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The holiday of Valentine's Day
probably derives its origins from the ancient Roman
feast of Lupercalia. In the early days of Rome, fierce
wolves roamed the woods nearby. The Romans called upon
one of their gods, Lupercus, to keep the wolves away. A
festival held in honor of Lupercus was celebrated
February 15th. The festival was celebrated as a spring
festival. Their calendar was different at that time,
with February falling in early springtime.
One of the customs of the young people was name-drawing.
On the eve of the festival of Lupercalia the names of
Roman girls were written on slips of paper and placed
into jars. Each young man drew a slip. The girl whose
name was chosen was to be his sweetheart for the year
Legend has it that the holiday became Valentine's Day
after a priest named Valentine. Valentine was a priest
in Rome at the time Christianity was a new religion. The
Emperor at that time, Claudius II, ordered the Roman
soldiers NOT to marry or become engaged. Claudius
believed that as married men, his soldiers would want to
stay home with their families rather than fight his
wars. Valentine defied the Emperor's decree and secretly
married the young couples. He was eventually arrested,
imprisoned, and put to death
Valentine was beheaded on February 14th, the eve of the
Roman holiday Lupercalia. After his death, Valentine was
named a saint. As Rome became more Christian, the
priests moved the spring holiday from the 15th of
February to the 14th - Valentine's Day. Now the holiday
honored Saint Valentine instead of Lupercus |
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HISTORY OF THE VALENTINE'S DAY SYMBOLS |
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History of Valentine's Day Roses
'Oh, my love is a red, red rose' ~ Poets and scholars
have likened the beauty of their sweethearts to that of
roses. Rose, as the queen of flowers, symbolizes peace
and war, love and forgiveness. Valentine's Day is a time
to send flowers and gifts to your loved ones but beware!
Some of these beautiful messengers may transmit wrong
messages.
Take the most common flowers, roses for instance. There
are formal meanings of different coloured roses in some
cultures. Each of these meanings is still used in
society today, so choose your colour with care.
White roses are for true love and purity of the mind.
Red roses are for love and passion.
Yellow roses are for friendship.
Black roses mean farewell.
Pink roses mean friendship or sweetheart.
History of Valentine's Day Cupid
Cupid, the mischievous son of the Goddess of Love,
Venus, is supposedly responsible for people falling in
love. According to the myths, anyone being hit by
Cupid's arrow falls in love with the first person he/she
sees. His mischievous intentions have led to some
entertaining situations in various legends. Cupid in the
Roman mythology has Eros, the son of Aphrodite, as his
counterpart in the Greek Myths. The names of both these
Gods are used synonymously with the concept of love
today.
History Of Love Knot
Young women in strict Muslim households used to send
their pledges of love to young men through messages
woven through the knots of a carpet in an Arab
tradition. This tradition of sending messages through
the knots gave birth to the concept of love knots that
continues to this day.
History Of Valentine's Hearts
To a beloved, there is no symbol as important as the
heart. To give someone one's heart means to give to him
or her one's whole being, for the heart is at the center
of one's existence. The heart stands for the most
profound and noblest of human emotions- that of love.
Through ages, it has inspired millions to rise above the
mundane cares and to get lost in the thought of their
beloved. Thus a heart, pierced by the cupid's arrow, has
become the most famous of the valentine's symbols.
History Of Love Birds and Doves
It was believed that on this romantic day, birds found
their mates. This belief is still cherished by love
struck people all over the world. The sweet little blue
coloured lovebirds have come to signify that belief. It
is said that the lovebirds can't live without their
mates. Dove, in the Christian belief signifies purity,
meekness and innocence. Hence, these two birds have
become the most endearing symbols of the spirit of
valentine day. |
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