Hey guys! Sorry for not blogging for such a long time..
Was, uhmm...
Busy??
Ahh, forget about it! =P
Yesterday was Valentines Day, and,
I didn't celebrate for I had no one to celebrate it with me!
So, yeah, I decided to do a research about Valentines.. =)
Well, theres a poem for Valentines Day by William Shakespear =)
Lets enjoy it!
To-morrow is Saint Valentine's day,
All in the morning betime,
And I a maid at your window,
To be your Valentine.
Then up he rose, and donn'd his clothes,
And dupp'd the chamber-door;
Let in the maid, that out a maid
Never departed more.
—William Shakespeare, Hamlet, Act IV, Scene 5
Well, I'm not a poem kinda girl..
Just for literature purposes..
Well, Valentines Day is also known as Saint Valentine's Day..
It is traditionally a day on which lovers express their love for each other by presenting flowers, offering confectionery, and sending greeting cards (known as "valentines").
The day first became associated with romantic love
in the circle of Geoffrey Chaucer
in the High Middle Ages, when the tradition of courtly love flourished.
Historical facts
Numerous early
Christian martyrs were named
Valentine.
[6] The Valentines honored on February 14 are Valentine of Rome (
Valentinus presb. m. Romae) and Valentine of Terni (
Valentinus ep. Interamnensis m. Romae).
[7] Valentine of Rome
[8] was a priest in
Rome who was martyred about AD 269 and was buried on the
Via Flaminia. His relics are at the Church of Saint Praxed in Rome,
[9] and at
Whitefriar Street Carmelite Church in Dublin, Ireland.
Valentine of Terni
[10] became bishop of Interamna (modern
Terni) about AD 197 and is said to have been martyred during the persecution under Emperor
Aurelian. He is also buried on the Via Flaminia, but in a different location than Valentine of Rome. His relics are at the Basilica of Saint Valentine in Terni (
Basilica di San Valentino).
[11]The
Catholic Encyclopedia also speaks of a third saint named Valentine who was mentioned in early
martyrologies under date of February 14. He was martyred in
Africa with a number of companions, but nothing more is known about him.
[12]No romantic elements are present in the original early
medieval biographies of either of these martyrs. By the time a Saint Valentine became linked to romance in the 14th century, distinctions between Valentine of Rome and Valentine of Terni were utterly lost.
[13]In the 1969 revision of the
Roman Catholic Calendar of Saints, the
feast day of Saint Valentine on February 14 was removed from the General Roman Calendar and relegated to particular (local or even national) calendars for the following reason: "Though the memorial of Saint Valentine is ancient, it is left to particular calendars, since, apart from his name, nothing is known of Saint Valentine except that he was buried on the Via Flaminia on February 14."
[14] The feast day is still celebrated in
Balzan (
Malta) where relics of the saint are claimed to be found, and also throughout the world by
Traditionalist Catholics who follow the older, pre-
Second Vatican Council calendar. February 14 is also celebrated as St Valentine's Day in other Christian denominations; it has, for example, the rank of 'commemoration' in the calendar of the
Church of England and other parts of the
Anglican Communion.
[15]
Romantic legends
The Early Medieval
acta of either Saint Valentine were expounded briefly in
Legenda Aurea.
[16] According to that version, St Valentine was persecuted as a
Christian and interrogated by
Roman Emperor Claudius II in person. Claudius was impressed by Valentine and had a discussion with him, attempting to get him to convert to Roman paganism in order to save his life. Valentine refused and tried to convert Claudius to Christianity instead. Because of this, he was executed. Before his execution, he is reported to have performed a miracle by healing the blind daughter of his jailer.
Since Legenda Aurea still provided no connections whatsoever with sentimental love, appropriate lore has been embroidered in modern times to portray Valentine as a priest who refused an unattested law attributed to Roman Emperor Claudius II, allegedly ordering that young men remain single. The Emperor supposedly did this to grow his army, believing that married men did not make for good soldiers. The priest Valentine, however, secretly performed marriage ceremonies for young men. When Claudius found out about this, he had Valentine arrested and thrown in jail.
There is an additional modern embellishment to
The Golden Legend, provided by
American Greetings to
History.com, and widely repeated despite having no historical basis whatsoever. On the evening before Valentine was to be
executed, he would have written the first "valentine" card himself, addressed to a young girl variously identified as his beloved,
[17] as the jailer's daughter whom he had befriended and healed,
[18] or both. It was a note that read "From your Valentine."
[17]
Medieval period and the English Renaissance
Using the language of the law courts for the rituals of
courtly love, a "
High Court of Love" was established in
Paris on Valentine's Day in 1400. The court dealt with love contracts, betrayals, and violence against women. Judges were selected by women on the basis of a poetry reading.
[26][27] The earliest surviving valentine is a 15th-century
rondeau written by
Charles, Duke of Orleans to his wife, which commences.
Je suis desja d'amour tanné
Ma tres doulce Valentinée...
—Charles d'Orléans,
Rondeau VI, lines 1–2[28]
Valentine's Day is mentioned ruefully by Ophelia in
Hamlet (1600–1601):
To-morrow is Saint Valentine's day,
All in the morning betime,
And I a maid at your window,
To be your Valentine.
Then up he rose, and donn'd his clothes,
And dupp'd the chamber-door;
Let in the maid, that out a maid
Never departed more.
—William Shakespeare, Hamlet, Act IV, Scene 5
Hayle Bishop Valentine whose day this is
All the Ayre is thy Diocese
And all the chirping Queristers
And other birds ar thy parishioners
Thou marryest every yeare
The Lyrick Lark, and the graue whispering Doue,
The Sparrow that neglects his life for loue,
The houshold bird with the redd stomacher
Thou makst the Blackbird speede as soone,
As doth the Goldfinch, or the Halcyon
The Husband Cock lookes out and soone is spedd
And meets his wife, which brings her feather-bed.
This day more cheerfully than ever shine
This day which might inflame thy selfe old Valentine.
—John Donne, Epithalamion Vpon Frederick Count Palatine and the Lady Elizabeth marryed on St. Valentines day
She bath'd with roses red, and violets blew,
And all the sweetest flowres, that in the forrest grew.[30]
The modern cliché Valentine's Day poem can be found in the collection of English nursery rhymes Gammer Gurton's Garland (1784):
The rose is red, the violet's blue
The honey's sweet, and so are you
Thou are my love and I am thine
I drew thee to my Valentine
The lot was cast and then I drew
And Fortune said it shou'd be you.[31]
Similar days celebrating love
In the West
Europe
While sending cards, flowers, chocolates and other gifts is traditional in the UK, Valentine's Day has various regional customs. In Norfolk, a character called 'Jack' Valentine knocks on the rear door of houses leaving sweets and presents for children. Although he was leaving treats, many children were scared of this mystical person. In Wales, many people celebrate Dydd Santes Dwynwen (St Dwynwen's Day) on January 25 instead of (or as well as) Valentine's Day. The day commemorates St Dwynwen, the patron saint of Welsh lovers. In France, a traditionally Catholic country, Valentine's Day is known simply as "Saint Valentin", and is celebrated in much the same way as other western countries. In Spain Valentine's Day is known as "San Valentín" and is celebrated the same way as in the UK, although in Catalonia it is largely superseded by similar festivities of rose and/or book giving on La Diada de Sant Jordi (Saint George's Day). In Portugal it is more commonly referred to as "Dia dos Namorados" (Lover's Day / Day of those that are in love with each other).
In
Denmark and
Norway, Valentine's Day (14 Feb) is known as
Valentinsdag. It is not celebrated to a large extent, but is largely imported from American culture, and some people take time to eat a romantic dinner with their partner, to send a card to a secret love or give a red rose to their loved one. The flower industry in particular is still working on promoting the holiday. In
Sweden it is called
Alla hjärtans dag ("All Hearts' Day") and was launched in the 1960s by the flower industry's commercial interests, and due to the influence of American culture. It is not an official holiday, but its celebration is recognized and sales of cosmetics and flowers for this holiday are only exceeded by those for Mother's Day.
In
Finland Valentine's Day is called
Ystävänpäivä which translates into "Friend's day". As the name indicates, this day is more about remembering all your friends, not only your loved ones. In
Estonia Valentine's Day is called
Sõbrapäev, which has the same meaning.
In
Slovenia, a proverb says that "St Valentine brings the keys of roots," so on February 14, plants and flowers start to grow. Valentine's Day has been celebrated as the day when the first work in the vineyards and in the fields commences. It is also said that birds propose to each other or marry on that day. Nevertheless, it has only recently been celebrated as the day of love. The day of love is traditionally March 12, the
Saint Gregory's day. Another proverb says
"Valentin – prvi spomladin" ("Valentine — first saint of spring"), as in some places (especially
White Carniola) Saint Valentine marks the beginning of spring.
In
Romania, the traditional holiday for lovers is
Dragobete, which is celebrated on February 24. It is named after a character from Romanian folklore who was supposed to be the son of
Baba Dochia. Part of his name is the word
drag ("dear"), which can also be found in the word
dragoste ("love"). In recent years, Romania has also started celebrating Valentine's Day, despite already having Dragobete as a traditional holiday. This has drawn backlash from many groups, reputable persons and institutions
[44] but also nationalist organizations like
Noua Dreaptǎ, who condemn Valentine's Day for being superficial, commercialist and imported Western
kitsch.
In
Lithuania and
Latvia, it is common for people to put stickers on faces and clothing of a friend or a relative. The holiday was first celebrated after the two countries gained independence from Soviet Union in
1990.
Valentine's Day is called
Sevgililer Günü in
Turkey, which translates into "Sweethearts' Day".
According to Jewish tradition the 15th day of the month of Av –
Tu B'Av (usually late August) is the festival of love. In ancient times girls would wear white dresses and dance in the vineyards, where the boys would be waiting for them (
Mishna Taanith end of Chapter 4). In modern Israeli culture this is a popular day to pronounce love, propose
marriage and give gifts like cards or flowers.
Mexico, Central and South America
In some Latin American countries Valentine's Day is known as "Día del Amor y la Amistad" (Day of Love and Friendship). For example
Mexico,
[45] Costa Rica,
[46] and
Ecuador,
[47] as well others. Although it is similar to the United States' version in many ways, it is also common to see people do "acts of appreciation" for their friends.
In
Guatemala it is known as the "Día del Cariño" (Day of the Affection).
[48]In
Brazil, the
Dia dos Namorados (lit. "Day of the Enamored", or "Boyfriends'/Girlfriends' Day") is celebrated on June 12, when couples exchange gifts, chocolates, cards and flower bouquets. This day was chosen probably because it is the day before the
Festa junina (
Saint Anthony's day), known there as the
marriage saint, when traditionally many single women perform popular rituals, called
simpatias, in order to find a good husband or boyfriend. The February 14's Valentine's Day is not celebrated at all, mainly for
cultural and
commercial reasons, since it usually falls too little before or after
Carnival, a major floating holiday in Brazil — long regarded as a holiday of
sex and
debauchery by many in the country
[49] — that can fall anywhere from early February to early March.
In
Venezuela, in 2009, President
Hugo Chávez said in a meeting to his supporters for the upcoming referendum vote on February 15, that "since on the 14th, there will be no time of doing nothing, nothing or next to nothing ... maybe a little kiss or something very superficial", he recommended people to celebrate a week of love after the referendum vote.
[50]In most of
South America the
Día del amor y la amistad and the
Amigo secreto ("Secret friend") are quite popular and usually celebrated together on the 14 of February (one exception is
Colombia, where it is celebrated every third Saturday of September). The latter consists of randomly assigning to each participant a recipient who is to be given an anonymous gift (similar to the
Christmas tradition of
Secret Santa).
Asia
Thanks to a concentrated marketing effort, Valentine's Day is celebrated in some Asian countries with
Singaporeans,
Chinese and
South Koreans spending the most money on Valentine's gifts.
[51]In
South Korea, similar to Japan, women give chocolate to men on February 14, and men give non-chocolate candy to women on March 14 (
White Day). On April 14 (Black Day), those who did not receive anything on the 14th of Feb or March go to a Chinese restaurant to eat black noodles (자장면
jajangmyeon) and "mourn" their single life.
[52] Koreans also celebrate
Pepero Day on November 11, when young couples give each other Pepero cookies. The date '11/11' is intended to resemble the long shape of the cookie. The 14th of every month marks a love-related day in Korea, although most of them are obscure. From January to December: Candle Day, Valentine's Day, White Day,
Black Day, Rose Day, Kiss Day, Silver Day, Green Day, Music Day, Wine Day, Movie Day, and Hug Day.
[53] Korean women give a much higher amount of chocolate than Japanese women.
[52]In
China, the common situation is the man gives
chocolate, flowers or both to the woman that he loves. In Chinese, Valentine's Day is called (
simplified Chinese:
情人节;
traditional Chinese:
情人節;
pinyin:
qíng rén jié). Traditional Chinese Valentine's day is called "qixi" in pinyin, and is celebrated on the 7th day of the 7th month of the lunar calendar, commemorating a fabled day on which the cowherder and weaving maid are allowed to be together. Modern Valentines day is also celebrated on February 14 of the solar calendar each year.
In
the Philippines, Valentine's Day is called "Araw ng mga Puso" or "Hearts Day". It is usually marked by a steep increase in the prices of flowers.
Japan
In
Japan,
Morozoff Ltd. introduced the holiday for the first time in 1936, when it ran an advertisement aimed at foreigners. Later in 1953 it began promoting the giving of heart-shaped chocolates; other Japanese confectionery companies followed suit thereafter. In 1958 the
Isetan department store ran a "Valentine sale". Further campaigns during the 1960s popularized the custom.
[54][55]The custom that only women give chocolates to men appears to have originated from the typo of a chocolate-company executive during the initial campaigns.
[56] In particular,
office ladies give chocolate to their co-workers. Unlike western countries, gifts such as greeting cards,
[56] candies,
flowers, or
dinner dates[52] are uncommon, and most of the activity about the gifts is about giving the right amount of chocolate to each person.
[56] Japanese chocolate companies make half their annual sales during this time of the year.
[56]Many women feel obliged to give chocolates to all male co-workers, except when the 14th falls on a Sunday, a holiday. This is known as
giri-choko (義理チョコ), from
giri ("obligation") and
choko, ("chocolate"), with unpopular co-workers receiving only "ultra-obligatory"
chō-giri choko cheap chocolate. This contrasts with
honmei-choko (本命チョコ, favorite chocolate), chocolate given to a loved one. Friends, especially girls, may exchange chocolate referred to as
tomo-choko (友チョコ); from
tomo meaning "friend".
[57]In the 1980s the Japanese National Confectionery Industry Association launched a successful campaign to make March 14 a "reply day", where men are expected to return the favour to those who gave them chocolates on Valentine's Day, calling it
White Day for the color of the chocolates being offered. A previous failed attempt to popularize this celebration had been done by a
marshmallow manufacturer who wanted men to return marshmallows to women.
[54][55]Men are expected to return gifts that are at least two or three times more valuable than the gifts received in Valentine's Day. Not returning the gift is perceived as the man placing himself in a position of superiority, even if excuses are given. Returning a present of equal value is considered as a way to say that you are cutting the relationship. Originally only chocolate was given, but now the gifts of jewelry, accessories, clothing and lingerie are usual. According to the official website of White Day, the color white was chosen because it's the color of purity, evoking "pure, sweet teen love", and because it's also the color of sugar. The initial name was "Ai ni Kotaeru White Day" (Answer Love on White Day).
[54][55]In Japan, the romantic "date night" associated to Valentine's Day is celebrated in
Christmas Eve.
[58]In a 2006 survey of people between 10 and 49 years of age in Japan,
Oricon Style found the 1986
Sayuri Kokushō single,
Valentine Kiss, to be the most popular Valentine's Day song, even though it sold only 317,000 copies.
[59] The singles it beat in the ranking were number one selling
Love Love Love from
Dreams Come True (2,488,630 copies),
Valentine's Radio from
Yumi Matsutoya (1,606,780 copies),
Happy Happy Greeting from the
Kinki Kids (608,790 copies). The final song in the top five was
My Funny Valentine by
Miles Davis.
[59]Similar Asian traditions
In Japan, a slightly different version of 七夕 called
Tanabata has been celebrated for centuries, on July 7 (
Gregorian calendar).
[60] It has been considered by Westerners as similar to St. Valentine's Day,
[61] but it's not related to it, and its origins are completely different.
India
In
India, in the antiquity, there was a tradition of adoring
Kamadeva, the lord of love; exemplificated by the erotic carvings in the
Khajuraho Group of Monuments and by the writing of the
Kamasutra treaty of lovemaking.
[62] This tradition was lost around the Middle Ages, when Kamadeva was no longer celebrated, and public displays of sexual affections became frowned upon.
[62] Around 1992 Valentine's Day started catching in India, with special TV and radio programs, and even love letter competitions.
[62][63] The economic liberation also helped the Valentine card industry.
[63]In modern times, Hindu and Islamic
[64] traditionalists consider the holiday to be cultural contamination from the West, result of the globalization in India.
[62][63] Shiv Sena and the
Sangh Parivar have asked their followers to shun the holiday and the "public admission of love" because of them being "alien to Indian culture".
[65] These protests are organized by political elites, but the protesters themselves are middle-class Hindu men who fear that the globalization will destroy the traditions in his society:
arranged marriages,
hindu joint families, full-time mothers (see
Housewife#India), etc.
[63][64]Despite these obstacles, valentine's day is becoming increasingly popular in India.
[66]Middle East
In
Egypt,
Egyptians celebrate Valentine's Day on February 14, and the indigenous
Eid el-Hob el-Masri (Egyptian Love Day) on November 4, to buy gifts,and flowers for their lovers. It has been recorded on the February 14th, 2006 flower movement in the country, worth six million
pounds, formed a gain of 10 per-cent of the total annual sale of flowers.
In
Iran, the
Sepandarmazgan, or Esfandegan, is an age-old traditional celebration of love, friendship and Earth. It has nothing in common with the Saint Valentine celebration, except for a superficial similarity in giving affection and gifts to loved ones, and its origins and motivations are completely unrelated. It has been progressively forgotten in favor of the Western celebration of Valentine's Day. The Association of Iran's Cultural and Natural Phenomena has been trying since 2006 to make Sepandarmazgan a national holiday on 17 February, in order to replace the Western holiday.
[70]In
Israel, the
Tu B'Av, is considered to be the Jewish Valentine's Day following the ancient traditions of courtship on this day. Today, this is celebrated as a second holiday of love by secular people (besides Saint Valentine's Day), and shares many of the customs associated with Saint Valentine's Day in western societies.
Conflict with Islamic countries and political parties
Saudi Arabia
Pakistan
The
Jamaat-e-Islami political party has called for the banning of the holiday.
[66] Despite this, the celebration is increasingly popular
[66] and the florists expect to sell great amount of flowers, especially red roses.
[73]Iran
In the 21st century, the celebration of Valentine's Day in
Iran has been harshly criticized by conservatives who see the celebrations as opposed to Islamic culture. In 2011, the Iranian printing works owners' union issued a directive banning the printing and distribution of any goods promoting the holiday, including
cards, gifts and
teddy bears. "Printing and producing any goods related to this day including posters, boxes and cards emblazoned with hearts or half-hearts, red
roses and any activities promoting this day are banned... Outlets that violate this will be legally dealt with," the union warned.
[74][75]Malaysia
Islamic officials in
Malaysia warned Muslims against celebrating Valentine's Day, linking it with vice activities. Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin said the celebration of romantic love was "not suitable" for Muslims. Wan Mohamad Sheikh Abdul Aziz, head of the Malaysian Islamic Development Department (
Jakim), which oversees the country's Islamic policies said a
fatwa (ruling) issued by the country's top clerics in 2005 noted the day 'is associated with elements of Christianity,' and 'we just cannot get involved with other religion's worshipping rituals.' Jakim officials plan to carry out a nationwide campaign called "Awas Jerat Valentine's Day"("Mind the Valentine's Day Trap"), aimed at preventing Muslims from celebrating the day on 14 February 2011. Activities include conducting raids in hotels to stop young couples from having unlawful sex and distributing leaflets to Muslim University students warning them against the day.
[76][77]
Wow! I really have a lot of informations from Wikipedia! =)
Its fun to learn a lot from Wikipedia with you guys out there!
Well, Toodles! =)
