Until what date does Valentine's Day last? When to congratulate Valentine on Angel's Day according to the church calendar. Traditions and gifts

Valentine's Day, as this holiday is also called, is certainly included in the list of the most popular holiday dates celebrated in almost all countries of the world. Having appeared in our country quite recently, it is celebrated almost everywhere today. And this is natural.

Story

Historians claim that the roots of St. Valentine's Day go back to the ancient Roman holiday of Lupercalia. And it owes its name to the young priest Valentinus, who was executed by the pagan emperor Claudius II in 269 BC. for his commitment to Christianity and for loving the daughter of his jailer. His messages to his beloved girl, transmitted from prison, were the first “Valentines”. Valentine's Day on February 14 was also declared a church holiday quite a long time ago - in 469 by Pope Gelasius.

In Europe, it began to be celebrated as Valentine's Day about 8 centuries ago. With European settlers, the tradition of celebrating this date crossed the ocean, and as the colonial system developed, it spread throughout the globe. Well, in our country, Valentine’s Day celebrations began after the collapse of the USSR. True, sociologists note that in recent years the scope of these celebrations has noticeably narrowed. It is not yet clear why this is happening.

Traditions

The traditions of celebrating Valentine's Day are very diverse and differ from country to country:

Americans give their loved ones sweets painted in bright colors in beautiful wrappers.
They do roughly the same thing in Italy.
The ardent Gauls are more generous - on this day they give, albeit not too expensive, jewelry. They also introduced the tradition of sending “Valentines” with poems;
Hot Finnish guys receive gifts and congratulations on this day exclusively to the fair sex.
The sons of Yamato, on the contrary, congratulate only representatives of the stronger sex, and the usual gift is some kind of male accessory.
In Poland, where the relics of St. Valentine are kept, it is customary to go together to the saint’s grave on this day.
In Russia, apart from the obligatory sending of “Valentines”, no solid traditions have yet developed.

The holiday belongs to all lovers, and this is a natural state for the vast majority of young people, and not only young people. No wonder the classic said that all ages are submissive to love. So “Valentines” (as congratulations are called), sent in connection with this date, have become very firmly entrenched in our everyday life today.

Valentine's Day is an extraordinary holiday for everyone in love, but literally 10 years ago no one even knew how firmly it would become part of our lives.. falls, as always, on February 14, Tuesday.

There are many different stories about this holiday. Its history begins in the Middle Ages, thanks to the romantic movement in literature.

History of the holiday.

An ancient legend tells us about a young man named Valentine, who lived back in the third century. He served as a priest and at the same time was a doctor, and at the same time had a talent for treating people. In those days, a stern emperor ruled, forbidding his warriors to marry. After all, his wife could distract him from important assignments of the emperor. But priest Valentin treated all lovers with understanding and, against the will of the emperor, quietly married those who wanted to get married. Soon the emperor learned about the affairs of the young priest and a death sentence was imposed. Already in custody, the young man learned that the guard had a young blind daughter. Valentin began to treat her for blindness. When the girl began to see, she fell in love with her doctor, but no one could prevent the execution of her beloved. Before his death, on February 14, the young man sent her a small letter with the inscription: “From Valentin.” In memory of this tragic event, February 14 began to be called the day of love, St. Valentine's Day.

This is the legend he presents to ushistory of Valentine's Day, which explains its occurrence.

In the Middle Ages, this particular day, February 14, was considered the holiday of lovers. On such a holiday, it was believed that one should write letters of gratitude and give sweet gifts to loved ones. Young people created couples and called themselves Valentin and Valentina, in honor of great and tragic love. Of course, over time everything is forgotten, but now everything is coming back and traditions are being revived.

It should be notedtraditions of celebrating Valentine's Day 2018year in different parts of the world.

For example, On this day, an interesting event took place in England and Scotland. Before the holiday, the young men met, made tickets in the names of the girls and put them in the ballot box. Then each of them took out their lucky ticket. The chosen girl became his chosen one for a whole year and received the name “Valentina”, and he was her Valentine.

Italians have dubbed this day sweet and present their family and friends with all sorts of sweets and delicacies. Valentine cards are sent in an envelope without a return address.
The British do everything a little differently, except for the usual valentines to their loved ones, they also don’t forget about their pets.
In Denmark, dried white flowers are given as gifts. , and in In Spain, Valentines are sent by carrier pigeons.
In Japan, on this day all male colleagues need to be given chocolate, but in Mexico this wonderful holiday is called the Day of Love and Friendship.
In Moscow, this holiday is distinguished by its originality. In the metro, congratulations are heard for all lovers. Most Moscow restaurants add various dishes for lovers and a variety of cocktails with romantic names to their menu.
According to established custom, young men certainly gave gifts to their girls, wrote letters and poems in which they spoke the most intimate words. This tradition came to us back in the Middle Ages and has firmly taken root among us.

It is important to note, that lovers on this day made cards from multi-colored paper and wrote an inscription using multi-colored ink. in the old days, making them was an art. They were decorated with expensive paper and satin fabric. Postcards began to be produced on factory machines not so long ago.

What are the best gifts to give this holiday?

February 14 is the day when there is an extra reason to show attention to your loved one.On this holiday, all lovers try to present small souvenirs or send touching declarations of love. The store has a large assortment of different postcards, so you can immediately purchase ready-made ones or make your own. The main thing here is your imagination. Modern lovers increasingly began to congratulate their other halves with virtual Valentines. In addition to a cute card, you can please your loved one with flowers, usually roses.

In Europe, this day is celebrated with all seriousness and literally every store can offer sweet gifts to lovers - postcards, souvenirs, perfumes, sweets, jewelry in the form of beautiful hearts.

Date of Valentine's Day 2018 does not change, all lovers will be able to celebrate this wonderful holiday on February 14th.If many are interested in the day of the holiday, it will be Tuesday. However, When is Valentine's Day 2018, this is not particularly important since it is not an official holiday.

There are many different stories about this holiday. Its history begins in the Middle Ages, thanks to the romantic movement in literature.

History of the holiday.

This is the legend he presents to us, which explains its occurrence.

It should be notedtraditions of celebrating Valentine's Day 2019year in different parts of the world.

Italians have dubbed this day sweet and present their family and friends with all sorts of sweets and delicacies. Valentine cards are sent in an envelope without a return address.
The British do everything a little differently, except for the usual valentines to their loved ones, they also don’t forget about their pets.
In Denmark, dried white flowers are given as gifts. , and in In Spain, Valentines are sent by carrier pigeons.
In Japan, on this day all male colleagues need to be given chocolate, but in Mexico this wonderful holiday is called the Day of Love and Friendship.
In Moscow, this holiday is distinguished by its originality. In the metro, congratulations are heard for all lovers. Most Moscow restaurants add various dishes for lovers and a variety of cocktails with romantic names to their menu.
According to established custom, young men certainly gave gifts to their girls, wrote letters and poems in which they spoke the most intimate words. This tradition came to us back in the Middle Ages and has firmly taken root among us.

What are the best gifts to give this holiday?

In Europe, this day is celebrated with all seriousness and literally every store can offer sweet gifts to lovers - cards, souvenirs, perfumes, sweets, jewelry in the form of beautiful hearts.

Date of Valentine's Day in 2019 does not change, all lovers will be able to celebrate this wonderful holiday on February 14th.If many are interested in the day of the holiday, it will be Tuesday. However, When is Valentine's Day 2019, this is not particularly important since it is not an official holiday.

Valentine's Day is a romantic and touching holiday for all couples in love. Now, in 2019, it has become very popular to celebrate Valentine's Day, this year is no exception. Lovers traditionally give each other gifts and special heart-shaped cards – valentines. This holiday came to our country from the West and has its own history.

Valentine's Day has traditionally been celebrated every February 14th for over sixteen centuries. On this day, lovers confess their love to each other, show various signs of attention and give gifts that indicate their feelings.

In our country, this holiday began to be celebrated everywhere quite recently, but with what pleasure. After all, this is an excellent reason to once again confess your love to someone dear to you. Young people especially like this holiday.

One legend says that the Roman Emperor Claudius II, who lived in the 3rd century AD, issued a decree prohibiting marriages. He believed that the family would distract the legionnaires from the war.

But a certain priest Valentin, contrary to the imperial will, secretly married couples in love, for which he was arrested and sentenced to death. The jailer's daughter fell in love with Valentin and he also responded to her feelings, but since they could not see each other, they wrote letters to each other.

On February 14, the day of execution, the priest sent his beloved the last note signed “From Valentine.” This is where the name of the cards came from - Valentines.

According to another legend, it is believed that the head of the prison learned about Valentine’s healing abilities and brought his blind daughter Julia to him. On the day of his execution, Valentine wrote Julia a farewell love note and enclosed yellow saffron in it. Having opened the letter, the girl began to see clearly.

Another version of the legend is that Valentine's Day originates from pagan times from the holiday of Lupercalia. Even in ancient Rome, Lupercalia was held in honor of the goddess of love Juno Februata and the patron god of herds Faun (Luperca).
Young girls wrote love notes, they were placed in a common urn, and the men began to draw lots. The lucky person who took out one of these notes had to court the one who wrote it.

This holiday is a little similar to Ivan Kupala Day, which was celebrated in Rus'. During it, young people put wreaths on their heads, danced in circles, jumped over the fire, sang songs and got to know each other better.

Valentine's Day is a Catholic holiday

He came to us quite recently, but in this short period of time he managed to fall in love with many. Despite the fact that this holiday is celebrated on a frosty winter day - February 14, when in our country there is real winter weather, frost is cracking and snowstorms are blowing, the atmosphere on this day is very hot.

As if at the behest of a romantic Valentine, on this day even the most serious and busy people find time to smile, remember their soulmate and remind them of their love.

Happy Valentine's Day is congratulated to everyone around, because not a single person can live without love, regardless of his gender, age, sexual orientation and social status.

Catholics have a lot of legends, beliefs, and rituals associated with this day. It is believed that on this day Valentine descends from heaven and unites all the halves who roam the world in search of each other. Traditionally, February 14 is considered the day of romantic acquaintances, declarations of love and, of course, weddings.

A couple who gets married on this day will be under the patronage of St. Valentine all their lives. Their relationship will be reliably protected from quarrels, conflicts and misunderstandings, and love will always reign in their home!

Also on this day, not a single declaration of love goes unanswered. Lovers on this day are especially eloquent, passionate and attractive. If on Valentine's Day you give the object of your adoration a Valentine's card with an ardent declaration of love, he will definitely respond to your feelings. And if your relationship has already been tested, then a romantic card in the shape of a heart will become a talisman against separation.

Since ancient times, people have noticed that on February 14, despite the frost, one can already feel the approach of spring, especially since this Catholic holiday falls exactly on the Orthodox Maslenitsa week. On this day, according to popular belief, birds begin to look for a mate to breed future offspring. In order to find out what your betrothed will be like, you need to look at the sky.

Seeing a sparrow on this day is a sign of a poor, but kind and affectionate spouse. Crow is a sign of a tight-fisted spouse, with a complex character, but very wealthy. Magpie, on the contrary, foreshadows a generous and loving spouse. The bullfinch denotes a romantic but frivolous admirer. The happiest sign on Valentine's Day is the goldfinch - it is a symbol of a millionaire spouse!

In Europe and America, many rituals are associated with Valentine's Day. On this day you can tell fortunes about your betrothed, as well as practice divination. One of the easiest ways to find your one or only one.

On the night of February 13-14, you need to wash your face with cold water, comb your hair and, falling asleep, say the spell: “On Valentine’s Day, I’m waiting for the second half!” You can also make a romantic wish by placing a Valentine card under your pillow and present it to your lover or sweetheart in the morning.

Traditions of Valentine's Day in different countries

In the Middle Ages in England there was a widespread custom of choosing your “Valentine”. The young people gathered, wrote the names of the girls on pieces of parchment and drew lots. The girl whose name fell to the young man became his “Valentina” for the whole year, and he became her “Valentine”. The young man composed poems in honor of his “Valentina”, played the lute for her, accompanied her everywhere, in a word, acted like a real textbook knight.

To this day, the custom of dressing children in adult clothes has been preserved in Britain. Children in disguise go from house to house, singing songs about St. Valentine and congratulating all the lovers.

In Wales, according to a holiday tradition, lovers give their chosen ones “love spoons” carved from wood, decorated with keyholes, keys and hearts. The key and keyhole mean "I will find a way to your heart."

The gallant and loving French were the first to introduce the custom of writing love quatrains on Valentine cards, and in France it is customary to give jewelry to loved ones on Valentine's Day. They also hold competitions for the longest kiss and the longest serenade.

In Italy, February 14 is called “Sweet Day” because it is customary to give only sweets and on this day carefree Italians shower each other with sweets, and “Valentines” are sent by mail in a pink envelope without a return address and sealed with a kiss.

In Denmark, people usually send dried white flowers to each other; in Spain, a message sent by carrier pigeon is considered the height of grace and ardent passion.

In America, every house has a mailbox decorated with hearts, into which anyone can send their message. Here in Russia, “Valentines” are given in person, breaking all traditions and rituals.

Balanced Poles, instead of various madnesses, like to visit the Poznan metropolis on this day, where, according to legend, the relics of St. Valentine rest, and above the main altar there is an icon that is considered miraculous and can help even with the most insoluble love problems.

The German tradition of celebrating Valentine's Day is somewhat strange - for them, St. Valentine is the patron saint of mental patients. On this day, Germans decorate psychiatric hospitals with scarlet ribbons, and special services are held in churches. Perhaps the Germans consider love a temporary insanity. If you see a decorated building in Germany in winter, don’t be surprised - it’s a psychiatric clinic.

Valentines

Nowadays, a valentine is a card given to a loved one on Valentine's Day. The first valentines appeared in the Middle Ages, when lovers spoke or sang words of love to each other. Written valentines appeared in the 15th century. The oldest of them, supposedly dating back to the 15th century, is on display in the British Museum.

Paper Valentines used to be exchanged instead of gifts. They gained particular popularity in England. They were made from colored paper and signed with colored ink. The ingenuity of lovers in creating valentines knew no bounds.

The most talented ones wrote valentines in the form of an acrostic - this is a poetic meter when the first letters of each stanza together form a meaningful word, in this case the name of the beloved.

Valentines were cut out with small scissors or pierced with small pins in the form of lace, painted through a stencil, created as a valentine puzzle or rebus, or imitated a medieval manuscript with color drawings. At the beginning of the 19th century, mass production of valentines began. At first these were black and white drawings, hand-drawn in a factory. Modern lovers are increasingly congratulating each other with virtual valentines.

How to congratulate and what to give

This part of the article mainly relates to the male half of readers, since it contains a huge list of gifts that girls and women want to receive on Valentine's Day. We hope it will be useful to our readers.

Bouquet of flowers

Much more prosaic, you might say, but no! Although red roses are considered to be a symbol of love, do not forget about an individual approach. Your girlfriend loves daisies – wouldn’t it be a feat to find them in February? Or maybe snowdrops are delicate spring flowers, or orchids are exquisite creations of nature. Choose carefully. And the main thing is not the quantity, but the love with which the bouquet will be decorated and presented.

There is such an idea. In online stores, before the holiday, very interesting and unusual bouquets appear. In addition to flowers, they contain candies and various sweets. And there are whole sets where a chic wicker basket contains a bottle of wine or champagne, fruits, sweets and flowers. What a gift! Just a gentleman's set for your beloved.

Hobby gift

Does your boyfriend love cigars? Give him a luxury set of cigars. Just check in advance what scent he prefers so he doesn’t blush later. Or maybe your favorite avid car enthusiast, please him with a GPS navigation system, a special set of tools, or, as a last resort, a heart-shaped interior fragrance.

Now about the girls. Your betrothed loves to knit - a knitting set could be a gift; she loves to take baths - give her a bath set with aromatic oils, foams and various bath accessories; she loves indoor plants - pick a cute flower in a pot or a funny “grass hairy”, which, with proper care, will constantly remind you of you.

The best gift is one made by yourself

A friend of mine who makes custom furniture gave his wife a dressing table with a mirror for Valentine's Day that she had been dreaming about for a long time. 8 years have passed, and she still remembers this particular holiday.

One of my former colleagues received a scarf hand-knitted by her as a gift from his girlfriend. And he still wears it! It's simple, the main thing is to guess the desires of your other half!

From the forums

I made my choice in favor of a small picture embroidered with my own hands. The most pleasant and surprising thing is that before this I had no idea about satin stitch and cross stitch, but a great desire to surprise my husband took over. For several days I talked on forums with girls for whom embroidery is a favorite hobby. They encouraged me, gave me a lot of useful advice and helped me choose the appropriate scheme

When I framed my little creation, I realized that if you want to give joy, nothing is impossible. Two ginger kittens, holding one common glass of sparkling champagne, looked at me at arm's length...

Heart as a gift

We are talking about the attributes of this holiday - souvenirs in the shape of hearts. And it’s not just valentines, the choice of which is now incredibly huge. You can give a heart pendant or a keychain consisting of two halves: one for her, the other for you.

Or you can give your other half a sofa pillow in the shape of a heart, on which it will be comfortable for him to watch football, or a blanket with hearts, which will warm her when you are not around. Any small souvenir will do, for example, 2 angels or 2 doves; it is advisable that such a gift be a pair.

Let it become a symbol of your couple's love. And also, according to the teachings of Feng Shui, a paired figurine in the house enhances the energy of union, marriage, and love.

From the forums

You will need a heart-shaped cupcake mold and a piece of glycerin soap of your favorite color and scent. A bar of soap is cut into pieces, placed in a mold (you can crumble it in different colors), you can add aromatic oils.

The mold is placed in the microwave on the low icon for about 3 minutes (until the soap pieces liquefy), removed and left to cool. Once cooled, remove the soap heart from the mold and tie it with a ribbon.

Practical gifts

These include all kinds of jewelry, fashionable women's perfumes, expensive underwear, leather and fur products. Well, which girl would refuse a mink or fox coat on Valentine's Day? I don't think there are any like that. You can party and take your soulmate to warmer climes, enjoy the sea, the sun and the exotic.

Original gifts

In my opinion, this is the most memorable and valuable gift. All you need to do is turn on your imagination. If you do not have one, read the previous paragraphs.

So, an original gift would be a painting with rhinestones, musical candles, a glass rose with the name of your beloved, a tattoo with hers (although this may be too much). Another option is underwear with prints of your names, photos or hearts. A very beautiful gift - glowing glasses. They light up when touched; it will be very romantic to drink your favorite drink from them together on this day.

Or you can order a romantic song about your love on the radio. Such a gift will touch the soul of any girl. Give your beloved a chest of compliments - put small postcards with compliments in a regular chest, the main thing is that they are not banal and must be addressed only to your significant other.

Also, original gifts include a “VIP card for use by you.” You can make it in the form of a club card indicating that he or she is given the exclusive right to receive the most tender kisses and caresses from you all year round and that it is she (he) who receives the right to fulfill any two of your desires. You can come up with any text; it is advisable to laminate the card and attach it to a bouquet of flowers.

Our employee decided to congratulate the lady of the heart in advance. In the snow under her balcony, in red paint in huge letters, he wrote: “Natasha, how I love you!” They even showed it on the local news!

You can give gifts on Valentine's Day not only to your loved ones, but also to all the people who are dear and indifferent to you. Your child, parents, and good friends will definitely be happy with your Valentine. By the way, according to an unspoken tradition, you cannot give valentines from hand to hand and you cannot sign them either. The main note of this holiday is intrigue.

My friend's boyfriend gave me a gold bracelet for Valentine's Day. But how! In the morning he served coffee in bed, all as expected, served with flowers. And the bracelet was wound around a teaspoon and hidden in a sugar bowl. The guy offered sugar to taste, and the friend was simply stunned by such a surprise.

Original celebration scenarios

Who said that a romantic dinner is old and banal? You will never get tired of an evening together by candlelight, a light dinner, a warm atmosphere and gentle words, so don’t be lazy, organize an evening together, with candles, good wine, and a soulful romantic film.

There can be many different ways to celebrate the holiday. Go to the cinema, to a winter snow-covered park, to your favorite restaurant. You can order a sauna for the evening. No, no, no need to grin. Imagine a jacuzzi with aroma oils, a floor strewn with rose petals, champagne, your favorite song. A great option to spend an evening in the company of your loved one.

If you are going to celebrate Valentine's Day at home, you can play with this too. Cover your room with thousands of handmade hearts. Decorate the house with balloons, tie a declaration of love to each of them; the ideal option would be a declaration in verse.
Make an evening in oriental style - with gatherings on the floor in pillows, with traditional sushi and aroma lamps. Give your loved one a belly dance.
Have a romantic dinner on the roof of your house. Stars, sky, snow, hot mulled wine, warm blanket and even silence, but together!

An alternative to Valentine's Day for the Orthodox

Day of Family, Love and Fidelity – July 8

In Russia, where any Western influence is constantly seen as aggression against the empire, the church has proposed an alternative to Valentine's Day. Namely, the celebration of the Day of Saints Peter and Fevronia. Here's the legend:

Murom was ruled in the 13th century by the pious Prince Peter and his wife Fevronia. The only saints in Rus' who have long been revered by our people as the patrons of marital love and family happiness and, in fact, represent an example of an ideal family about which legends were made.

The story of their love is described in detail in the ancient Russian “Tale of Peter and Fevronia”. In old age, the couple took monasticism. And, having lived a long life in love and harmony, they died in one hour. These saints have long been considered the patrons of family and marriage, therefore, on the day of their memory - July 8 - it is proposed to establish a new holiday, which, by the way, was widely celebrated until 1917.

Ivan Kupala Day - on the night of July 6-7

Before Christianity was adopted in Rus', the holiday of Kupala was celebrated on the day of the summer solstice (June 22). But after this day was dedicated to John the Baptist, the celebration was moved to June 24, and many peasants began to call it Ivan’s Day.

We celebrate Ivan Kupala on July 7, which is due to the transition to the Gregorian calendar. That is why we can say that the primary meaning of the holiday has been almost completely lost, because it no longer falls on the summer solstice. In some European countries, Ivan Kupala is celebrated from June 20 to June 24.

On the day of Ivan Kupala, all people wove wreaths and capes from flowers, danced in circles, sang funny songs and burned bonfires. Of course, each ritual had its own secret meaning and was carried out for a specific purpose. A burning wheel mounted on a pole in the middle of the fire symbolized the sun and fertility.

During the day, unmarried girls wove various wreaths of wild flowers to release them on the water in the evening. To this day, many believe that a wreath floating on the water will show where the future husband lives. The sinking wreath symbolized that the betrothed no longer loved the girl and would marry another.

Don't forget that any holiday is a vivid reminder of something very important in our lives. On such days, we synchronize our “watches” with our loved ones and our ancestors (honoring them and paying tribute). This means that work on feelings and relationships must be ongoing!

That's all I wanted to tell you about Valentine's Day, and whether or not to celebrate it is a personal matter for everyone, although there are countries in the world where this holiday is not welcomed. In Arab countries, especially Saudi Arabia, it is believed that such Western traditions have a bad influence on young people. The country even has a state commission that strictly controls the ban on trade in souvenirs, flowers and other holiday paraphernalia and imposes large fines for violations.

A holiday that is eagerly awaited by all lovers - from schoolchildren to the elderly, a holiday when touching confessions are sure to be heard and cherished wishes come true, a holiday filled with love and tenderness - Valentine's Day. It’s not for nothing that it received its second name – Valentine’s Day, because this most anticipated day of February is dedicated to love. Read about when Valentine's Day is celebrated in 2018, about the history of the holiday, about its traditions and customs.

The holiday dedicated to love and being in love is celebrated at the end of winter, on February 14th. Regardless of the year or day of the week, Valentine's Day always falls on the same date. Of course, if a holiday falls on a weekday, this creates some inconvenience. However, the emotions that fill the day more than compensate for all the difficulties. In addition, according to established tradition, the main events on this day take place in the evening.

history of the holiday

According to most historians, the holiday is inextricably linked with the name of the Christian martyr Valentine, who lived in the 3rd century. n. e. The saint’s story was first recounted in the “Golden Legend,” a collection of Christian legends and instructive stories from the lives of saints and great martyrs. The legend of Valentine spread in the Middle Ages in Europe, primarily England and France, and then the tradition of celebrating Valentine’s Day as a holiday for all lovers arose.

The story itself about the saint and martyr sounds like this. At the dawn of the Christian era (more precisely, in the 3rd century AD), Emperor Claudius II banned marriages in the country. The cruel ruler believed that an unmarried man would fight more courageously for his emperor if his wife and children did not stand behind him. A warrior, according to Claudius, must love only his Caesar and always be ready to die for him. And the family will become an extra burden, a married man will think about his family, and will fight with less courage. Having considered this idea, the emperor passed a law according to which both men and women could not marry before reaching a certain age.

Valentine was an ordinary field doctor assigned to the army of Claudius II, treating soldiers on the battlefield. Professing Christianity, Valentin accepted the priesthood in order to be able to heal not only the bodies, but also the souls of soldiers. One day, under the cover of darkness, a young couple approached him - a legionnaire from Claudius’s army and a young girl - and asked him to marry according to Christian custom. Knowing that he was violating the imperial order, Valentin could not refuse the lovers and called them husband and wife. Following the first couple, a second appeared, then a third... and gradually the saint became not only a doctor, but also the only priest who dared to marry lovers.

After some time, the authorities became aware of the violation of the order, and Valentin was put in prison. The emperor himself, having learned about his activities, sentenced the priest to death. While in prison, Valentin met a girl, Yulia, the daughter of the warden. The girl was so beautiful that Valentin fell in love with her, but knowing that death awaited him, he did not dare to tell her about his feelings. And only on the night before the execution - February 14 - Valentin wrote her a small letter of declaration of love. Julia read it after the priest’s death. So the note with recognition became the first Valentine.

Holiday traditions

The most important, the most important tradition of Valentine's Day is the presentation of valentines, small cards with warm wishes inside. Today, a Valentine card is not only a recognition of a reverent feeling, but also words of friendship, support, an expression of sympathy and gratitude. They give heart cards to lovers, best friends, girlfriends, parents, children - everyone for whom they have warm feelings.

Often a souvenir is given along with the card - a plush toy, a ceramic figurine, chocolate, candy, jewelry and funny trinkets. Lovers give gifts of more weight - from souvenirs to jewelry.