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Why is Valentine's day lovers ?

This tradition, dating back to antiquity, continued until today with a host of symbols.

What are the origins of Valentine ?
The feast of love, celebrated the 14 February, is sometimes seen as a superficial and commercial event.
Yet, the tradition of Valentine is well established in France since around 60 % of our citizens each year the famous.
As a result, this day is not like the others for couples.

Here's why the 14 February has become the day of lovers.

Why the 14 February ?
A party dating back to antiquity
The date at which we celebrate St. Valentine is a legacy of ancient Rome. Held all the 15 February, Lupercalia then celebrate Faunus Lupercus, God of fertility, shepherds and herds.
Purification ritual, organized at the end of the Roman year (starting March 1st), this pagan festival takes place so : first of all, the priests sacrificing a goat in the Lupercal cave (on the slope of the Palatine Hill), where, According to the legend, the she-Wolf nursed the founders of Rome, Romulus and Remus. They then coat of young people from noble families of the blood of the sacrifice in a ceremony which symbolizes the purification of the shepherds.

A Christian commemoration
Legend has it that Valentine was instituted by the Church to counter the pagan holidays. The assumption is however attested by any source written at the time. One certain fact : at the end of the 5th century, Lupercalia are one of the last pagan rites still observed in a predominantly Christian Rome.
The Pope Gélase Ier then sends a “letter against the Lupercalia” Senator Andromache, which showed a certain attachment to the traditional party. In this letter, he criticizes the immoral behaviors that occur during this celebaration, mocks the superstitions of the Christians who honor the demons to avoid bad luck and emphasizes that these celebrations did not prevent epidemics twenty years earlier. However, contrary to received, the Pope did not prohibit this pagan festival : He is content to show the contradiction between the Christian faith and the celebration of the Lupercalia. Gelasius chooses to commemorate, the 14 February, Valentine's day, who becomes the patron saint of lovers.

Who was Valentine's day ? A Roman priest of the 3rd century ?
The views of historians differ as to the identity of Valentine's day. Indeed, not less than seven saints meet this name and are celebrated the 14 February.

The first Valentine's day mentioned in the martyrologies on the date of the 14 February is a Roman priest of the 3rd century. He lives under the reign of Claude II the Gothic, pagan emperor who, During his short reign (268-270), is engaged in a bloody military campaigns. En 268, on the pretext of domestic forces of men of fighting age, prohibited them marriage. But young people continue to receive the blessing of the marriage in secret, Thanks to the priest Valentin. The latter is soon unmasked and jailed. While in captivity, Valentin made the acquaintance of Augustine, the daughter of his jailer. Legend has it that he gives sight to the blind woman. Therefore, She takes care of him : Recognizing, It sends him a message before being executed, signed “Your Valentine “. Is this episode that would end the custom to send messages on the occasion of St. Valentine. Martyr death, beheaded in Rome to 270, He is buried on the Flaminian way, He later visited a cult. Considered to be the patron saint of lovers since the 15th century, This character is often confused with the Bishop of Terni, who knew the same fate.

The feast of love : a fired Valentine to the fate
The association of Valentine's day to the day for lovers is later : It dates back to the middle ages. At this time, tradition has it that young people engage in a form of “Lottery of love”, practice inherited from the Raffles of Lupercalia.
In the middle ages, all the 14 February, young people cast lots their companion name and hung it in their sleeve during the holidays (a week).
Subsequently, the “Valentine's day” became the rider that a young girl chose to accompany the first Sunday of lent, during the celebration of “Brandons”.
This party consisted of a procession, during which the crowd traveled the countryside and hunting, Thanks to its brandons (kind of torch, made of twisted strands of straws), the field mice, moles and bad herbs fields and guaranteed a good harvest for the following year.

Valentine
The “Valentine” designated, originally, the message of love or friendship that is sent on the occasion of St. Valentine, day where, We believed, the birds migrated. This is England, in the 14th century, that this custom appeared. It is thus mentioned by Geoffrey Chaucer in his writings. In France, This practice has been reduced in the 15th century, by Charles of Orleans. This last, following the defeat of Agincourt, en 1415, had been kept prisoner 25 in England. His return, he officially instituted this practice to the Court of France : It will now be of use, the Saint-Valentine's day, to send a tender love message to his beloved. It's at the end of the 15th century (1496) Valentine is officially established party lovers. In the 18th century appear the first cards decorated hearts and Cupids. A century later, These are the Valentines printed poems that are spreading throughout Europe.

Valentine's day in the world
In Europe :
Most of the rites and ceremonies associated with St. Valentine who disappeared, This party is today essentially commercial. This standardization does not prevent a few folk traditions to survive. In Germany, It commemorates the Saint Valentine of Raetia, protector of epileptics. In Italy, We offer chocolate coated in a message of love, called the “Baci Perugini”. In Austria, lovers parade through the streets on the occasion of Valentine's day while in France, the small village of St. Valentine (Indre) has established the national celebration of love.

In China :
Valentine “commercial”, celebrated, as in the rest of the world the 14 February, arrived in China in the years 1980. But there is also a traditional party commemorated the seventh day of the seventh lunar month of the Chinese calendar (the double seven day). According to legend, a fairy would one day marry a mortal, Despite the disapproval of her mother. The latter forced him to return to heaven and separated by an infinite River lovers, the milky way. Affected by the sincerity of their love, Magpies decided to form once a year a bridge across the milky way so that the two young people can meet.

At the Japan :
The Saint-Valentine's day, the Japanese offer chocolates to men they love. This practice spread to the professional world : today, they must also offer to all their male colleagues (one speaks also of “Giri Choco” or obligation chocolate). But the same day that China is also celebrated by the Japan, in July or August, According to the lunar calendar. The star party or “Tanabata” celebrates the meeting of Orihime (Vega) and Hikoboshi (Altair). Then suspended bamboo decorated large lanterns and flames of paper above the streets.