Valentine’s Day is celebrated in many countries worldwide. We are not really sure exactly how Valentine’s day originated, but legend has it that it started with St Valentine, a Roman priest who was martyred on or around February 14 in the year 270 CE. How he became the patron saint of lovers is a mystery, but there is a theory that the ancient churches started using the day of St Valentine’s martyrdom to christianize an old Roman pagan festival called Lupercalia, which was also held mid February.
Lupercalia was an ancient ceremony which is said to have involved putting girls’ names in a box and letting the boys draw them out. The new couples would then be paired off until the following year. The Christian church did not particulalry accept this tradition, and instead substituted saints’ names for girls’ names in hope that the participant would model his life after the saint whose name he drew. However, it appears that over time, communities changed back to once again having girls’ names put in the box, In the middle ages, young men and women drew names from a bowl to see who their valentines would be, and they would then wear these names on their sleeves for one week.
This continued and developed over the centuries, and eventually the custom of sending anonymous cards or messages to those whom one admired became the accepted way of celebrating Valentine’s Day. Valentine’s Day has become increasingly popular in Australia over the years, particularly during the late 20th century, and it continues to be observed among many Australians to day.
There are many ways to celebrate Valentine’s Day, some people take their loved one for a very romantic dinner, while many young couples choose this ‘romantic’ day to propose or actually get married. Many people give greeting cards, chocolates, jewelry or flowers, particularly red roses, to their partners on Valentine’s Day.
In some cultures it is also a time to appreciate friends, Valentine’s Day in Finland refers to “Friend’s day”, which is more about remembering all friends rather than focusing solely on romance. Valentine’s Day in Guatemala is known as Day of Love and Friendship which is similar to Valentine’s Day customs and traditions in countries such as Australia and the US, but it is also a time for many to show their appreciation for their friends.
♥♥ It is interesting to note that in America, 15 percent of women send themselves flowers on Valentine’s Day! Teachers receive the most valentines, followed by kids, mothers, wives and sweethearts. More than one-third of men would prefer not receiving a gift. Less than 20 percent of women feel the same way!! ♥♥
