History of Valentine's Day

| Friday, January 1, 2010 | History |

Celebration of Fertility in February

Association mid-February with love and fertility had been around since ancients. According to the chronicle of ancient Athenian calendar, the

period between mid-January to mid February is the month Gamelion, which is dedicated to the god the sacred marriage of Zeus and Hera.

In ancient Rome, February 15 is the feast of Lupercalia, a celebration of Lupercus, god of fertility, which represented half-naked and dressed in goat skins. As part of the ritual of purification, the priests' victims Lupercus meyembahkan goats to the god, and then after drinking wine, they will run in Rome jejalanan while carrying the pieces of sheep skin and touching anyone they met. Especially young women will step forward to volunteer because they believe that with that they will be endowed with fertility and can give birth easily.

Feast of the Church

According to the Catholic Encyclopedia (Catholic Encyclopaedia 1908), Valentine's name can refer to at least three martyr or saint (a saint) is different:

* A priest in Rome
* A bishop Interamna (modern Terni)
* A martyr in the Roman province of Africa.

The connection between the three martyrs was the holiday of romantic love is not clear. Even Pope Gelasius I, in the year 496, states that in fact nothing is known about these martyrs, but on February 14 set as a memorial feast day saint Valentine. Some said that Pope Gelasius I deliberately set it to beat the holiday is celebrated Lupercalia on February 15.

Skeletal remains unearthed from the tomb of Saint Hyppolytus he Tibertinus Via near Rome, identified as the corpse St. Valentinus. Then placed in a gold coffin and sent to the church Whitefriar Street Carmelite Church in Dublin, Ireland. The body has been given to them by Pope Gregory XVI in 1836. Many tourists now visit the church which was on Valentine's Day, which carried the gold coffin-wine in a solemn procession and brought to a high altar. On that day a special mass was held and dedicated to the young people and those who are in a relationship of love.

This holiday is removed from the ecclesiastical calendar in 1969 as part of a broader effort to erase the saints muasalnya origin can be questioned and it is only based on the legend. But this party is still celebrated in certain parishes.

Valentinus

Agnosticism science teacher Valentinus influential, is a candidate for bishop of Rome in 143. In his teachings, wedding bed has a major place in the version of Christian Love. The emphasis is much different from the concept ... in the general Christian religion. Stephan A. Hoeller, an expert, expressed his opinion about Valentinus about this: "In addition to the sacrament of baptism, confirmation, Eucharist, priesthood and oil, the flow of gnosis prominent Valentinus also emphasized two great and mysterious sacraments called 'redemption of sins" (apolytrosis) and "place wedding "..." [1].

Medieval era

The first record connects the holiday of St. Valentine with romantic love is in the 14th century in England and France, where it is believed that February 14 is the day when the birds looking for a partner for mating. This belief was written in English by the poet Geoffrey Chaucer renowned mid-century 14. He wrote in the story Parlement of Foules (Conversation Bird-Bird) that

For this was sent on Seynt Valentyne's day ( "For this was sent on the day of Saint Valentine")
When every Foul Cometh there to choose his mate ( "When all the birds come there to choose his partner")

In that era for lovers is common to exchange notes on this day and call their partners "Valentine" them. A Valentine card from the 14th century is said to be part of the British Library collection pernaskahan in London. Most likely many of the legends of saints Valentine created in this era. Some of them told me that:

* In the afternoon before the saint Valentine will fall as a martyr (died a martyr), he wrote a little declaration of love he gives to his prison warden who says "From Valentinusmu".
* When the Roman soldiers were forbidden to marry by the Emperor Claudius II, saint Valentine secretly helped marry them.

In most versions of these legends, February 14 connected to a miscarriage as a martyr.

Valentine's Day in the modern era

Valentine's Day may be imported by North America from the United Kingdom, countries that colonize the area. In the United States the first Valentine's card be mass produced printed after the year 1847 by Esther A. Howland (1828 - 1904) of Worcester, Massachusetts. His father owned a bookstore and office supply stores are great and he was inspired to produce the card from a British Valentine card she received. (Since 2001, the Greeting Card Association awards every year issued "Esther Howland Award for a Greeting Card Visionary".)

Valentine's Day tradition in the countries of non-Western

In Japan, Valentine's Day has emerged thanks to large-scale marketing, as a day where women give the men that they loved chocolate candy. But this is not done voluntarily but became a liability, especially for those who work in offices. They give chocolates to their male colleagues, sometimes with huge costs. Chocolate is known as the Giri-choko, from the words giri (obligation) and choco (chocolate). Then thanks to further marketing efforts, a day return, called "White Day" (White Day) appears. On this day (March 14), men who have got chocolate on Valentine's Day is expected to give something back.

In Taiwan, in addition to Valentine's Day and White Day, there was one other holidays that are similar to this second holiday traced from its function. His name is "Girls Day" (Qi Xi). This day was held on day 7, month 7 according to the chronicle Tionghoa kamariyah calendar.

In Indonesia, the cultural exchange between the lovers greeting letter also began to emerge. This culture became popular culture among young people. Form a variety of celebrations, ranging from sharing the love with your spouse, parents, people who are materially disadvantaged, and visited an orphanage where they are needed love of fellow human beings. Shops and the media (TV stations, radio and magazines), especially in big cities in Indonesia to bloom hold events related to Valentine.

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