The Origins of Valentine's Day
Every year February 14th is celebrated as a day for love, exchange
of gifts, promises of eternal passion, and more. The inspired pen
poems inspired by their love and admiration for the women of their
dreams while others just go to shops and buy commercially available
verses.
Valentines means candy, chocolates, perfume, red hearts, balloons,
and more. Have you ever wondered when the celebration first originated?
Well in ancient Rome, February heralded the coming to spring a time
for rejuvenation, fertility, and growth.
In ancient times, Romans celebrated in February a festival to honor
the god of fertility who provided them with progeny and ensured
a god crop. In Rome February 15th was celebrated as the feast of
Lupercalla and Feb 14th as a holiday in honor of Juno the queen
of Roman gods and goddesses. On the eve of Lupercalla a glass jar
was filled to the brim with chits on which were penned the names
of all eligible girls. Then young men would draw a chit each from
the jar and the girl whose name was on the chit would be his partner
for the celebration. This was a method by which ancient Romans introduced
eligible boys and girls to one another.
Much later in the 3rd century BCE when Emperor Claudius II ruled
Rome there lived a priest called Valentine. And when Claudius passed
a decree that young men in his empire were not to marry, Valentine
defied him and used to consecrate marriages secretly. He was sentenced
to death and thrown into prison. While awaiting his execution Valentine
penned a letter to his love and signed it "from your Valentine."
After his death Valentine became a martyr and saint and was popularly
known as St Valentine.
Wonderful legends are woven around Valentine's Day. In Wales young
people exchanged as gifts wooden spoons which were hand carved with
decorations of hearts and key holes. The decorations conveyed "you
hold the key to my heart or you unlock my heart." In other places
women were given gifts of clothes and if they accepted the gift
then it conveyed that they were wiling to marry the man who has
sent the gift.
In 1415, Charles, the Duke of Orleans is known to have penned, from
his prison in the tower of London , what were known as "poetical
amorous addresses" to his wife in France, he is believed to be one
of the earliest creators of valentines.
Just as companies like Hallmark sell cards for Valentines Day in
the 15th century people bought little booklets with verse in them,
they then made their own valentines using the verse to express their
thoughts. For example a valentine could have the hand drawn illustration
of a knight and his lady with Cupid the god of love shooting arrows
into the knight's heart.
In the US it was after 1723, that popularity of the celebration
grew. People imported the "booklets of verse" all the way from England
and copied the verses on to gilt edged papers. Then a Ms. Ester
Howard in around 1830 decided to be original and create American
Valentines that were marketed as Worcester Valentines.
Since then with changing centuries and tastes the celebration has
taken on new hues with young men and women, children, as well as
older couples creating newer ways to celebrate and declare their
undying love.
Paul Wilson is a freelance writer for www.1888PressRelease.com/Lifestyle-0-24.html, the premier website to Submit Free Press Release for any announcements including launching of new product or services, new website, announcing new hires, sponsoring a special event or seminar and more. He also freelances for www.1888Articles.com/love-articles-178_19.html
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