Valentine's Day

Why people celebrating valentine's day  every year in the  february 14 only:)? 

Valentine's Day is celebrated on February 14. Traditionally, it is a day to tell someone that you love them. People often send each other cards on Valentine's Day, sometimes anonymously.

               

• Statistics show that teachers receive the most Valentine’s Day cards followed by children, mothers, wives, sweethearts and pets! But, what is the real story behind St. Valentine’s Day? Who was St. Valentine and why are roses and chocolates traditional gifts?Over the centuries, the origin of Valentine’s Day has been lost but some historians believe it stems from the Roman festival of Lupercalia celebrated between February 13 and 15.Traditionally, Roman men sacrificed a goat, dressed themselves in the animal’s skin and ran around whipping willing women with a hide thong because this was meant to make them fertile! Men would also draw women’s names from a jar and the couples would join together for the festival or longer if they were suited!

• Another theory is that St. Valentine’s Day is to remember a Roman priest who lived in the 3rd century during the reign of Emperor Claudius II. This was a time when the Roman Empire was in decline and under increased threats from northern Europe and Asia, leading to more men being recruited as soldiers to defend the Empire.Claudius II believed that his soldiers would be better fighters if they were unmarried as they would not be distracted by wives and family. He therefore prohibited the marriage of young people.Christianity was growing in popularity and with the church promoting the sanctity of marriage at a time when polygamy was common, this increased the conflict with Claudius who already persecuted the church.Valentine was said to encourage marriage and secretly performed the ceremonies until he was caught and imprisoned in 269AD.One of his jailors, a man named Asterius heard that Valentine had healing powers and asked for help to cure his blind daughter. The daughter was miraculously cured and became friends with the priest.Claudius tried to convert Valentine to Roman paganism and Valentine tried to convert Claudius to Christianity but both men failed and so Valentine was sentenced to beatings, stoning and death by beheading.Before his execution, Valentine is supposed to have written a note to Asterius’ daughter signing it “from your Valentine”

• Shakespeare also romanticised Valentine’s Day by mentioning it in A Midsummer Night’s Dream and in Hamlet.It was once believed that the heart was the centre of all emotion and traditionally in the Middle Ages men would pull a paper with a woman's name out of a bowl for her to be his Valentine. To show his devotion, the man would wear the paper on his sleeve for a week. This soon became known as "wearing your heart on your sleeve” and could be the reason hearts feature as a symbol of love.During the 18th century, Valentine’s popularity grew, becoming more connected to romance and courtship. In England, it became common to exchange gifts and handmade Valentine cards made of lace and ribbon and decorated with hearts and cupids, the Roman God, symbol of passionate love.In 1797, the Young Man’s Valentine Writer was published with suggestions of rhymes and messages leading to the sending of anonymous Valentine cards. The custom spread to the American colonies with Esther Howland of Massachusetts producing the first commercial cards in 1847. Hallmark made its first card in 1913.In the 1980s, the diamond industry began to promote Valentine's Day as an occasion for giving jewelry but, typically, red roses or chocolates are the traditional gifts along with perfume or lingerie for the ladies!

• The price of roses increases substantially for Valentine’s Day and if you are given some, it is useful to know the language of flowers.White roses symbolise birth, innocence and new beginnings. Pink mean grace and elegance and are given to express the beginning of love or friendship, whilst yellow roses express jealousy and infidelity and may mean a finishing love.However, it is the red rose that represents love and passion, having always been associated with Aphrodite and Venus, the goddesses of love. In the 18th century, secret lovers used the red rose to communicate their love for each other.A single red rose means ‘I love you’ whilst six mean ‘I miss you’. The traditional 12 roses signify unconditional love and come from Victorian times based on the significance of the number 12 across the natural and spiritual world.Eighteen roses ask for forgiveness and a rose bud means youthful innocent love. Worry if you are given withered roses as they say the love is dying!The giving of chocolate as a present began in the 19th century when it was an expensive gift and Richard Cadbury marketed the first box in 1868, decorated in a sentimental Victorian style.Chocolate has always had a magical quality in many cultures and even the Aztecs believed it could make people fall in love.Chocolate contains phenylethylamine, an endorphin that stimulates our brain to produce dopamine, which, in turn, creates arousal, comfort and feelings of happiness - perfect for a romantic Valentine’s evening!In the run up to Valentine’s Day, we are bombarded with suggestions for entertainment and gifts. But what if you are single on Valentine’s Day?

Despite the massive commercialism of St. Valentine’s Day, there is nothing wrong with having a specific day in which to show your love and appreciation for someone special, but then why restrict it to one day?