SAINT VALENTINE

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Everyone knows that 14 February is Valentine’s Day. The number of e-mails on the Internet goes into the millions that day. It is hard to say what other holiday is as popular as Valentine’s Day. On this day, lovers give each other gifts and valentine cards. Most of the “valentines” are anonymous, have no return address, and are written from right to left or with the left hand. That is how it goes, for it adds mystery… True, the recipients, if they believe in fate, are then forced to look for an anonymous messenger.

Each nation celebrates Valentine’s Day in its own way: the British, for example, on Valentine’s Day send love messages not only to friends and acquaintances, but also to their pets; the Japanese are more original – they remade 14 February into a kind of “8 March for men”, and gifts are received mainly by the strong sex…

However, few people know how the tradition of celebrating Valentine’s Day cropped up…

It turns out that in the 17th century in France, the historian Tillemont, and later in the 18th century in England, Alban Butler and Francis Daus, suggested that Valentine’s Day was established by Pope Gelasius I in place of Lupercalia – a pagan holiday in honor of the Lycaean god, which was celebrated on 15 February (on the eve of the ancient festival of Juno). In essence, it was not only a festival of fertility, but also… of eroticism. The Romans associated it with pleasure and free love. The Christian holiday inherited the theme of gender relations, but Saint Valentine became the patron saint of all lovers, while the understanding of the word “love” itself changed dramatically… Love began to be interpreted not just as a feeling of strong attraction and emotional pleasure, but as one of the most elevated virtues with a wide range of meanings of love… from love to the Almighty, Motherland, mother, spouse… to love for comfort and food…

There is also another opinion on this matter… Allegedly, the holiday, which everyone is familiar with today, was invented by the English poet Geoffrey Chaucer… In his work “Bird Parliament”, written back in 1375, it is said that on February 14, birds (and people) got together to find a mate… In the 34th and 35th ballads of the English poet John Gower, this thought sounds like this, “On this day the birds begin to look for a mate” … In other words, from this February day birds begin to nest, and people follow their example… However, this day gained popularity even in Great Britain only in the 19th century, when it became customary for young people to throw notes with the names of girls into a special urn, from which then everyone took out one at a time, and the girl whose name was written on sheet, became for him a “lady of the heart” for the whole coming year.

The first valentine card is considered a note sent by young Duke of Orleans in 1415… During the battle, he was captured and imprisoned in the Tower of London, from there he wrote thousands of love letters to his wife, which later became known as “valentines”.

According to another legend, Valentine had a garden where he grew roses… Children from all over the area played in this garden, and in the evening, when they were going home, he gave everyone a flower as a gift for their mothers. When Valentin was sent to prison, he was saddened that now the kids would have nowhere to play. But one day, behind prison bars, he saw two cooing pigeons and immediately recognized them – they were birds that nested in his garden. Valentine tied the key to the garden around the neck of one dove, and around the neck of other – a letter in which he left a message for the children:

“To all the children I love, from your Valentine.”

Many consider this message to be the first “valentine”…

According to the “Golden Legend” (a collection of lives of the 13th century), in those distant and dark times, the imperious and cruel Roman emperor Claudius II came to the conclusion that a single man (not burdened with a wife and family) would be better off fighting on the battlefield for the glory of Caesar. Thus, he forbade men to marry, and women and girls to marry their beloved men. Saint Valentine was an ordinary field doctor and priest who sympathized with the unfortunate lovers and secretly from everyone, under the cover of night, consecrated the marriage of lovers. However, the authorities knew this “sacrament” of Saint Valentine, and he was put in prison, sentenced to death. In conclusion, Saint Valentine met the warden’s beautiful daughter, Julia. Before his death, the priest in love wrote a declaration of love to his beloved girl – a valentine, where he spoke about his feeling and signed it “Your Valentine“. It was read after he had been beheaded, and the execution took place on… February 14, 269…

According to another legend, the Roman patrician Valentine, a secret Christian, who converted his servants to the new faith, once performed a wedding ceremony for two of them. By denunciation or by coincidence, all three were detained by the guards. Valentine, as a member of the upper class, could have escaped death, but not his servants. Then, wanting to encourage the doomed fellow believers, Valentine wrote them letters in the form of red hearts, meaning Christian love. A blind girl was supposed to send messages to the newlyweds, but unexpectedly Valentine himself came to the dungeon and persuaded the guards to let his servants go in exchange for his life. Before his death, Valentine handed over the last letter, consecrated by faith and kindness, to a blind girl, who after that received her sight and became a beauty.

Another version of this legend is no less popular… When Valentine went to prison, the blind daughter of the warden fell in love with him, and since he was a priest who had taken a vow of celibacy, he could not answer the feelings of the girl… But on the night before the execution, he nevertheless decided and wrote her a love letter, in which he wrapped a sprig of saffron (symbolizing hope and rebirth, since most of its species bloom when the ground is still covered with snow) … The girl, when the message was read to her, after the execution of the priest, saw the light. However, many have doubts about the veracity of this legend… After all, judging by his years of life, Valentine at that time was already 95 years old… OK, why? Love knows no age!

The oldest surviving valentines date back to the 15th century, and their heyday came in the 18th century. However, even today, heart-shaped cards are an integral part of the Valentine’s Day celebration. In February, an incredible amount of red and pink printed hearts fill the shelves of all kinds of stores. Previously, it was different, they were made by hand, and wealthy men ordered valentines, which cost a lot of money – they were decorated with precious stones, metals and expensive fabrics.

Red roses are considered the classic emblem of Valentine’s Day, which, according to ancient legend, appeared thanks to Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love and beauty, who, hurrying to her beloved Adonis, stepped on a bush of white roses, and her divine blood colored them red…

Louis XVI, who presented such a bouquet to Marie Antoinette, is considered the ancestor of the custom of giving red roses to loved ones.

In America, Valentine’s Day began to be celebrated only since 1777. At the beginning of the 19th century, the Americans had a tradition – to give marzipan figurines to their loved ones, which at that time were an unprecedented luxury. Therefore, it is clear why soon businessmen took up the “promotion” of the holiday, and every year the idea of ​​giving gifts, flowers, postcards… on this day grew stronger and stronger, and thus became a very profitable business.

Times change, we change, but gifts don’t! As polls show, the top three are flowers, sweets and jewelry, and flowers are in the first place, they are ahead of rings, earrings, pendants, necklaces, and even a romantic candlelight dinner… To tell the truth, this is understandable – after all, with sweets and chocolate, you can get leftovers from Christmas (large chains simply cannot sell all their stocks). With jewelry, there is also a risk of not guessing about desires/size/style/claims… Flowers are an eternal classic; even if you don’t know the favorite flowers of your chosen one… they will still be accepted with favor. In addition, in a number of countries there are “standard” flowers corresponding to Saint Valentine’s Day: in Germany and Austria – red roses, in Denmark – dried white ones, and in Russia… – you know yourself!

By the way, in France, there is a small village of Saint Valentin, in which there are only three hundred inhabitants, and it is located two hundred kilometers south of Paris and has its own “Garden of Lovers”. Of course, the garden has a “wishing tree” with heart-shaped leaves on which lovers can engrave their names. “The most romantic village in France” – this is the epithet that tour operators give this place, and it is not surprising that it has become extremely popular in Japan, from where many couples come here to celebrate February 14.

So after all, who is Saint Valentine and where does he come from? When it comes to the details of Valentine’s life, legends often replace facts. Perhaps only the name and date of death are reliable data in his biography.

In fact, there are two Saints with the name Valentine in the Catholic Church, and today it is already impossible to determine whether they were different people, or whether we are talking about the same person.

Valentine of Rome (who was already mentioned above) lived in the 3rd century AD, during the reign of the cruel emperor Claudius II. He was known as a diligent priest in Rome, who had the gift of healing. Presumably, the date of his birth is 176. It is known that Valentine of Rome was beheaded on 14 February, 270.

Another Saint was Valentine of Interamna. He was a bishop, preached Christianity, healed people. In 270, he was asked to come to Rome by the philosopher Kraton, whose son was seriously ill. The boy had a curvature of the spine, and he did not even get out of bed, but Valentin managed to raise him to his feet, which was perceived as a real miracle. The philosopher was so grateful to the bishop that he and his disciples converted to Christianity. The son of the mayor did this, and the mayor for this, in anger, took Valentine into custody and put him in prison. Like Valentine of Rome, in prison he healed the jailer’s daughter of blindness, and he was also executed on 14 February, but in 273.

His followers – Proculus, Ephebes and Apollonius – secretly brought the remains of Saint Valentine to Interamna (the modern name of the city is Terni) to be buried, for which they were also martyred. Subsequently, as a Christian martyr who suffered for the faith, the Catholic Church canonized Valentine of Interamna.

These two biographies have a single basis, so many believe that this is the same person. The veneration of both saints was widespread in Rome as early as the 4th century. So, for example, two basilicas were erected during this period: one was built where, according to legend, Valentine the Roman had been buried, the other – in the city of Terni, over the grave of Valentine of Interamna.

In connection with the feast of 14 February, a martyr of the same name, who suffered in the Roman province of Africa, is also mentioned.

In pursuit of sensations, there were speculations about the Berber roots of the holiday. True, this is not connected with the province of Africa, but with the fact that the already mentioned Pope Gelasius allegedly came from the Berbers of North Africa. However, neither the origin of the Pope, nor the establishment of a holiday by him is, alas, confirmed by anything…

In connection with this confusion in names and personalities, in 1969 the Catholic Church completely excluded Valentine from the Roman calendar – the list of those saints whose name is obligatory for veneration at liturgies. True, the opportunity was left to decide on its mention at the level of local churches.

It is clear that over time, the life of Saint Valentine, like of other Saints, overgrew with legends. Today it is already impossible to understand where the truth and fiction are. In the late Middle Ages in France and England, the life of Saint Valentine gradually began to acquire legends associated with the secret wedding of couples in love.

Now the following version is widely promoted on the Internet: “Even Emperor Claudius II issued an order: “Young people fit for military service do not have the right to marry (among themselves!), as this adversely affected the general morale of the army.” A priest named Valentine went against the emperor and continued wedding ceremonies for lovers (homosexual warriors), for which he was sentenced to death and was posthumously recognized by Catholics as a Saint. Saint Valentine’s Day was actively celebrated by American homosexuals in the 70s, and it was on this day that they entered into the first official same-sex marriages.” – Believe it or not… If you want – check, but it will take a lot of time and effort… You will get tired of asking for the Truth! Moreover, most likely you will conclude that this is nothing more than fiction… The facts indicate that there could not be any secret weddings at that time, since the rite itself appeared much later!

On the other hand – after all, someone needed to discredit the Saint… – Probably, to those who understand that Saint Valentine is in charge of LOVE – a feeling and a moral category – that defines differences Between GOOD and EVIL! It has been so customary from time immemorial that a kind person sees kindness, responsiveness, cordiality and sensitivity in everything…; generous – generosity, decency, disinterestedness and nobility…; smart – intelligence, prudence, sanity and wisdom… and a vicious person – licentiousness, unbridledness, obscenity and fornication…

All other “beautiful” legends about Saint Valentine, secret marriages, untimely dead lovers, and the like… are only a later romanticization of ancient pagan rites, which each of the confessions (Catholic and Orthodox) adapted to their needs.

True, today a significant part of religious organizations has a negative attitude towards the celebration of Saint Valentine’s Day. The Orthodox on February 14 honor the Holy Martyr Tryphon, and the Catholics on this day remember Cyril and Methodius, the main enlighteners of the Slavs. In Russia, as an alternative to Valentine’s Day, on July 8, a memorial day was established for Peter and Fevronia of Murom, the patrons of married couples.

In a word, there is no reliable data on the existence of Saint Valentine – neither a martyr, nor a priest… All the descriptions of the XIV century that have arisen are an attempt to build an artificial bridge to those distant events of the III century…

Though well, do not be discouraged, but on the contrary, choose the version that you like! Moreover, if you doubt the existence of Saint Valentine at all, turn to him yourself… with sincere love, faith and hope… – and you will see what will happen!

Many temples and monasteries claim to possess the relics of Saint Valentine. Despite the fact that the Saint’s wreathed skull had long been located in the Roman basilica of Santa Maria in Cosmedin, Vatican recognized the relics removed in 1836 from the catacombs of Hippolytus on the Tiburtine Way, and Pope Gregory XVI transferred this relics to the Carmelite Church on Whitefriar Street in Dublin. Many people can be surprised why this place is not in Italy or Greece… To dispel doubts about the belonging of the remains to Saint Valentine, the official Vatican issued a corresponding letter, where it is indicated that the remains belong to the Holy Martyr Valentine. Over time, the history of Saint Valentine was a little forgotten, but after the reconstruction of this church in the middle of the twentieth century, a special wing with an altar and a statue of Saint Valentine was allocated for the relics of Saint Valentine, which were placed in a small sarcophagus under glass.

There is also a number of other places claiming the relics associated with Saint Valentine:

• • The Cathedral of Roquemore in France;
• • The Saint Stephen’s Cathedral in Vienna;
• • The Basilica in Balzan, Malta;
• • The Church of Saint Peter and Paul in Czech Vyšehrad;
• • The Greek Catholic Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary Nativity in Sambir;
• • The Temple in Chelmno, Poland.

As with any Saint, Saint Valentine can be addressed with any request. In the Middle Ages in Europe, before the icon of Saint Valentine, they even prayed for healing from epilepsy, today more and more unmarried women/bachelors ask for a good groom/bride, and everyone else prays for a happy family life.

As mentioned above, in the West, the memory of Valentine the Roman and Valentine the Bishop of Interamna from the 4th century was celebrated on the same day – 14 February.

In Orthodoxy, the memory of both martyrs is celebrated on different days: 6 July (19 July, according to the new style) – the memory of Saint Valentine the Roman, Hieromartyr, Presbyter; 30 July (12 August, according to the new style) – the memory of Saint Valentine of Interamna, Hieromartyr, Bishop of Interamna.

Well, not everyone likes Valentine’s Day, not everyone admires this feast day… It has both faithful adherents and outright opponents. The latter argue that Valentine’s Day is nothing more than a commercial ploy, a tribute to the consumer society, because after Christmas there is a recession in trade that lasts until Easter, and therefore the holiday in the middle should revive commerce… By the way, Halloween is really a purely commercial project… Isn’t it better to spend money to please your loved one than just to scare someone and eat too much candy?

Well, this day is celebrated in different ways around the world, and there are even countries where this holiday is generally banned for obvious reasons…

Yet, whether anyone likes it or not, Saint Valentine’s Day is the most romantic holiday of the year, when lovers congratulate each other so inventively and touchingly…

Someone will say that real feelings are deep, constant, reliable and do not need special dates, surprises and gifts to express and reinforce them…

Nevertheless, doesn’t Love deserve a separate celebration?

Is it unnecessary to emphasize the special status of relationships and bring joy to everyday life?