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.
On Valentine's Day, most people's thoughts are focused on romance, love objects and gifts. But it is always useful to abstract a little from the amorous euphoria and learn something new and unfamiliar about Valentine's Day. Therefore, on February 14, Bemorepanda offers the top 100 most interesting facts about this holiday.
1. It is customary to celebrate Valentine's Day all over the world on 14 February.
2. This holiday was named in honor of the Martyr Valentine.
3. During the reign of the Roman emperor, Claudius was the priest Valentine.
4. Since 1777, this day has been widely celebrated in the United States.
5. Since the 13th century, this day has been widely celebrated in Western Europe.
6. This holiday is secular in Russia.
7. On Valentine's Day, more than 50 million roses are sold worldwide.
8. On this day, more than 9 million people in the world buy gifts for their pets.
9. Sweets and chocolates are considered the most popular gifts on this day.
10. February 14 became a men's holiday in Japan.
11. In Saudi Arabia and Iran, it is forbidden to celebrate this holiday.
12. The tradition of celebrating this holiday originates from middle England.
13. Postcards are the second most popular after Christmas cards.
14.On February 14, 1929, Al Capone's rival enemies were shot.
15. Women spend on gifts this day half as much as men.
16. Condom sales are high on this day.
17. Duke Charles of Orleans created the first Valentine in 1415.
18. Pigeons are officially considered a symbol of Valentine's Day.
19. Computer Engineer's Day is also celebrated on February 14th.
20. Sales of contraceptives increase by 25% on this day.
21. 2001 was the record for the highest number of marriages.
22. The Day of Mental Health is celebrated by the Germans on this day.
23. More than 75% of suicides on this day are attributed to unhappy love.
24. Once upon a time, lovers exchanged postcards decorated with gold on this day.
25. This day is called sweet in Italy.
26. On February 14, Finland celebrates Women's Day.
27. In France, for the first time, a tradition arose to give poetry on this day.
28. In England, gifts are also given to pets on this day.
29. Handmade gifts are especially appreciated on this day.
30. On February 14 Pope Gelasius declared Valentine's Day around 498 BC.
31. More than 53% of women abandon their men if they come to them without gifts.
32. Richard Cadbury in 1868 presented the first box of chocolate on this day.
33. On this holiday 15% of women give flowers to themselves.
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 first Valentine's card in the world is kept in the British Museum.
43. In Germany, it is customary to plant onions in a pot on this day with the written name of a loved one. 44. Italian navigator James Cook died in Hawaii in 1779.
45. USA got Texas on this day in 1848.
46.3 Oregon became the 33rd US state in 1859.
47. A third of the seats in the local Diet were won by Ukrainians in the elections in Galicia in 1914.
48. Soviet Russia in 1918 switched to the Gregorian calendar.
49. One of the first computers in 1946 was presented on this day.
50. The XX Congress of the CPSU opened in Moscow in 1956.
51. Into this day, rock and roll music was banned in Iran in 1958.
52. The automatic station "Luna-20" was launched to the Moon in 1972.
53. In Dublin in 1981, 48 people died on this day in a fire.
54. Elton John married Renate Blauel on this day in 1984.
55. The “Declaration on the Principles of Cooperation” was adopted in Minsk in 1992.
56. Russia and Ukraine established diplomatic relations in 1992.
57. The Fundamentals of Ukrainian Legislation on Culture were approved on 14 February 1992.
58. In 1993 Hungary, Poland and Ukraine signed an agreement on cooperation between peoples.
59. On this day in 1998, the wedding of movie star Sharon Stone and the editor of the San Francisco Examiner newspaper Phil Bronstein took place.
60. Dolly the cloned sheep died in 2003.
61. In 2004, 28 people were killed in the Moscow Transvaal Park.
62. Unmarried English girls take this holiday very seriously and responsibly.
63. Annually, about 1000 cards are sent to Juliet.
64. The oldest love poem was written in 3500 BC.
65. The favorite flower of the Goddess of Love was a red rose.
66. Wooden spoons with hearts are customary to give on February 14 in Wales.
67. Traditionally in America, pilgrims sent a variety of sweets as gifts.
68. Two times less money than men spend on gifts for women.
69. The month of pregnancy tests is the month of March.
70. Flower shops earn colossal sums on this day.
71. Heart-shaped candies were the first gifts on this day.
72. Saint Valentine was the patron saint of the mentally ill.
73. In the 15th century, the first valentines appeared in France.
74. The Roman God of love Cupid is the symbol of this holiday.
75. Since the beginning of the 90s of the last century, this holiday has been celebrated on the territory of Russia.
76. It is customary to give hearts from any materials on this day.
77. In England, February 14 is considered the beginning of the mating season for birds.
78. Once upon a time in the United States, one holiday card cost as much as $ 10.
79. Germans decorate psychiatric hospitals with bright ribbons on this day.
80. It is customary to give jewelry on this day in France.
81. Poles on this day visit the relics of St. Valentine.
82. It is customary to give dried white flowers on this day in Denmark.
83. Since the 13th century, this holiday has been celebrated in Western Europe.
84.Since the 1930s, this holiday has been celebrated in Japan.
85. All females are given hearts in Finland.
86. Diamonds are considered the best gift for February 14th.
87. Only 75% of men buy flowers on this day.
88. The origin of this holiday is based on the legend of Saint Valentine.
89. On this day, the feast of fertility was once celebrated.
90. Passionate Spaniards send love letters on this day with carrier pigeons.
91. 6 days before the holiday 50% of all valentines are bought.
92. Valentine is the second most popular among all gifts.
93. A large number of wedding ceremonies take place on this day.
94. Durex is increasing its sales by 30% that day.
95. The symbol of Valentine's Day is a red heart.
96. About 189 million roses are sold in America on this day.
97. After Christmas, this holiday has the second largest number of cards sold.
98. In Mexico City in 2010, the record was set for the most massive kiss in the world.
99. The first time in 1936 the Japanese got acquainted with this holiday.
100. In the Middle Ages, doves were often depicted on valentines.
Valentine's Day is celebrated annually on February 14 in most countries of the world: for more than one and a half thousand years, millions of people on this day confess their love to each other. Bemorepanda collected the most interesting memes about Valentine's Day.
One of the versions of the origin of Valentine's Day says that it was transformed from the feast of Lupercalia, dedicated to fertility and named after the patron saint of herds, the god Faun (also known as Luperk). It was celebrated every year on February 15th.
According to tradition, men on this day sacrificed animals, made original whips from their skins, stripped naked and ran around the city, hitting every woman they met on the way. Women, however, willingly substituted themselves for blows: it was believed that a blow with a whip on this day would give fertility. The ritual was extremely common in Rome: there is evidence that even members of noble families participated in it.
Later, it became so popular that it survived many pagan traditions that disappeared with the advent of Christianity. It is worth noting that many historians deny the connection between the Roman "festival" and the later Christian celebration and consider it nothing more than a guess.
The most romantic story about Saint Valentine is connected with the prohibition of the imperious Roman emperor Claudius II to marry: he believed that men who were not burdened with family would fight with great zeal on the battlefield.
Interesting Valentine's day memes 2022
1.Mood on Valentine’s Day
2.Quickest way to my heart
3.Dropping hints
4.My plans for Valentine’s day
For about three hundred years after the death of Jesus Christ, Roman emperors continued to insist on faith in their gods. Valentine was a Christian priest and for his teachings he was thrown into prison. On February 14, Valentine was beheaded, not only because he was a Christian priest, but also because he performed a miracle. There is a story that he cured the jailer's daughter from blindness. On the night before the execution, he wrote her a farewell letter, signing it "From your Valentine."
Valentine was an Italian bishop who lived around the same time, AD 200. He was imprisoned for secretly marrying couples in love, contrary to the laws of the Roman emperor. According to some reports, he was burned at the stake.
It is not known exactly why the day of February 14 is known as Valentine's Day, or if Saint Valentine actually had something to do with this day.
Historians claim that modern Valentine's Day celebrations were a mixture of ancient Christian and Roman traditions. According to one of the legends, this holiday comes from the ancient Roman festival Lupercalia - Lupercalia, which was a feast of fertility and was celebrated annually on February 15th. But during the rise of Christianity in Europe, many pagan holidays were renamed in honor of Christian martyrs. The Lupercalia Festival is no exception. In 496 AD, Pop Gelasius ordered the Lupercalia festival to be included in the Christian holiday and established its observance one day earlier, February 14th. He proclaimed February 14 as a holiday in honor of the Roman Saint Valentine.
There were at least three Christian saints named Valentine in the Catholic encyclopedia. One of them was a priest in Rome, the other was a bishop in Terni. Nothing is known about the third Saint Valentine, except that he ended his life in Africa. But it is known that they were all executed on February 14th.
5.Valentine’s day memes
6.Love yourself
7.Chocolates at my door
Most scholars believe that Saint Valentine was a priest who lived in Rome around 270 and attracted the disfavor of the Roman emperor Claudius II, who was the ruler of that time. During Valentine's existence, the golden era of the Roman Empire almost came to an end. The lack of capable leaders led to frequent civil wars. Taxes have gone up unreasonably. The Roman Empire faced a crisis on all sides - from Gauls, Slavs, Huns, Turks and Mongols from Northern Europe and Asia. The story of St. Valentine also has two different versions - Protestant and Catholic. But both versions agree with the story, when Saint Valentine, as a bishop, conducted secret marriage ceremonies for the soldiers of the Emperor Claudius II, who forbade marriage for young soldiers and, subsequently, was executed for this. Claudius II believed that married men were more emotionally attached to their families and thus would not be good soldiers. He issued a decree prohibiting marriage for his military personnel.
The ban on marriage was a great shock to the Romans. But they did not dare to openly express their protest against the powerful emperor. Bishop Valentine considered this decree unfair, and, seeing what an imprint this trauma leaves on young lovers who have lost all hope of having a family, he secretly performed weddings for young lovers. But such things cannot remain secret for a long time. When Claudius II found out about this, Valentine was arrested.
Claudius II met with Valentine, and he is said to have been impressed by the latter's dignity. Valentine refused to agree with the emperor regarding the ban on marriage. He also refused to recognize the Roman gods and even tried to convert the emperor himself, fully aware of the consequences.
Legend says that there was a deep friendship between Valentine and Asteria's daughter. Before the execution, Valentine asked for a pencil and paper from his jailer and signed a farewell for her "From your Valentine," a phrase that continues to this day. Valentine was executed on February 14, 270 AD.
8.Standards
9.Valentine’s day plan
10.You complete mess
After that, February 14 became a day for all lovers and Saint Valentine became his patron.
And as strange as the origin story is, Valentine's Day is Valentine's Day. When a lover can send a letter and candy to his beloved, flowers as a symbol of love. The first valentine greeting cards appeared in the 16th century. William Shakespeare helped romanticize Valentine's Day in his work, and the holiday gained popularity throughout the UK and then throughout the rest of Europe. The postcards were originally handmade. "Valentines" made of lace, ribbons, and with pictures of cupid with an arrow piercing the heart. Later this tradition spread to the American continent. Today Valentine's Day is one of the major holidays in the United States and is a huge commercial success.
But who was Saint Valentine, and did he really exist? We only know that this day has a mixture of Christian and Roman traditions. But the personal history of the patron saint of Valentine's Day is shrouded in mystery.
11.Anti-Valentine’s day
12.Knowing I’m single
13.Romantic dinner
14.Box of chocolates
15.You don’t have to be sad
16.Netflix is a Valentine
17.Boyfriend day
18.Sad and alone
19.Candy hearts
20.Milk and date
21.Half-price candies
22.Yes of course
23.Wattpad story
24.Eat all the chocolate
25.Tons of money
26.Singles awareness day
27.Valentine’s day posts
28.Trying to find the best one
29.Chocolates for Valentine’s day
30.To be in my bed
31.Dates
32.Inner side
33.Can’t wait for chocolates
34.Instagram
35.Nuggets and love
36.Two flowers
37.Shaved legs
38.Pizza is my favourite
39.Single on Valentine’s day
40.Candy bowl
41.Lovelies
42.Not leaving the house
43.DIY Valentine’s day
44.It could be great
45.Teddy bear
46.Not celebrating
47.My BFF
48.Finally got a date
49.Pretending
50.I wouldn’t deport you
Each of us is unique and inimitable, because even identical twins have their own distinctive features, proving that each person is a one-of-a-kind snowflake. That is why it is so important to accept and love all parts of your body, regardless of whether they are close to the standardized form or not. Today we want to share with you photos of people with prominent noses, some of whom were able to accept their peculiarity, and others only on the way to this.
"I usually wear big glasses to make my nose look smaller in comparison."
"Thanks to people who share pictures of their noses, I learned to appreciate all noses and even consider my own beautiful."
"Still working on self-acceptance"
"I was always ashamed of my nose, but decided that I would try to love it."
"Lately, I've become more appreciative of my nose."
I decided not to have rhinoplasty and I have no regrets."
"I just love my nose at the moment!"
"Yes, I am the same person who likes the hump on the nose, and I have it!"
"For a long time I received offensive comments about my nose, and I did not like it, but at the moment I would not change it for any other, because it suits me so well!"
"I really like my nose! I hope all people with zest will one day understand that they are beautiful and unique!"
"I was told that I shouldn't wear big glasses because they will accentuate my nose. So ... I bought the biggest ones I could find!"
"I like my big long nose in profile, but it looks odd and asymmetrical from the front."
"Proof of the size of my nostrils to you unbelievers"
"I'm just proud of my nose"
"I don't like him, but I hope one day we come to a truce."
"My outstanding Italian nose"
"I think my big nose fits my face perfectly!"
"I hope rhinoplasty will change my life"
"Now I like him"
"I love and hate my nose, but lately I've started to accept it more and more."
Valentine's Day is celebrated annually on February 14th.
Every year on February 14, couples around the world congratulate each other on Valentine's Day, give gifts and traditional valentines. But how did such a wonderful tradition appear - to give sincere feelings and bright hearts?
It is believed that Valentine's Day has existed for more than 16 centuries and this holiday has a specific "culprit" - the Christian priest Valentine. This story dates back to about 269, while 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, because a married legionnaire thinks 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 the legionnaires to marry.
The history of Valentine's Day dates back to the Lupercalia of Ancient Rome. Lupercalia is a fertility festival in honor of the goddess of “feverish” love, Juno Februata, and the god Faun (Luperk is one of his nicknames), the patron saint of herds, which was celebrated annually on February 15th.
Bemorepanda collected some lovely quotes for Valentine's Day.
1. "When you give yourself, you receive more than you give. Because you were nothing and you are beginning to be fulfilled. ” - Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
2. "I don't know where my path leads, but I do better when I hold your hand." - Alfred de Musset
3. "To give everything, to sacrifice everything without hope of reward: that means love." - Albert Camus
4. "Love, like light, does not remain hidden." - Rabindranath Tagore
5. "The most generous gift that love brings is its wings." - George Byron
Almost nothing is known about the life of the real Christian Valentine (born in the 3rd century AD in the city of Terni - the Roman Empire). The meager facts of a tragic biography are cut out from contradictory legends. They say that the Bishop of Terni, being a young man, showed young lovers a special disposition - he helped write letters with declarations of love, reconciled those who died, gave flowers to young spouses. His arrest was allegedly caused by the fact that the Roman emperor Julius Claudius II did not allow the soldiers of the imperial legions to fall in love and marry, and Valentine secretly married the legionnaires.
In the late Middle Ages in France and England, the life of St. Valentina gradually began to acquire legends associated with the secret wedding of couples in love.
According to the Golden Legend, in those distant and dark times, the imperious and cruel Roman emperor Claudius II came to the conclusion that a single man, not burdened with a wife and family, would be better off fighting on the battlefield for the glory of Caesar, and forbade men to marry, and women and for girls to marry the men they love. And St. Valentine was an ordinary field doctor and priest who sympathized with the unfortunate lovers and secretly from everyone, under the cover of night consecrated the marriage of loving men and women.
Soon the activities of St. Valentine became known to the authorities, and he was put in prison, sentenced to death. In conclusion, Saint Valentine met the warden's beautiful daughter, Julia. Before his death, the priest in love wrote a declaration of love to his beloved girl - a valentine, where he spoke about his love, and signed it "Your Valentine". It was read after he was executed, and the execution itself took place on February 14, 269.
6. "Give the person you love: wings to fly, roots to return, and reasons to stay." - Dalai Lama
7. "It is not beauty that makes us love, but love that makes us see beauty." - Lev Tolstoy
8. "Don't think that you can set the course for love. If she considers you worthy, she will direct your course. " - Octavian Paler
9. "The greatest joy of life is to be convinced that you are loved." - Victor Hugo
10. "Men create by imagination, but women create by love." - Rabindranath Tagore
According to another legend, the Roman patrician Valentine, who was a secret Christian who also converted his servants to the new faith, once performed a wedding ceremony for two of them. By denunciation or by coincidence, all three were detained by the guards. Valentine, as a member of the upper class, could have escaped death, but not his servant. Then, wanting to encourage the doomed fellow believers, Valentine writes them letters in the form of red hearts, meaning Christian love.
A blind girl was supposed to send messages to the newlyweds, but unexpectedly Valentine himself came to the dungeons, who persuaded the guards to let his servants go in exchange for his life. Before entering the arena of death, Valentine handed over the last letter, consecrated by faith and kindness, to a blind girl, who after that received her sight and became a beauty.
Scarlet heart valentines cards are now very well known as a symbolic gift on Valentine's Day. The creation of the first "valentine" is also attributed to the Duke of Orleans in 1415. He sat in a dungeon, and thus perhaps fought off boredom by writing love letters to his wife. And the greatest distribution of postcards-"valentines" reached already in the XVIII century.
The account of electronic messages on the Internet goes on February 14 to millions.
11. "I would prove to people how wrong they are to think that they stop loving when they grow old, without knowing that they only grow old when they stop loving." - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
12. "The woman is a creature meant to be loved, not understood." - Sigmund Freud
13. "Love is more afraid of change than of destruction." - Friedrich Nietzsche
14. "A sure measure of character is the feeling you have for a man after you have loved him." - Titu Maiorescu
15. "Just because someone doesn't love you the way you want to, doesn't mean they don't love you with all their being." - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
It's hard to say what other holiday is as popular as Valentine's Day. On this day, lovers give each other gifts and valentine cards. Most of the "valentines" are anonymous, have no return address, are written from right to left or left hand. So it is accepted - it adds mystery. True, the recipients are then forced to look for an anonymous messenger if they believe in fate.
Every nation celebrates Valentine's Day in different ways. The British, for example, on Valentine's Day send love messages not only to friends and acquaintances, but also to their pets. The Japanese, on the other hand, turned out to be more original - they remade February 14 into a kind of "March 8 for Men", when gifts are received mainly by the strong sex.
Since 1969, as a result of the reform of worship, 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 before 1969, the church did not approve and did not support the traditions of celebrating this day.
Whether it was so or otherwise, but, apparently, it was from there that it was customary to write love notes on Valentine's Day - “valentines“. And on this holiday they like to arrange weddings and get married. It is believed that this will be the key to eternal love.
16. "Love is the wing given by God to the soul to ascend to Him." - Michelangelo Buonarroti
17. "I think the world was too big for me. Instead, a world reduced to "two" seemed ideal to me. " - Octavian Paler
18. A couple of lovers cross the park, holding hands, later they will pass by here again, but they will have a different expression in their eyes and a different meaning in the handshake, now the purity of the dawn is in them. (Jerome K. Jerome)
20. "Love is the greatest strength of mankind, and yet the most modest we can imagine." - Mahatma Gandhi
21. Love is a wonderful disease: from a fire two people lie in bed. (Robert Lembke)
22. One word can save us from all the hardships and pains of life: the word love. (Sophocles)
23. There is only one dignity after all - love… It is probably the only drop of eternity that is given to us. (Helen Hayes)
24. Assumptions can ruin a relationship. (Henry Winkler)
25. Because the revelation of the perfect union is this: you find yourself in the moment you lose yourself. (Mircea Eliade, Wedding in Heaven)
26. Love is anything you can betray. (John LeCarre)
27. It is not worth crying for anyone, and whoever deserves it will not make you cry. (Gabriel Garcia Marquez)
28. You know you're in love when you don't want to go to bed, because reality is better than dreams. (Dr. Seuss)
29. Love is the kind of tree whose fruit does not grow on the branches, but on the root. (Bruce Boyd)
30. Love is nothing but our discovery in others and the pleasure of recognition. (Alexander McCall Smith)
31. But his eyes are blind. You have to search with your heart! - Antoine de Saint (Exupery, Little Prince)
32. I love you not for who you are, but for who I am when I am with you. (Roy Croft)
33. When we are in love we look completely different from what we were before. (Blaise Pascal)
34. You realize that you have fallen in love if you do not want to fall asleep because the reality is finally better than your visas. (Dr. Seuss)
35. I love you, and this is the beginning of it all (F. Scott Fitzgerald)
36. But what can love mean? How long can it last? Nothing lasts in this world; everything passes, everything pretends, everything dies to be born again, otherwise, elsewhere, with other people. (Mircea Eliade)
37. When I saw you, I fell in love, and you smiled because you knew - William Shakespeare)
38. Give it to the person you love: wings to fly, roots to return, and reasons to stay. (Dalai Lama)
39. Where there is love is life. (Mahatma Gandhi)
40. The last goodbye, in love, is the one that is not said. (Alexandre Dumas)
41. Love, in all its forms, is the only path that leads to moral purity. (Pierre Lescot)
42. Love makes us dive into the unknown and then gives us the courage to resist. (Pam Brown)
43. Love is the healthiest disease. (Euripides)
44. Love! It is the wing given by God to the soul to ascend to it. (Michelangelo Buonarotti)
45. What happiness to be loved, and, oh, what a blessing to love! (Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe)
46. In love we taste, we enjoy ourselves, we delight in the pleasures of our erotic trembling, for this reason, love is all the more intense and deeper the greater the distance from the loved one. (Emil Cioran)
47. Love is an act of eternal forgiveness, the tender gaze that becomes a habit. (Peter Ustinov)
48. Love is the greatest feeling, which works miracles, which creates new people, creates the highest moral values. (A. S. Makarenko)
49. Woe to him whose heart did not learn from his youth to hope, to love, and to trust in life. (Joseph Conrad)
50. The saddest thing about love is not only that love does not last forever, but that the despair it causes is easy to forget. (William Faulkner)