Valentine's Day

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Valentine’s Day is celebrated in the middle of the shield, on February 14. The day is originally celebrated in remembrance of Saint Valentine who was a bishop in the present Terni in Italy. Candy, flowers, and gifts are exchanged between loved ones across the countries.
What is this mysterious behind Valentine’s Day and why do we celebrate this holiday?

The history of Valentine´s Day is shrouded in mystery. But we do know that February has long been a month of romance.

One legend contents that Valentine was a Christian priest who served during the third century in Rome. He suffered a martyrdeath after that he had defied emperor Claudius prohibition to dedicate young couples, because he thouhgt that single men made better soldiers than those with wives and families, thats why he outlawed marriage for young men.
Valentine realized the injustice of the decree and continued to perform marriages for young lovers in secret. When Valentine´s actions were discovered, Claudius ordered that he was going to be put in prison and executed.
While in prison, Valentine fell in love with the jailors daughter. Before he was executed, he managed to smuggle a card (the first ´valentine´)to the jailors daughter who visited him during his confinement.
Before his death, it is alleged that he wrote her a letter, which he signed “From your Valentine”, an expression that is still in use today.
Although the truth behind the Valentine legends are murky, the stories certainly emphasize his appeal as a sympathetic, heroic, and, most importantly, romantic figure. It is said that Valentine had a habit to pick flowers and give them to couples in love.
From there we got the custom to give each other flowers on Valentine’s Day.
By the Middle Ages, Valentine was one of the most popular saints in England and France.

Some trace it to an ancient Roman festival called Lupercalia,
Some other people link it with an old English belief, that birds choose their mates on February 14.
Valentine’s Day propably came from a combination of all three sources, plus the belief that spring is a time for lovers.

In Great Britain, Valentine´s Day began to be popularly celebrated around the seventeenth century. By the middle of the eighteenth century, it was common for friends and lovers in all social classes to exchange small tokens of affection or handwritten notes. By the end of the century, printed cards began to replace written letters due to improvements in printing technology. Ready-made cards were an easy way for people to express their emotions in a time when direct expression of one´s feelings was discouraged. Cheaper postage rates also contributed to an increase in the popularity of sending Valentine´s Day greetings. Americans probably began exchanging hand-made valentines in the early 1700s.
Approximately 85 percent of all valentines ar...