Saint Valentine lived in the third century AD. He gave
flowers from his garden to couples, but above all he married lovers according
to Christian tradition, thus violating the prohibition of the Roman emperor. At
that time marriage was forbidden for the church because Christianity was
forbidden as a religion. Besides that married men were not allowed ot be forced
to serve as a soldier. Although Valentin had a high reputation with emperor Claudius
II, he could not escape the hardest punishment at that time, because he did not
let himself be forbidden to live out his religion. On 14 February 269 he was
executed in Rome.
100 years later Valentin was canonized- which means
that he was declared a saint. In the year 496 (200 years after his death) Pope
Gelasius declared February 14th to be "Valentine's Day".
The
day of lovers:
Little by little this day developed into the "day
of the lovers". The couples began to write love letters or confess their
love to each other that day. Especially
the US-Americans have this tradition. In the USA, teenagers send secret greeting
cards with love messages. The one who receives the most is considered to be the
one or the most sought-after.
Valentine's
Day in Europe:
This day has only been celebrated in Europe since
1950. Here, however, it is limited to a bouquet of flowers or pralines. In
Europe, however, this day is not important for everyone. Many find it kitschy
and unnecessary.
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