In recent years, Russia has become popular overseas holiday, Valentine's Day. So, who was Saint Valentine, and went from modern customs and traditions? How did this holiday?

Valentine

In recent years, Russia has become popular overseas holiday, Valentine's Day. So, who was Saint Valentine, and went from modern customs and traditions? How did this holiday?

Today the Catholic Church recognizes three different saints, martyrs, named Valentine (Valentine) or Valentinus (Valentinus). Valentine's Day got its name in the VII century, though in fact it was celebrated long before. Now this day is celebrated in many countries, but the origin of the holiday is not known to many.

According to one theory, many years ago, a Christian priest named Valentine made a Roman emperor banned wedding ceremony, for which he was executed on February 14. Since then, he is the patron saint of lovers.

Another legend relates to the time when Rome was pagan. It tells the story of the Christian preacher Valentine was imprisoned for his faith and for the fact that in front of all her daughter jailer gave her sight. He was sentenced to death, and 13 February, the day before the execution, he sent her a tender farewell letter.

Another legend combines the previous two. It is said that Valentine being a bishop of Terni, showed the young lovers a special arrangement - helped write letters with declarations of love, reconciled quarreling, gave flowers to young couples. His arrest was allegedly caused by the fact that the Roman Emperor Julius Claudius II (Emperor Claudius II) did not allow the soldiers to the imperial legions, fall in love and marry, deciding that the best soldier can be only a soldier who has no wife, no kids, and Valentine secretly crowned Legionnaires. Valentine defied the emperor and continued to perform wedding ceremonies for young people, keeping secret the fact of the marriage. When this became known, the Emperor ordered the execution of a priest. According to legend Valentine actually sent the first self "Valentine." While in prison, Valentine fell in love with a young girl, the daughter of his jailer, who brought him food and visited him during the prison. Before his death, as stated in the legend, he wrote her a letter, signed "From your Valentine" (From your Valentine) - an expression that is used in "Valentine" in the West to this day. Otcyuda and otkpytki - "Valentine", and CAM ppazdnik.

Taking a painful death, the abbot Valentine was canonized, in the 5th century AD, Pope Gelasius declared February 14 St. Valentine's Day. His relics are stored to this day, is stored in the Scottish city of Glasgow in the Roman Catholic Church of the Blessed John Dance's in one of the limits in a special niche. February 14, thousands of people of all ages come here and ask for Valentine kneeling on love.

Valentine's Day is celebrated, recalling the anniversary of the death of a saint, or the date of his funeral, which, according to historical records, there were about 270 AD. Since Valentine's lovers revere and consider him their patron.

More historically grounded version is the claim that the Christian church began to celebrate Valentine's Day in the middle of February in an attempt to "Christianize" the celebration of the ancient pagan festival Luperci. It is no secret that in the same 5th century AD in this way to the place of Saturnalia was "assigned" Christmas. In ancient Rome Luperci was the official beginning of spring and was considered the beginning of spiritual purification.

At this time in the homes carried out the ritual of cleaning: home sweep, then sprinkled with salt and wheat, called "spelt." Pagan festival devoted Luperci fertility and abundance and pagans celebrated on February 15.

Since the festival Luperci, adherents of paganism were to gather at the sacred cave where Romulus and Remus, as kids, were rescued wolf called Lupa. On this day, all the young women wrote their names on pieces of parchment and threw them into a large vessel. Each of the city's bachelors would choose a piece of parchment with a name, thus becoming a match for the woman in the current year. Such alliances often ended in marriage.

In the year 498, when the pope declared a day of St. Valentine, a Roman pagan Lottery romantic meeting was canceled and was considered illegal and anti-Christian. Later, in the Middle Ages, it was widely believed that the February 14 season starts chirping birds.

In memory of a letter written to his beloved Valentine, this day decided to give each other greeting cards - "Valentine" - in the form of hearts, with best wishes, declarations of love, marriage proposals or just jokes. Written "Valentine" appeared in XV century.

The most ancient "Valentine" that exists today was written by Charles Duke of Orleans to his wife while he was imprisoned in the Tower of London, after the defeat at the Battle of Aginkurte. Letter, which was written in 1415, can be seen today in the British Museum in London.

In the UK, Valentine's Day began to celebrate in the seventeenth century. By the mid-eighteenth century, widespread sharing between friends and lovers, small signs of love and gifts with inscriptions. By the end of the century cards replaced letters. Paper "Valentine" were especially popular in England, they were made out of colored paper and signed with colored ink, cut or punctured small pins in the form of lace, dyed through a stencil. At the beginning of XIX century the mass production of "valentines."

Modern lovers are increasingly congratulate each other virtual "valentines." In addition to "Valentine", in this day to give your loved ones flowers, mostly roses.

According to the American Association of Greeting Cards is that every year in the world except Eastern Europe, sent to one billion "valentines", making Valentine's Day the second largest holiday after Christmas and New Year on the number of cards sent. About 85% of "valentines" bought by women.

In Europe, this day is marked "very seriously" - postcards, souvenirs, perfume, candy, jewelry in the form of red hearts literally stank shops. And of course, red roses - symbol of love. And the faces of the people who have thrown off the mask of respectability boring, become open, joyful, more human. Every people celebrate Valentine's Day in different ways. The British, for example, in this day send love letters not only friends, but also their pets.

Yapontsy same okazalic bolee Attractive - they are normally pepedelali 14 February in cvoeobpaznoe "8 March for the men," kogda podapki poluchaet in ocnovnom Strongly Underfloor. In some countries, married women give beloved clothes. If she accepted the gift, so she agrees to marry this man.

In Russia, the holiday has come relatively recently: the most massive and open it became celebrated since the early 1990's. January 15, 2003 City Hall, and the Bishop of Terni gave sanctuary - the relics of St. Valentine - Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Alexy II. The initiative belongs to the rector of the cathedral of the Italian city of Terni Bishop Vincenzo Paglia. According to him, the event - "the gift of brotherly love." Russian Orthodox Church celebrates the memory of Saint Valentine on August 12. In Russia, the patrons of old family and marriage are considered Saints Peter and Fevronia and parents Sergius - Saints Cyril and Mary.

In conclusion I would like to quote the words of the poet Vladimir Vysotsky

"I love the field bed,

let him sing in his sleep and waking,

I breathe - and that means I love you!

I love it - and so I live

Дата добавления: 2015-11-05