Valentine's Day
Valentine's Day
Our info on the origin of Valentine's Day
Valentine's Day is the feast of lovers! Valentine's Day is a traditional holiday in Anglo-Saxon countries, but it has only experienced real development in France since the 1980s.
As with most festivals, the origins of Valentine's Day are not certain, but the majority of historians agree that this festival has its origin in ancient Rome. For the rest, opinions differ widely on the origin of Valentine's Day.
Is the Lupercalia Festival the ancestor of Valentine's Day?
The Romans celebrated Lupercalia from February 13 to 15. It was a celebration of purification symbol of sharing where one sacrificed a goat in a cave to symbolize fertility. It was also given in honor of the god of herds and shepherds and marked the end of winter. In 494, Pope Gélas 1er will ban this celebration. He takes Valentine's Day as patron saint of lovers and sets up a day to pay tribute to him: February 14!
Who is Valentin de Terni or Saint Valentine?
Valentin de tarni, better known as Saint Valentin is a monk who refused to submit to the borrower Claude II Le Gothique. At the time, the emperor Claude II wanted to prohibit marriage to avoid that men are tempted to stay with their fiancées rather than to go to war. Valentin de Terni continued to marry couples and challenged the authority of the emperor. He was then imprisoned! It was there that he met his jailer's daughter: Julia, a blind girl.
She asked Valentin to describe the world to her. By dint of meetings and exchanges, they fell in love until a miracle happened: Julia regained her sight! This miracle was shared and relayed everywhere. So much so that Claude II Le Gothique, who did not like Christians, decided to sentence Valentin de Terni to death. He then became a martyr and will be considered Valentine's Day by Pope Gelas I who decided to honor each February 14, in 494.
Who are the three Saints Valentine?
The first Valentine would be a Catholic priest named Valentin who decided to secretly marry the lovers. He was discovered and sent to prison until his death. For some, the martyr Saint Valentine, who was beheaded in 269 in Rome, has been confused with another Valentine celebrated on February 14: the bishop of Terni in Umbria. This saint renowned for his gifts as a healer with young girls and young people.
Rhetie's Valentine's Day is mainly celebrated in Germany. He lived in the 5th century and is represented with an epileptic child lying at his feet.
What is valentine?
It was in the 14th century that we got into the habit of forming a random couple in England. The custom of "Valentinage" was born in the English aristocracy at the end of the Middle Ages. A young girl was associated with a young man and during the day they had obligations to each other. The valentine and his valentine had to secretly offer themselves small gifts and make gallantry. This custom arrived at the Court of Savoy, then it spread in the neighboring regions. The "valentine" was enriched by sending poems from St. Valentine.
When did Valentine's Day arrive in France?
Since the appearance of the valentine at the court of Angletterre in the XIVth century, the Anglo-Saxon Valentines have been sending "Valentines". This custom of exchange of friendship gradually turned into a celebration of lovers. In Anglo-Saxon countries, friends also exchange words of friendship through Valentine's Day Card. Since the 18th century, the custom of sending "valentines" was generalized in Great Britain then, in North America where it took the name of "Valentine's day". The custom spread in Europe with the arrival of the GIs at the end of the Second World War.