Valentine’s Day
Posted in Festivals in February, Global Festivals, Valentine's Day on 10. Feb, 2010
Valentine’s Day falls on the 14th of February, it is a day associated with love. It gives people an opportunity to express their feelings and to let the special person in their life know how much he or she is loved.
Among the various stories which circulate regarding its origin, the most popular one is about a priest named Valentine who lived during the reign of the Roman Emperor Claudius II. The Emperor was of the opinion that married men did not make good soldiers so he ordered all the soldiers in his army to remain single. The good priest Valentine however did not agree with the Emperor and performed secret marriages of the soldiers. He was discovered and thrown in the prison by the Emperor. On the eve of his execution, he supposedly wrote the first valentine to his beloved (the jailer’s daughter whom he had befriended while in jail); the letter read”from your valentine”.
From that day onwards people sharing an intimate relationship present each other flowers, chocolates and valentine greeting cards to express their love. Till the 20th century, it was popular among the westerners only but now it is widely celebrated by lovers all over the world.