February 14 every year is a traditional western Valentine's Day, also known as "Valentine's Day".
In the third century AD, there was a tyrant in ancient Rome named Claudius. Not far from the tyrant's palace, there is a very beautiful temple. Brother Valentine lives here. The Romans respected him very much. Men and women, old and young, rich and poor, high and low, always gathered around him, listening to Valentine's prayers in front of the blazing flames of the altar.
The war in ancient Rome has been continuous, and the tyrant Claudius recruited a large number of citizens to go to the battlefield, and the people complained. Men don't want to leave home, and boys can't bear to be separated from their lovers. Claudius flew into a rage. He ordered people not to hold weddings, and even all those who were engaged should break off their engagement. Many young people bid farewell to their lovers and went to the battlefield in grief and indignation. Young girls are also depressed because of the loss of their loved ones.
Valentine was very sad about the tyrant's abuse. When a couple came to the temple to ask for his help, Valentine quietly married them in front of the sacred altar. People spread the news, and many people came here and formed partners with the help of Valentane.
A couple took a group photo in front of a couple wall in a park in Paris. This wall inlaid with blue tiles is filled with 3 1 1 sentences meaning "I love you" in different languages all over the world.
The news finally reached the palace and the tyrant. Claudius flew into a rage again He ordered soldiers to rush into the temple, drag Valentine away from a married couple and put him in a dungeon. People begged for the tyrant's immunity, but in vain. Valentine finally died of torture in the dungeon. Sad friends buried him in St. Prex's church. That day was February of 14, and that year was 270 AD.
There is another version. Legend has it that Valentine was one of the earliest Christians. Being a Christian at that time meant danger and death. In order to cover other martyrs, Valentine was taken to prison. There, he cured the blind eye of the warden's daughter. When the tyrant heard a miracle, he was so scared that he beheaded Valentine. According to legend, on the morning of the execution, Valentine wrote an affectionate farewell letter to the warden's daughter, signed: from your Valentine.
Exotic couple doll
Couple sculpture in a wedding dress shop in Nanjing
Historians prefer to get to the bottom of it, and their explanation of Valentine's Day seems convincing. In fact, as early as AD 270, when Rome laid the foundation stone, there was still a wilderness around, and wolves wandered around in droves. Among the gods worshipped by the Romans, Lubbocus was in charge of the protection of shepherds and sheep. Every year in mid-February, the Romans hold a grand ceremony to celebrate the festival of faun. Compared with now, the calendar at that time was a little later, so the festival of faun was actually a celebration of the coming spring.
Some people also say that this festival is to celebrate and bless Nuss, similar to the sheep's feet in ancient Greece and the horned pan in charge of animal husbandry and agriculture. The origin of faun festival is so long that even scholars in the first century BC could not prove it. But the importance of this festival is beyond doubt. For example, according to historical records, marc anthony awarded the crown to Julius Caesar at the Faun Festival in 44 BC.
On February 15 every year, monks gather near a cave on the Palantine Mountain in Rome. It is said that the founders of the ancient Roman city, Luo millers and remus, were raised by a female wolf here. In the festival celebration, there was a young aristocrat running in the street with a sheepskin whip in his hand. Young women will gather on both sides of the street, hoping that the sheepskin whip will hit them on the head. People think it will make it easier for them to have children. In Latin, sheepskin whip is called februa and whipping is called fabruatio, both of which actually mean' purity'. This is the origin of the name February.
With the expansion of Roman power in Europe, the custom of faun festival was brought to France and Britain. One of people's favorite holiday activities is similar to lottery. The young women's names are put in the box, and then the young men come forward to smoke. A pair of drawn men and women become lovers for one year or more.
The rise of Christianity makes people's custom of commemorating gods gradually indifferent. The priests didn't want people to give up the joy of this festival, so they changed the festival of faun to Valentine's Day and moved it to February 14. In this way, the legend about the Valentine brothers and the ancient festivals are naturally combined. This festival was the most popular in medieval England. After the names of unmarried men and women are drawn, they will exchange gifts with each other, and women will become lovers of men within this year. A woman's name will be embroidered on a man's sleeve, so it is his sacred duty to take care of and protect women.
The lovers of modern Valentine's Day were recorded at the beginning of15th century. The young French Duke of Orleans was captured by the British in the Battle of Ginkul and was held in the Tower of London for many years. He wrote many love poems to his wife, about 60 of which have been preserved to this day. About 200 years later, flowers appeared as a symbol of Valentine's Day. A daughter of King Henry IV of France held a grand party on Valentine's Day. All the ladies got a bunch of flowers from the man who chose her as his lover.
In this way, continuing the ancient customs of Italy, France and Britain, we can send love messages to our friends on February 14 every year. Flowers, heart-shaped candy, and keepsakes that cover the sender's name with lace and broken ears not only represent sincere love, but also represent the best commemoration of the Valentine brothers who dared to resist tyranny.