Cupid, hearts, chocolates, flowers, and cards can be seen everywhere which means Valentine’s Day is finally here. People acknowledge Valentine’s Day as the day of love and celebrate it with their loved ones. They wish their friends and family and try to make this day extra special and treasured. Valentine’s Day initially originated in the West, but since the past few years, its popularity has spread all over the world, including India. Here, we provide you with some interesting information about this festival of love.
When is Valentine’s Day?
Valentine’s Day is the day of celebration of the spirit of your love towards your partner. It is celebrated on 14th February every year. This year it will fall on Thursday.
History and Story behind Valentine’s Day
Valentine’s Day is close to the heart of the younger generation, but the history behind this day is a bit tragic.
The story of Valentine’s Day dates back to the third century BC when the Roman Empire was ruled by a king named Claudius II. He was nicknamed as Claudius, the cruel king due to his cruelty and mercilessness. He fought a number of wars. Due to these wars, he lost a lot of soldiers. People were scared and were not ready to join the Army. Thus, Claudius was unable to get enough number of soldiers for the upcoming wars. He believed that men did not want to leave their love and family behind so he canceled all marriages and engagements in Rome.
Later, a Christian priest named Valentine stood for the cause of Love. He began to marry the soldiers secretly despite the orders of Claudius. When Claudius came to know about the deeds of priest Valentine, he put him behind the bars. He also deemed that priest Valentine would be put to death.
Valentine was awaiting execution but during that period he fell in love with a blind girl who was the jailer’s daughter. He had an extremely brief romantic life. Valentine gave his life for the cause of Love and was executed because he helped the young couples to get bonded together in nuptial bond.
Even centuries after his execution, he is remembered for his sacrifice for love and humanity. He was canonized by the Catholic church posthumously and is popularly known as Saint Valentines in today’s time.
The day is celebrated as the day of love since the time courtly love flourished in the 14th century. It kept on evolving and since then people give various gifts to their loved ones and confess their love for each other.
Valentine’s Day Celebrations and Valentine’s Week
Although no public holiday is declared for celebrating this day, but the festival is celebrated with full fervour amongst the youth. The festivities start a week before Valentine’s Day, which is commonly known as Valentine’s Week. Each day has its own significance.
- 7 February- Rose Day
- 8 February- Propose Day
- 9 February- Chocolate Day
- 10 February- Teddy Day
- 11 February- Promise Day
- 12 February- Hug Day
- 13 February- Kiss Day and finally, it comes
- 14 February- Valentine’s Day.
People give romantic gifts, flowers, cards, chocolates soft toys etc. to their beloved and celebrate the whole week as the week of Love. They exchange romantic messages, go on dinner dates and adore each other. Many people take wedding vows on this day to celebrate their love for each other.
Related Link:
