The origin of Valentine's Day - Legend 1
It is said that the tyrants at that time forced young men to enlist in the army. In order to avoid military service, the men used marriage as an excuse. In anger, the tyrant banned marriage and even romance, forcing young men to join the army.
Valentine deeply sympathized with this and risked his own life to solemnly host the wedding for his lover. Later the incident was revealed and Valentine was arrested and executed. In order to commemorate Valentine's heroic deeds, the world worshiped him as the patron saint of lovers, and designated his martyrdom day - February 14th as "Saint Valentine's Day". After many years of circulation, it became today's day. Valentine's Day.
The origin of Valentine's Day - Legend 2
There is also a legend that Valentine's Day evolved from the ancient Romans' Lubogali Festival.
This festival is dedicated to Juno, the patron saint of shepherds and villagers.
The note with a sexual name, as a lover, and this woman is called Valentine. This custom continued to spread in Europe, and until the twentieth century, the rituals of this festival were still retained.
The Origin of Valentine's Day - Legend Three
Another theory of the origin of Valentine's Day is related to nature.
Legend has it that in the past, in the UK, all birds would mate and court on February 14th, such as blackbirds, partridges, etc., all courting in February. Therefore, humans also believe that February 14th is a good day for the birth of all things in spring, which represents the beginning of youthful life. They also follow the example of birds in choosing a partner on February 14th.
Some people say that it originated in the 3rd century AD. At that time, because Christianity held a negative attitude towards the rule of the Roman Empire and did not recognize the worship of the Roman emperor, it was brutally suppressed and persecuted by the imperial government. There was a Christian named Valentine who was arrested for publicly condemning Rome's suppression of Christianity and calling on believers to revolt. In prison, he suffered inhuman torture, but still persisted in his beliefs. The warden's daughter, a beautiful and gentle girl, was impressed by his awe-inspiring righteousness and fell in love with him. Since then, the two have often been in the dark. In the humid dark prison, they exchanged heartfelt messages and vowed to make each other's love a life of love.
However, in that dark era, it was difficult for lovers to get married. Because Valentine would rather die than surrender, the Roman government issued a death sentence against him. Before his execution, he wrote a long letter to his lover, expressing his undying love for her and his difficulty in giving up his faith for the sake of love. Then he rushed to the execution ground and died in awe. This day happens to be February 14, 270 AD.
After Valentine's death, the girl was distraught and cried bitterly on her lover's body. Everyone who saw it was sad and shed tears. In order to commemorate this unforgettable day and express their best wishes for all lovers in the world to get married, Christians and young men and women designate February 14th as Valentine's Day, also known as "Love Selection Day". Since Valentine is regarded as a "saint" by Christianity, it is also called "St. Valentine's Day".
Some people say that there is another saint named Valentine in Christianity. During the Roman Empire, Christianity was considered illegal and could not be practiced openly. This Valentine ignored the ban and secretly held a wedding ceremony in the church for lovers who believed in Jesus Christ. He was arrested after the incident and died in prison. Believers said that he became the "patron saint" of love after his death, so Valentine's Day was established to commemorate him.
However, more people believe that Valentine’s Day has nothing to do with these two Christian saints named Valentine, but comes directly from the Lupercalia in ancient Rome.
In Roman mythology, Faunus, the god of fauns, is also the god of forests and wilderness, and the protector of livestock and herdsmen. He can help shepherds wash away their sins, bless their crops, and protect their herds from wolves. But he is also a dissolute god. Usually, he lives freely in the forests and wilderness, using his magic power to lure every woman he meets to have sex with him, and even has sex with all the animals he meets. Speaking of which, Valentine's Day, which is full of warmth, actually has sex with this kind of woman. It's hilarious that there is a connection to primitive, vulgar sex worship.
According to legend, the Festival of Lupercalia commemorating Faunus was initiated by Romulus, the famous ancestor of Rome who founded the city of Rome. On February 14 of a certain year during his reign, he held the first ceremony of Faunus in a cave on the Palatine Hill (later known as the "Cave of the Faun"), the sacred place of the Roman gods. Sacrificial ceremony to pray for his blessings on the Roman people. This was the first Lupercalia.
The sacrificial ceremony of Lupercalia has ancient religious and mythological colors. On this day, people offered dogs and goats to Faunus because the legendary Shepherd had sheep's feet, and dogs represented guarding the sheep. After the sacrifice, the participants would run around the Palatine naked, holding whips made from the sheepskin of the sacrificed sheep, and whip every woman they met. The women were not only willing to be beaten, but also scrambled to squeeze under the whip. They believe that this is communication with the Goddess of Shepherd, and that being beaten will help them have more children. When ancient Rome was founded, the population was sparse, and encouraging population growth was an important policy. This kind of whipping was a unique religious ritual that combined multiplication magic and apology that was popular at the time. This is combined with the ancient people's belief that the ultimate goal of love and marriage is to have multiple pregnancies, and thus has something to do with love. In fact, no matter how incomprehensible the festivals and concepts of Lupercalia seem to today's people, they all represent a kind of love and marriage. The prayer for a better life is thus passed down from generation to generation. Later, in the continuous innovation of the Lupercalia ceremony, people added a new game, namely: setting up a lottery tube filled with lottery cards with the girls' names written on them. The young man can choose one at will, and whoever he draws will be his lover. Lupercalia gradually evolved into Valentine's Day. Until the 16th century AD, Valentine's Day still retained the remnants of the "celestial marriage" of drawing lots, but no longer used a lottery tube. Instead, on February 14th, young people would The first person of the opposite sex he saw who was similar to his own age became his lover. In Shakespeare's immortal play "Hamlet", the heroine Ophelia falls in love with the young and handsome Hamlet and wants to be the first to appear at her sweetheart's window. She expressed her feelings and said: "Tomorrow is Valentine's Day. Everyone should get up early, look at me at your window, and be your sweetheart."
As for today's Valentine's Day, there are religious and religious overtones. The custom of conducting mysterious rituals to the God of Shepherd has long since disappeared, and it has become a veritable "Love Selection Day", an international festival for lovers to express their feelings to each other, a warm, sweet and humane day. On this day, unique lovers' dances are organized in universities and clubs. Shops are filled with various heart-shaped ornaments, such as heart-shaped chocolate candy boxes, tulip bouquets, various fabrics embroidered with heart-shaped patterns, and patterns. The refurbished Valentine's Day cards, even in TV and movies, are all about love stories. All walks of life and all walks of life are trying their best to allow couples to have a holiday of fun and love.
For those infatuated men and women who have feelings for each other but are usually too shy to talk about it, Valentine's Day is a great time to reveal their innermost secrets. On the night before Valentine's Day, girls gather laurel leaves and stick them on their pillows, hoping to see their beloved in their dreams. In Greek mythology, the sun god Apollo, after his beloved girl Daphne turned into a laurel tree, weaved a laurel wreath from the branches and leaves of the laurel tree and put it on his head. Apollo is the most handsome of the Greek gods. Maybe, girls hope that their "Prince Charming" can be like him! At the same time, the young men cut Valentine's cards into various exquisite handicrafts, such as heart shapes, flower shapes, and more images of the little God of Love in Greek mythology, Eros, bending his bow and setting an arrow. According to the myth, Eros was a perfect shot and whoever he shot would fall in love. It was because he shot the arrow that incited lust to Apollo, and shot the arrow that destroyed love to Daphne, that the famous love tragedy in Greek mythology was caused. Of course, the boys hope that the God of Love will shoot his arrow of love exactly on the bay leaves on the pillows of the girls. From then on, they will be in love and become a couple under the full moon.
Perhaps because Valentine’s Day is so romantic and poetic, its celebration contents are constantly renovated and surprising, and there are more and more stories. For example: In Colorado, the United States, there is a small town called Loveland, which happens to be "the place where lovers live" when translated into Chinese. The post office in the town is unique, specially designed with the image of Eros, the god of love, or printed with short love poems. Postmarks for famous quotes and aphorisms. Therefore, in order to get the postmark of this town, during Valentine's Day, "lovers" from the United States and all over the world try their best to send letters or Valentine's cards here, stamp them with postmarks, and then forward them to their lovers. This is hard work for the staff, who have to deal with tons of mail and letters every February 14th. Later, people gave this town a nickname: Love Headquarters.
In fact, as an international holiday, the scope of Valentine's Day is still expanding. Many young men and women from Eastern countries have also begun to celebrate this day. As the saying goes: "May the ends of the world be together at this time, and may we love each other day and night forever." People also wish that this "Love Selection Day" will be warmer and more romantic. More poetic