In what year did Claudius 2 reign?

26.02.2022 -

Canonized Day of Remembrance Attributes

birds; roses; a bishop carrying a sword; bishop holding the sun

asceticism

miraculous healings, confession of faith in Christ

Life and legends

The first reliable evidence of the veneration of Valentine the Roman dates back to the 7th century and is recorded in the "Martyrdom of Mary and Martha" (BHL 5543). As for Valentinus of Interamna, his life (BHL 8460) was written somewhat earlier, in or in the 7th century. Both texts are extremely typified, they can be considered with great difficulty as reliable evidence.

In the early lists of Roman martyrs, Valentine is not mentioned; undoubtedly, their veneration is recorded no earlier than the beginning of the 7th century. Memory is missing in the most complete app. Blessed Martyrology. Jerome and appears only in the Sacramentary of Pope Gregory I the Great (590-604), from where it passed into the Martyrology of Bede the Venerable. There is indirect evidence of the existence of the cult of St. Valentine in Rome as early as the 4th century, which shows the fact of the construction of two basilicas. According to information from the Roman Chronograph (354), one - " called Valentina"- was built in the pontificate of Julius I (337-352) on the Flaminius road (" on the second miliarium of the Via Flaminius, quae appellatur Valentini""). At the same time, this name may indicate that a certain Valentine was a builder. The second was built in the city of Terni over the alleged tomb of Valentine, Bishop of Interam, but it is mentioned only in the middle of the 8th century (LP 1, 427).

relics

To possess the relics of St. Valentine claims many temples and monasteries. Despite the fact that the saint’s skull decorated with a wreath has long been located in the Roman basilica of Santa Maria in Cosmedin, the Vatican recognized the relics of the remains removed in 1836 from the catacombs of Hippolytus on the Tiburtine road. Pope Gregory XVI donated this relic to the Carmelite Church in Whitefair Street, Dublin.

Also, the Cathedral of Roquemore in France, the Cathedral of St. Stephen in Vienna, the basilica in Balzan in Malta, the church of St. Peter and Paul in the Czech Vysehrad, the Greek Catholic Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Sambir and the church in Chelmno, Poland. On the desecration of the relics of St. Valentine in the Trinity Church of the city of Berestechko is narrated by I. Babel in the story "At St. Valens" from the collection "Cavalry".

veneration

In the West, the memory of Valentine the Roman and Valentine the Bishop of Interamna has been celebrated on the same day since the 7th century - February 14 (see St. Valentine's Day).

In the Catholic Church in 1969, when revising the general liturgical calendar of St. Valentine was excluded from the list of saints whose memory is obligatory for liturgical veneration. The saint is currently commemorated locally in a number of dioceses. In Russia, on February 14, the Catholic Church celebrates the feast of Saints Cyril and Methodius, the enlighteners of the Slavs.

In Orthodoxy, the memory of both martyrs is celebrated on different days: on July 6 (19 New Style) - the memory of Valentine the Roman, Hieromartyr, presbyter, and on July 30 (August 12, New Style) - the memory of Valentine Interamsky, Hieromartyr, Bishop.

In the Belarusian city of Smolevichi there is a Catholic church dedicated to St. Valentine. Also near it is a monument to the saint.

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Notes

An excerpt characterizing Saint Valentine

[Death is saving and death is calm;
O! there is no other refuge against suffering.]
Julie said it was lovely.
- II y a quelque chose de si ravissant dans le sourire de la melancolie, [There is something infinitely charming in a smile of melancholy,] - she said to Boris word for word the passage written out from the book.
- C "est un rayon de lumiere dans l" ombre, une nuance entre la douleur et le desespoir, qui montre la consolation possible. [This is a ray of light in the shadows, a shade between sadness and despair, which indicates the possibility of consolation.] - To this, Boris wrote poetry to her:
"Aliment de poison d" une ame trop sensible,
"Toi, sans qui le bonheur me serait impossible,
"Tendre melancolie, ah, viens me consoler,
Viens calmer les tourments de ma sombre retraite
"Et mele une douceur secrete
"A ces pleurs, que je sens couler."
[Poisonous food of a too sensitive soul,
You, without whom happiness would be impossible for me,
Gentle melancholy, oh come comfort me
Come, calm the torments of my gloomy solitude
And join the secret sweetness
To these tears that I feel flowing.]
Julie played Boris the saddest nocturnes on the harp. Boris read Poor Liza aloud to her and interrupted the reading more than once from excitement, which took his breath away. Meeting in a large society, Julie and Boris looked at each other as the only people in the world who were indifferent, who understood each other.
Anna Mikhailovna, who often traveled to the Karagins, making up her mother's party, meanwhile made accurate inquiries about what was given for Julie (both Penza estates and Nizhny Novgorod forests were given). Anna Mikhailovna, with devotion to the will of Providence and tenderness, looked at the refined sadness that connected her son with rich Julie.
- Toujours charmante et melancolique, cette chere Julieie, [She is still charming and melancholic, this dear Julie.] - she said to her daughter. - Boris says that he rests his soul in your house. He has suffered so many disappointments and is so sensitive,” she told her mother.
“Ah, my friend, how I have become attached to Julie lately,” she said to her son, “I cannot describe to you! And who can't love her? This is such an unearthly creature! Oh Boris, Boris! She was silent for a minute. “And how I feel sorry for her maman,” she continued, “today she showed me reports and letters from Penza (they have a huge estate) and she is poor and all alone: she is so deceived!
Boris smiled slightly, listening to his mother. He meekly laughed at her ingenuous cunning, but he listened and sometimes asked her attentively about the Penza and Nizhny Novgorod estates.
Julie had long been expecting an offer from her melancholic admirer and was ready to accept it; but some kind of secret feeling of disgust for her, for her passionate desire to get married, for her unnaturalness, and a feeling of horror at the renunciation of the possibility of true love still stopped Boris. His vacation was already over. Whole days and every single day he spent with the Karagins, and every day, reasoning with himself, Boris told himself that he would propose tomorrow. But in the presence of Julie, looking at her red face and chin, almost always sprinkled with powder, at her moist eyes and at the expression on her face, which always showed readiness to immediately move from melancholy to the unnatural delight of marital happiness, Boris could not utter a decisive word: despite the fact that for a long time in his imagination he considered himself the owner of the Penza and Nizhny Novgorod estates and distributed the use of income from them. Julie saw Boris's indecisiveness and sometimes the thought came to her that she was disgusting to him; but immediately a woman's self-delusion offered her consolation, and she told herself that he was shy only out of love. Her melancholy, however, began to turn into irritability, and not long before Boris left, she undertook a decisive plan. At the same time that Boris' vacation was coming to an end, Anatole Kuragin appeared in Moscow and, of course, in the Karagins' living room, and Julie, suddenly leaving her melancholy, became very cheerful and attentive to Kuragin.
“Mon cher,” Anna Mikhailovna said to her son, “je sais de bonne source que le Prince Basile envoie son fils a Moscou pour lui faire epouser Julieie.” [My dear, I know from reliable sources that Prince Vasily is sending his son to Moscow in order to marry him to Julie.] I love Julie so much that I should feel sorry for her. What do you think, my friend? Anna Mikhailovna said.
The idea of being fooled and wasting for nothing this whole month of hard melancholy service under Julie and seeing all the income from the Penza estates already planned and used properly in his imagination in the hands of another - especially in the hands of stupid Anatole, offended Boris. He went to the Karagins with the firm intention of making an offer. Julie greeted him with a cheerful and carefree air, casually talking about how fun she had been at the ball yesterday, and asking when he was coming. Despite the fact that Boris came with the intention of talking about his love and therefore intended to be gentle, he irritably began to talk about female inconstancy: about how women can easily move from sadness to joy and that their mood depends only on who looks after them. Julie was offended and said that it was true that a woman needed variety, that everyone would get tired of the same thing.
“For this I would advise you ...” Boris began, wanting to taunt her; but at that very moment the insulting thought came to him that he might leave Moscow without achieving his goal and losing his labors in vain (which had never happened to him). He stopped in the middle of her speech, lowered his eyes so as not to see her unpleasantly irritated and indecisive face, and said: “I didn’t come here at all to quarrel with you. On the contrary…” He glanced at her to see if he could continue. All her irritation suddenly disappeared, and restless, pleading eyes were fixed on him with greedy expectation. "I can always arrange myself so that I rarely see her," thought Boris. “But the work has begun and must be done!” He blushed, looked up at her, and said to her, “You know how I feel about you!” There was no more need to speak: Julie's face shone with triumph and self-satisfaction; but she forced Boris to tell her everything that is said in such cases, to say that he loves her, and never loved a single woman more than her. She knew that for the Penza estates and Nizhny Novgorod forests she could demand this, and she got what she demanded.
The bride and groom, no longer remembering the trees that showered them with darkness and melancholy, made plans for the future arrangement of a brilliant house in St. Petersburg, made visits and prepared everything for a brilliant wedding.

Count Ilya Andreich arrived in Moscow at the end of January with Natasha and Sonya. The countess was still unwell, and could not go, but it was impossible to wait for her recovery: Prince Andrei was expected to Moscow every day; besides, it was necessary to buy a dowry; The Rostovs' house in Moscow was not heated; in addition, they arrived for a short time, the countess was not with them, and therefore Ilya Andreich decided to stay in Moscow with Marya Dmitrievna Akhrosimova, who had long offered her hospitality to the count.

CLAVDIUS II OF GOTHAS (268 - 270)

Claudius II of Gotha (Marcus Aurelius Valery Claudius) (268-270) was born around 214, probably in Dardania (Upper Moesia). AT Historia Augusta letters are cited showing that he served as a military tribune under Trajan Decius and Valerian, who appointed him commander-in-chief in Illyricum. These documents are fictitious, but perhaps the invented messages contain some truth. At the time of the assassination in 268 of Gallienus near Mediolanum, in which Claudius seems to have taken part, he held the post of deputy commander in that area. They chose a new emperor from two contenders: Claudius and another major commander, Aurelian, who was also involved in the conspiracy. It is not known why Claudius was chosen by the army, although Aurelian's reputation for strict discipline may have played a role. One way or another, the story was set in motion that the dying Gallienus had formally appointed Claudius as his successor.

However, the murder of Gallienus outraged the soldiers, and fermentation began in the troops, which was only managed to be dampened by the traditional promise to pay an additional reward of twenty gold coins per person. For their part, the senators in Rome, outraged that Gallienus had removed them from government, cheered his death. They immediately proceeded to destroy his friends and relatives, including his brother and son Marian. Claudius urged the senators to mercy, even insisting on deifying the late emperor and appeasing the army.

After the ascension of Claudius to the throne, the siege of Mediolanum with the rebellious commander Aureol, which was conducted by both Gallienus and his murderers, continued without interruption. Upon learning of the change of ruler, Aureol tried to come to an agreement, but when his close associates opposed this, he decided to surrender to Claudius, apparently on the condition that his life be spared. But he was soon killed - the soldiers were outraged that he had betrayed Gallienus. Despite the elimination of this danger, Claudius was still forced to remain in northern Italy, as a serious threat arose from the Alemanni. Either at the instigation of Aureolus, or because the garrison in Rhetia was weakened, his units were pulled to Mediolanus, but the Alemanni broke through the Brenner Pass and reached Lake Benac. Here Claudius met them and inflicted such a heavy defeat on the Alemanni that hardly half of their original number returned to the north. Claudius, however, appropriated the title "Germanic" to himself.

The breakaway Empire, founded by Postumus in the west, was going through difficult times, and Claudius, in order to further weaken it, sent a reconnaissance detachment under the command of Julius Placidian into southern Gaul. He, located at Kularon, established contact with Spain and thereby returned it to the authority of the central government. Claudius himself did not lead this campaign, since he believed that first of all it was necessary to organize resistance to the combs in the Balkans. In 268, Gallienus failed to win a final victory at Naissus, but his commander Marcianus continued to disturb the invaders, and then Claudius himself arrived to complete the rout. When the Goths, lacking food, had to descend from the camp on Mount Hessax to Macedonia in search of food, Claudius attacked them furiously, apparently not far from the city of Marcianopolis. This success was marked by the issuance of coins (VICTORIAE GOTHIC ae) and brought the title of “Gothic” to the emperor, under which he has been known since then. New detachments were ready to cross the Danuvium to help their fellow tribesmen, but they did not achieve much success, another part of them tried to break through to the cities of the Aegean Sea on the ships of the Heruli, but also met with rebuff and was defeated by the Roman fleet, led by Tenaginon Probus, the governor Egypt. Many Germans who were captured during various wars were enrolled in the Roman army or settled in the north of the Balkans. The preserved milestones testify to the intensive construction of roads in this area.

Claudius was still occupied with the siege of the Goths on Mount Aemus when reports came in that the tribe of the Jutungs, which until then was content with the money paid by Rome, had crossed the Danuvium in search of new lands and threatened Raetia, while another tribe, the Vandals, was preparing to invade Pannonia. Therefore, Claudius, having entrusted the fight against the Goths to Aurelian, hastened with the troops to Sirmium in order to inspect the new theater of operations. But his army was struck by the plague, and in January 270 Claudius himself fell victim to it.

Although he reigned for less than two years, his death was sincerely mourned by both the soldiers and the senate, and his deification followed immediately. Moreover, later the memory of him was resurrected again when Constantine the Great stated that his grandmother was Claudius's daughter or niece. This claim was fictional, but because of it Claudius's life stories turned into enthusiastic panegyrics. But nevertheless, the fact remains that he was an outstanding commander, showing a fine example of military skill and valor, to which the Empire owes its preservation. But he had neither the time nor the opportunity to deal with difficult economic problems; for example, the quality of a silver-plated bronze coin became even worse, which adversely affected the already soaring prices. His coins depict a typical representative of the Danuvian military leaders of that time: short-haired, bearded and implacable.

(text according to the publication: M. Grant. Roman emperors / translated from English by M. Gitt - M.; TERRA - Book Club, 1998)

Valentine's Day is a common holiday around the world, and it is celebrated on February 14th. They also call it Valentine's Day, but not many people know who the celebration was named after and what its history is. In fact, there are several versions that provide explanations for these questions.

Who is Saint Valentine?

The Roman saint of the third century, who is considered the patron saint of all lovers, is called Saint Valentine. There is practically no information about this person in the story, which caused various rumors about this person to appear. There are historians who believe that Saint Valentine is two people at once. The Pope included his name in the list of respected people, whose deeds are known only to the Lord.

Understanding who Saint Valentine is, it is worth noting that in some sources one can find a description of the rhinestone of three saints: one was a priest, the second was a bishop, and very little is known about the third and, judging by indirect data, he died in torment in the African province of Rome . A certain similarity in the legends concerning the first two Valentines leads many people to believe that they were representations of the same person.

Saint Valentine - the story of life

In the Catholic Church, Valentine is not on the list of saints who must be remembered at the liturgies, so his memory is honored only at the local level in a number of dioceses. In the Orthodox Church, St. Valentine of Interamna is remembered on August 12, and Roman on July 19.

Valentin Interamnsky was born in 176 in a patrician family. Even in his youth, he converted to Christianity, and in 197 he was appointed bishop. In 270, at the invitation of the philosopher Kraton, the saint arrived in Rome and healed a boy who had a severely twisted spine. This made other people believe in God and accept Christianity. The mayor forced Valentine to renounce his faith, but he refused and accepted a painful death on February 14, 273.
Who is Saint Valentine of Rome is not known much. He accepted death because of his healing abilities.

Why is Saint Valentine famous?

More often, thinking about the patron saint of all lovers, people point to Bishop Valentine, who was born in the city of Ternii. There are many conflicting legends about this person.

There is evidence that St. Valentine, the patron saint of lovers, when he was still a young man, supported people, for example, taught them to show their feelings and become happy. He helped write letters of confession, reconciled people and gave spouses flowers and gifts.
Saint Valentine married men and women, but, according to legend, Emperor Julius Claudius II did not allow soldiers to fall in love and marry, but the bishop violated his ban.
The saint was sent to prison and there he fell in love with the blind daughter of his own executioner and helped her heal. There is evidence that the executioner himself asked the bishop to save his daughter from illness, and she then fell in love with her savior. Continuing to learn the story - who is Saint Valentine, it is worth mentioning such an interesting fact that before the execution he gave his beloved a note signed "Your Valentine". It is believed that “valentines” came from here.
The day of the execution coincided with a Roman holiday in honor of the goddess of love, Juno. In Rome, this day was considered the beginning of spring.

Was Saint Valentine gay?

As already mentioned, due to the lack of information, various rumors arose. These include the fact that Saint Valentine is gay. Such a rumor appeared due to the fact that the emperor Claudius II allegedly issued an order that men fit for military service could not marry among themselves, as this would negatively affect the morale of the army. The bishop, who himself was a homosexual, violated the order and married the guys to each other, for which he was executed.

The truth about Saint Valentine indicates that he was, and an interpretation of the emperor's law, mere fantasy. In fact, Claudius was a reformer who made the Roman army strong and regular. He said that warriors should not be married, as they would be afraid to go into battle so that the family would not lose their breadwinner. Since the saint blessed Christian values, marriage was sacred to him, and he held services for marriage, so the question regarding whom Saint Valentine married does not apply to homosexual couples.

How did Saint Valentine die?

There are two versions regarding the death of the patron saint of all lovers:

According to the very first and well-known version, the priest ended up in prison because he helped Christians and held the wedding of young Christian couples. When Valentine wanted to convert Claudius to the true faith, he sentenced him to death. The saint was stoned, but they did not injure him in any way, so it was decided to behead him. There is no exact date of execution, but there are three options: 269, 270 and 273.
There is another version regarding who executed St. Valentine. So, he was sentenced to house arrest, and the warden was the judge, who began to talk with the priest on a religious topic. To resolve the dispute, the judge brought the blind daughter and said that he would fulfill any wish of Valentine if he returned the girl's sight. As a result, the Saint fulfilled his obligations and demanded that the judge renounce paganism and accept Christianity. After that, Valentine was released, but there was a second arrest, and then he was sent to the emperor, who ordered his execution, according to the scenario described in the first version. In this version, there is an exact date of death - February 14, 269.

Saint Valentine in Christianity

If we consider the versions of the origin of the custom to celebrate Valentine's Day, then they have pagan roots, so the church considers this holiday superfluous. In addition, it is important to note that Saint Valentine is not mentioned in the Bible and other sacred books for Christians. The clergy assure that sincere love for the Lord will help a person say goodbye to all the customs associated with the glorification of false gods. Many religious scholars also believe that Valentine's Day is a commercial ploy.

Saint Valentine in Orthodoxy

In the Orthodox Church there are testimonies of three Saint Valentines: Interamna, Roman and Dorostol. It is believed that the Orthodox Saint Valentine is Interamne, but if you look, all the legends known about this person are taken from all three biographies of saints with the same names. Religious scholars assure that this is just a legend and fiction that the priest, allegedly violating the ban, helped couples get married. In the church calendar on February 14 there is no mark on the need to glorify St. Valentine.

Saint Valentine for Catholics

It has already been mentioned that the Roman Catholic Church speaks of three Valentines, and two of them are probably the same person. It is worth noting that the liturgical commemoration of the saint was replaced by the commemoration of saints. This is due to the fact that during the reform of the church calendar, many considerations were taken into account, for example, it was decided to indicate in the calendar the saints who have a genuine church-wide significance, while the Catholic Saint Valentine does not have this. Summing up, we can say that Catholics do not have such a holiday as Valentine's Day.

Saint Valentine in Islam

It is clear that there is no such patron of lovers in Islam, but this is a religion of true love and cooperation in good intentions, therefore Muslims recognize holidays that help bring people closer together who sincerely love Allah and each other. It should be noted that the priest himself St. Valentine and the holiday in Islam is not welcome. Religion says that people should express their feelings to each other every day, and not just once a year.

Legend of Saint Valentine

Over the years, many legends have arisen associated with the patron saint of lovers. The story of the execution, in which Emperor Claudius II and Saint Valentine took part, was told above, but there are other legends:

One of the legends tells how Valentine married a Christian woman and a Roman centurion, who were mortally ill. By doing this, he violated the decree of the emperor. It is believed that after this the saint was called the patron saint of lovers.
There is an interesting legend that describes the meeting of Valentine and a couple of lovers who had a big fight. At the will of the priest, a pair of doves began to circle around them, which amused and helped to forget about the quarrel.
Another story tells that Valentine had a large garden where he grew roses himself. He allowed children to frolic on his territory and when they went home, they received a flower from the priest as a gift. When he was arrested, he was very worried that the children would have nowhere to walk, but two pigeons flew to him in prison, through which he handed over the key to the garden and a note.

Saint Valentine - interesting facts

There is information about this person noted in the religion, which for many people is unknown.

The saint is considered the patron saint of beekeeping and epileptics.
The skull of the patron saint of all lovers can be found in Rome in the Church of the Virgin Mary. After the life of St. Valentine ended, in the early 1800s, various relics and remains were found during excavations, which spread around the world.
It is believed that the holiday of lovers was invented by the English poet Chaucer, who described it in the poem "Bird Parliament".

Almost all over the world on February 14, people have been celebrating Valentine's Day for many years. They give hearts to their soul mates, most often they delight with various romantic surprises. However, few people know who Saint Valentine is, where all these traditions came from and why they are so ardently honored in our time. Well, let's try to understand the history of this celebration, plunging into the depths of religion and mythology, as well as focusing on the traditions of various countries and peoples.

A retrospective of the legends about the origin of this saint

There are three legends about who Saint Valentine is. More precisely, three people are known under this name. The first is Valentin Rimsky, who worked in Rome as a clergyman. He died in the third century AD as a result of the persecution that took place during the collapse of the Roman Empire. The second character is Valentine, who also worked in Italy as a church bishop. He was executed in 270 and buried in the Third - a person completely unknown to people of our time. Some, however, believe that he was a warrior and died on a campaign against Carthage. With the advent of the Middle Ages, when all kinds of romance, art and other manifestations of beauty were under the strictest ban, people painted Valentine as an associate who promoted the church (Catholic) idea all over the world.

A beautiful fairy tale that could be true

Nowadays, there is the so-called "Golden Legend", which tells about who Saint Valentine is, where he lived and why he became the patron saint of all lovers. So, once ruling in the Roman Empire, Claudius II considered that young men were reluctant to enter his army. It seemed to him that it was the wives who did not let them go to war, so the emperor signed a decree banning weddings for every unmarried representative of the stronger sex. Valentine was a local doctor, a preacher of Christianity. Along with this, he secretly married lovers. Once a man, whose daughter Julia was blind, approached him, and he prescribed an ointment for her. Later rumors of secret weddings reached Claudius, and Valentine was locked up in a dungeon. Knowing that he would be executed, he sent an envelope to Yulia, where, along with healing saffron, he left a message with the text “Your Valentine”. The former doctor was executed on February 14, and the girl, having opened the envelope, gained her sight. Officially, this holiday was included in the church canons in 496.

Inconsistencies in the most beautiful legend

The story of the celebration of Valentine's Day, which was outlined in the previous paragraph, cannot be true for several reasons. Firstly, the holy martyr himself lived in Rome in the third century AD, when wedding rites as such did not yet exist. This is primarily due to the fact that at the moment Christianity has not yet taken over in the Roman Empire, and all citizens, including the ruler, remained pagans. The spouses could do this both secretly and publicly, so such rumors could hardly reach the emperor. Although it is not worth stating with accuracy that every word in this legend is a fiction, since a saint with a similar name is fully recognized by the Catholic Church, and most often he is identified with a doctor who prayed for every sick person in the world and helped every person who asked him about healing.

The origin of Valentine's Day according to pagan theory

Some historians believe that this celebration was invented, like St. Valentine himself, in order to displace a very cruel pagan holiday from Roman traditions. According to a long tradition, the city of Rome was founded by the brothers - Romulus and Remus, who were fed with their milk by a she-wolf. That is why every year the inhabitants of the empire sacrificed one sheep (the food of wolves), as well as a dog (an animal that wolves hate). The skin of dead animals was divided into narrow thin belts, after which completely naked young guys whipped everyone who got in their way with them. It is noteworthy that young girls tried to fall under these blows, since it was believed that scars made it possible to successfully marry, bear and give birth to a child. In turn, the history of the appearance of Valentine's Day here is connected with the fact that these belts were called "februa", and the ritual itself was carried out in the middle of this February, which in the Romano-Germanic languages sounds like "februarium" and its other derivatives.

Love rituals associated with this celebration

In the form familiar to us, the holiday of all lovers began to be celebrated only in the 19th century in Great Britain. Of course, no one knew who Saint Valentine was, as well as the history of the origin of this entire ritual. For people, this has already become a simple entertainment, which appeared either at the behest or by some decree of the local government. However, every year on February 14, the young men pulled out notes from the drum, which indicated the names of the girls they knew. This is how the “couples” were formed, which during the year had to accept each other’s courtship, after which they could disperse or get married. Later, this tradition migrated to the United States, where it gained great popularity and new rules, many of which are well known to us today.

History of Valentine's Day in the 20th century

At the dawn of the new century, newly-minted merchants took up such entertainment. Thanks to them, heart-shaped postcards, specialized gift bouquets, sweets and other trifles appeared on sale. Also, the owners of restaurants and cafes began to organize certain programs, which could only be attended by couples in love. Gradually, this celebration has become a great opportunity to earn money by selling postcards, "valentines", flowers, good wine and other gifts that today, as a rule, men give to their beloved ladies. In the 21st century, in honor of such a holiday, they just do not suit. And DJ specialized sets, and films, and concerts, and many other events.

Traditions that depend on the culture of a particular country

Despite the fact that we now know who Saint Valentine is and that his homeland is Italy, the celebration held in his honor covers the whole world. In England, where the holiday was celebrated for the first time, today most of all they guess ... on birds. If on February 14 the first thing you see is a robin, then you will live happily ever after with a sailor. A sparrow is most often found in a poor groom, but a goldfinch is a clear messenger of a rich prince. When this holiday became the property of the Americans, their men took up the tradition of giving marzipan to their other halves. Today they are easily replaced with chocolate and other confectionery, but their color should remain red or white. the French do for their women - they present jewels and jewelry to those they love. But in Japan, citizens are limited only to chocolate. At the same time, this product is a manifestation of the purest love, and both a man and a woman can confess their feelings.

Brief conclusion

Such a mysterious and diverse origin of the holiday "Valentine's Day" has made it a worldwide celebration. In our country, he also gained popularity, but only with the beginning of the 1990s. Also, all over the world it is customary to believe that marriages concluded on February 14 will not only be happy, but also eternal.

Valentine's Day has firmly entered the calendar of Russian holidays. On this day, it is customary to congratulate your loved ones and give them gifts.
The roots of this holiday go back to deep pagan antiquity. Then it was not a holiday of love at all, but was associated with the cult of Luperk (or Pan) - the patron saint of herds.
In ancient Rome, every year from February 13 to February 15, Lupercalia was held - a festival dedicated to Luperk. In the grotto of Lupercal at the foot of the Palatine Hill (where, according to legend, the she-wolf brought up Romulus and Remus, the founders of Rome), the priests of Luperk from the patrician youth gathered, sacrificed young goats, and after a ritual meal, the priests cut the skins of the sacrificial goats, stripped naked, ran around city and whipped everyone they met with pieces of the skins of sacrificial goats. Women most willingly exposed their bodies to blows, because it was believed that these blows would give them fertility and easy childbirth.
This festival was borrowed by the Romans from Arcadia.

Domenico Beccafumi. Lupercalia

After the adoption of Christianity, Lupercalia, as well as other pagan festivals, were banned. Yes, how is it possible that a Christian woman was whipped by a strange man, and even naked ... But the people are used to festivities. Something had to be given in return. And in 496, Pope Gelasius I replaced Lupercalia with Valentine's Day.
I must say that such a replacement is not the only one. After all, they replaced the ancient holidays dedicated to the winter solstice with the Nativity of Jesus Christ, and the holidays dedicated to the summer solstice - with the Nativity of John the Baptist ...
The new holiday came up with a beautiful legend. Emperor Claudius II, who ruled in 268-270, fought a lot. The emperor believed that a soldier would fight better if he did not have a family. And so he forbade the soldiers of his army to marry. But the prankster Cupid, shooting arrows of love to the right and left, did not particularly understand who his arrows would hit. And, it happened that these arrows fell into the soldiers of the army of Claudius. And what should the poor soldier do when he was hit by an arrow fired by the prankster Cupid? After all, the imperial authorities could not register the marriages of soldiers. Supreme prohibition. And then a priest named Valentine appears, who, despite the imperial ban, began to register soldier marriages, however, having previously baptized the spouses. The existence of such an illegal marriage registration office was reported to the emperor. Claudius ordered that Valentine be arrested and brought to him for a preventive conversation. Valentine was arrested and taken to the emperor.
- So-so. So, despite my ban, you registered the marriages of my soldiers? Claudius asked Valentina sternly.
- Yes. For God is love.
- Okay, the demon is with you, I'll forgive you the organization of an illegal marriage office. But with one condition: you will make a sacrifice to the Roman gods. Well, for example, Luperca. After all, today is his holiday.
- Ah, here, fuck you bald, tyrant! I believe in Christ. And there are no other gods for me.
- Ah well. Well, then you should be headless.
And the priest Valentine was beheaded.
The authenticity of this legend is questioned. But you must admit, the legend is beautiful!
February 14 is also remembered by another saint named Valentine, Bishop of Interamna (Umbria, Italy). He not only married, but also healed serious ailments.

Saint Valentine cures epilepsy

It should be noted that the Sergian church protests against St. Valentine's Day. But both Valentin the Roman and Valentin of Interamna are Orthodox saints. The day of memory of the first is July 6 (July 19, New Style), and the second is July 30 (August 12, New Style).