Valentijnsdag
Hi Graders,
Valentine’s day is just around the corner and here are some cool information about it that you probably didn’t know:
Valentine’s Day is named in honor of Saint Valentine, the patron saint of lovers who, it is believed, was murdered on Feb. 14 AD 270. During that time, the Roman emperor Claudius II cancelled all marriages and engagements in Rome, as he was having a hard time getting men to join the military, and he believed married men, being emotionally attached to their wives and families, did not make good soldiers.
However, Valentine secretly married couples until he was caught, then, refusing to renounce his Christian beliefs, was sentenced to death. One legend suggests he left a farewell note for the jailer’s daughter before his death which said “Love from your Valentine,” the first Valentine’s card.
It was the pope who set aside Feb. 14 to honor St. Valentine in AD 496. However, the day was not often celebrated until the Middle Ages. Gift giving and exchanging of hand-made cards became common in England around the 18th century, while in the 1840’s the holiday caught on in the United States.
Today, approximately one-fourth of all the cards sent in a year are sent on Valentine’s Day. But while the day is about love, cards, chocolates and flowers in Canada, the day is celebrated differently around the world.
For example, in Spain books are often given on Feb. 14, while in Finland the day marks the honoring of friends, not lovers. In South Korea and Japan, women are to give chocolate to men on Valentine’s Day, while men are to give sweets to women on White Day one month later.
Here in the Netherlands, Valentine’s day is considered a new holiday, being celebrated since the mid 1990’s. It is common for valentine’s to exchange presents like chocolate and roses (not tulips).
What are your plans for Valentine’s day? Post a picture on Grader with the hashtag #valentinesday and let us know.
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Via Mjtimes