Valentine's Day is not just celebrated on one particular day but the celebration of love starts from a week before called 'Valentine Week' including Rose Day followed by Propose Day, Chocolate Day, Teddy Day, Promise Day, Hug Day, Kiss Day, and ends on February 14 with Valentine's Day. Valentine's Day promotes the idea of celebrating 'love' irrespective of one's orientation. Galentine's Day(celebrated on Feb 13) & Palentine's Day is celebrated as alternate days for Valentine's Day. But the idea of celebrating love does not stop only with straight relationships but embraces all kinds of love and affection. Cards and decoratives representing all queer relationships are slowly coming into trend.
The story of the Feast of Saint Valentine is pretty well-known to everyone so this time Crazy Creatives team will bring you lesser-known facts/information about Valentine's day.
One click on the internet brings you myths and history on your page about Saint Valentine, modern greetings, chocolate, and gifts recommendations. But Valentine's day has its roots deeper in Paganism. February 15 was celebrated as a Pagan day of fertility called 'Lupercalia'. Before Pope Gelasius outlawed the celebration of Lupercalia it was celebrated as a day of good health and fertility.
Only by 19th Century Cupid's image was associated with Valentine's Day. Greek God of 'carnal love', Eros also known as Amor or Cupid in Latin had an intimidating power to make people fall in love. During the 4th century BCE, Romans made today's Cupid image which is a little boy with a bow and arrow. Eros has many other images including a blindfolded Eros(representing desire), Eros in Slumber(suppressed sensuality), and Eros holding a torch upside down (symbol of death).
Valentine's Day is the second biggest festival celebrated after Christmas. About 145 million cards are printed every year in America only. Exchange of flowers, decorated/heart-shaped chocolates, sending wishes include the celebration of Valentine. Restaurants are the busiest on Feb 14th.
Every country has its own way of celebrating Valentine's Day. Philipines usually have mass weddings where all the couples say 'I do' at the same time(in sync). In 2010, 1500 couples got hitched in a mass wedding ceremony held at Caloocan City, a suburb of Manila. Not only that, a lot of proposals, many engagements also happen on Valentine's Day.
Last but not least February 14th is not always about Valentine's Day. Sir Alexander Fleming introduced Pencilin on February 14, 1929. In 1876, Alexander Graham Bell applied for the patent for his telephone model which he got approved less than a month later.
Hope this thread has brought something to your notice that you didn't know before. Let us know your unique, meaningful way of spending the festival. Let's not narrow down our affection to one day only but be thankful and make the people around us feel our love and sincerity every day.
Crazy Creatives team wishes all IFians a very happy Valentine's Day.
Anupamaa
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