Love is something which has to be shared and celebrated everyday and every moment, so that you make your beloved know what it means to you. Valentines Day is celebrated on February 14th of every year to express your love and to celebrate the spirit of love. This day is highlighted with millions of people across the world presenting their loved ones with candy, flowers, chocolates and other lovely gifts.
The significance of Valentines Day is love and affection which is generally symbolized with winged cupids, doves or heart-shaped outlines. It is also believed that the Valentines days fall out will strengthen the depths of their love. It is quite difficult to find a young man or woman who is not keen about this day. Also on the eve of Valentines Day apart from exchanging gifts the eating joints and restaurants are filled with couples who are eager to celebrate their relationship and the joy of their togetherness through delicious cuisines.
Origin and History
The origin of the Valentines Day takes us back to a fertility festival in ancient Rome, celebrated on February 15 in honor of the pastoral god Lupercus and Faunus.The celebration of the Lupercalia festival assumed to be of pairing of young women and men. It goes like where men draws a women's name from a box full of names and after that they remain paired with each other till the next year's celebration. It is said that the Lupercalia festival first laid the foundation for today's Valentines Day celebration. But however the name Valentine came only after a priest named Valentine.
Valentine is supposed to be very romantic at heart and one of the most popular saints in England and France. Emperor Claudius II proposed an authoritative order having the force of law saying that soldiers should remain bachelors for he strongly believed that once they get committed they will not be able to concentrate due to various distractions. But Valentine was against this and he secretly performed marriage ceremonies. As a result of his bold resistance to the opposing authority, Valentine was put to death by Emperor Claudius II on February 14th.After Valentine's death, he was named a saint. As Christianity spread through Rome, the priests moved Lupercalia from February 15 to February 14 and renamed it St. Valentine's Day to honor Saint Valentine.
Legends
There are many legends behind the Valentines Day. Apart from its history it is also said that when Valentine was in the prison he fell in love with the jailor's daughter who use to visit him in the prison regularly. So he was the first to send the Valentines greeting and before his death he wrote a letter signed by him mentioning "From your Valentine," an expression that is still in use today. Customs and traditions
The first and foremost custom of Valentines Day is to express one's love with an exchange of cards, kisses, flowers and gifts. Apart from this different customs and traditions are followed in various parts of the country like in England children are taken to the street where they sing songs and exchange cards whereas in Denmark exchange their affection by sharing pressed white flowers. In most of the English countries around 1700's the women used to write the names of the men whom they like in a piece of paper and roll it inside a clay ball and throw it in the water. There was belief stating that whose ever paper pops up first was the one with true love. Another traditional custom says that on Valentines day women has to sit near the window of their of house and the first man that walks by is the one who is destined to marry her.Ofcourse no celebrations is complete without a dining party with friends and the loved ones.
Valentine's Day Celebration across the World
The Valentine's Day celebration has become massive way of expressing individuals love with fun and frolic across the world. Though the initial concept of Valentine's Day celebration was only between lovers, which has now become a day for individuals also where they have started to greet 'Happy Valentine's Day' among parents, teachers, siblings, friends or any other person special to them. This day has now become more of a social significance. The most common way of Valentine's day celebration involves sharing of love between the loved ones along with exchange of gifts. The traditional old practice of Valentine's Day celebration involves exchange of fresh flowers, cards and chocolates. But today's modern trend varies in many ways passing of text messages through the phone,e-cards going for discotheques and hanging out in their favourite spots and meeting up for dinner or lunch. Recently jewelry specially designed for the Valentines Day are also exchanged between the dear ones. Going on dates with beloved is the other major way of celebrating Valentine's Day Festival. Various clubs and hotels arrange for Valentines Day parties along with candle light romantic dinners. This day is been celebrated with great regards especially by the youth.
Valentines Day Celebration in India
Though it entered India only recently, it is been welcomed by majority of the people. Since it's a culture come from the west there were people against this concept of celebration but however the majority liked the feeling of celebrating their love and the loved ones. Like other parts of the country in India also the celebration includes exchange of gifts and cards. The feeling of this romantic festival keeps us high much before the exact day. The television and the radio channels conduct programs related to Valentines Day. The print media also comes up with all advertisements on Valentines Day. On the eve of Valentines Day many competitions unique for lovers are arranged in major shopping malls in cities. Of all the card and the gift shops are beautifully decorated with symbols of love like roses, cupid and heart shaped balloons. Places like restaurants, discos, Cineplex, pubs and eat outs are extremely crowded with the couples celebrating the Valentines Day.
Valentines Gifts
A Valentine Gift is the most wonderful way of celebrating togetherness and showing to your loved ones how much they mean to you. It generally includes flowers, cards and chocolates. Nowadays there are so many gifts available specially designed for the Valentine day. However when it comes to choosing a Valentine's Day gift, gifting a woman is easier between the two sexes. There is a huge range of gifts for women to choose from.
Valentines Day Symbol
- Cupid
Cupid is believed to be responsible for people falling in love for it pierces the heart of victims with bow and arrow. - Roses
The flower Rose is generally said to symbolize love and is also used to signify compassion, peace, friendship and romance. - Lace, Ribbons and frills
Lace, Ribbons and frills are always associated with love. In olden days the Kings would tie either one of this in remembrance of them and to keep them in close proximity when they go for battles. Even today the gifts are wrapped and tied with either a lace or a ribbon or a frill. - Hearts
Heart pierced with arrow forms the most important symbol of Valentines Day from time in memorial. - Love Birds
Love birds are also a symbol of Valentines Day for it is believed on this day they choose their mates. It also symbolizes fertility. - Doves
Doves symbolize peace, loyalty, humbleness, purity and love. - Love Knots
Though this concept of love knots is quite old, it is still in existence. It has its roots from the Arabic traditions where young Muslim Women in traditional and orthodox households expressed their love and affection via the medium of love knots. These women used to send their love messages to their beloved one's woven in the knots of a carpet.
- Red - I am in love
- Blue - I am free
- Green - I am waiting
- Yellow - Going to propose
- White - Ready for a friendship
- Pink - Just now accepted
- Black - Proposal rejected
- Orange - Broke up
- Gray - Not interested
Of all the flowers used on a Valentine's Day most commonly used Valentine's Day flower is the red Rose as this flower is traditionally recognized as the symbol of love and passion. Rose of different colors symbolizes different emotions and feelings.
- Red Roses - Love and passion
- White Roses - True love, purity of the mind and reverence
- Yellow Roses - Friendship, celebration and joy
- Pink Roses - Friendship or Sweetheart, admiration
- Peach Roses - Desire and excitement or appreciation
- Lilac Roses - Love at first sight and enchantment
- Coral Roses - Desire Orange Roses - Enthusiasm and desire
- Black Roses - Farewell or "It's Over"
- Bouquet of Red and Yellow Roses: Happiness and celebrations
- Bouquet of Red and White Roses: Bonding and harmony
- Bouquet of Yellow and Orange Roses: Passion