Valentine’s Day

Valentine’s Day, observed on February 14, is one of the most popular holidays in the USA. More than 62% of people in America celebrate it. Most people see the holiday as a special time to express one’s love for another by giving greeting cards, candy, jewelry, flowers, particularly red roses, by inviting their loved ones for romantic dinner at a restaurant. Many people propose or get married on Valentine’s Day. So the holiday is certainly the most romantic celebration.

February has been celebrated as a month of romance since Ancient Roman times. The pagan celebration of Lupercalia, fertility festival dedicated to Faunus, the Roman god of agriculture, was replaced by the Christian church with St. Valentine’s feast day at the end of the 5th century. But we do not know much about St. Valentine’s personality and the way he became the patron saint of lovers.

According to one popular legend, Valentine was a Roman priest who served during the reign of Emperor Claudius II. When the Emperor banned marriage for young men because of the idea that single men made better soldiers than those with wives, the priest continued performing marriages for young lovers secretly. When Valentine’s actions were discovered, Claudius ordered that he be put to death.

Other legend suggests that Valentine was sentenced to death for helping early Christians who were severely persecuted under the Roman Empire.

An imprisoned Valentine sent the first “valentine” greeting after he fell in love with a young girl, his jailor’s daughter, who visited him during his imprisonment.

Before his death he wrote her a letter signed "Your Valentine" as a farewell. This expression is still in use today.

Sending Valentine’s cards has become a very popular custom in the United States. Americans probably began exchanging hand-made valentines in the early 1700s. By 1900 printed cards began to replace written letters due to improvements in printing technology. Today about 190 million Valentine’s Day cards are sent each year, not including the hundreds of millions of cards school children exchange. Valentine’s Day Card is one of the symbols of this wonderful holiday.

We wish you a Happy Valentine’s Day!

Make this day more special for your sweethearts and friends with beautiful free Valentine’s Day ecards from Webplus.info!

Enjoy our great collection of illustrated Love quotes and sayings.