing in Chengdu, China. In it, a love confession was addressed to all residents of this city, and there are at least 14 million of them.

 

49. 19th century psychiatrists prescribed chocolate to patients suffering from unrequited love. The first box of chocolates for such "patients" was invented by Richard Calbury.

 

50. The most expensive love card was ordered by Aristotle Onassis. It was crafted from solid gold and studded with diamonds and emeralds. A mink coat served as a packaging for such a luxurious Valentine. So the Greek billionaire confessed his feelings to the opera diva Maria Callas. At the time of its creation in the 60s. the cost of such a postcard was estimated at 300 thousand dollars.