ORIGINS

The Roman Emperor Claudius II (3rd

century A.D.) wanted a strong army, but
many men did not want to be soldiers.
He thought the men wanted to stay home to
be with their wives and children instead of
leaving to fight wars. So, he decided to
cancel all marriages.
Valentine, who was a priest, believed that
people needed to get married.
He secretly and illegally married couples
anyway, performing the weddings in secret
places.
 ORIGINS
Valentine was arrested and sent to prison.
Secretly married couples and friends threw
flowers and notes up to his prison window.

He became friends with the jailer’s

daughter. Valentine was executed on
February 14 but the day before he wrote a
letter to her, signing it: “from your
Valentine.” That’s why we send Valentine
cards to our loved ones today.
 SYMBOLS
Saint Valentine’s day colours:
Red, which represents the color of the
heart, love.
White, which represents purity.
Pink, which was the colour of the almond
tree that blossomed when Valentine was
buried.
Cupid
The Roman God of Love, son of Venus, is
often depicted as a mischievous, winged
child whose arrows pierce the hearts of his
victims, causing them to fall in love.
 SYMBOLS
Flowers :
Meanings and sentiments are attached to
individual flowers.
February 14 is the most important holiday
for florists, accounting for 32% of annual
sales.

Hearts:
The human heart is characterized as the seat
of both emotion and thought.
 SYMBOLS
Lovebirds:
According to medieval tradition, February
14 marks the beginning of mating season
for birds. In fact, birds were said to choose
their mates on that very day, thus making
them a favorite symbol for Valentine’s Day.

Chocolate:
Chocolate has long been considered a
romantic gift, especially on Valentine's Day.
Put it in a heart shaped box and you have a
classic Valentine's Day gift.
 SYMBOLS
Valentine cards:
They are often referred to simply as “valentines.” They
have become an essential element and are expected not
only between lovers, but even among elementary age
children in classrooms.
Approximately one billion Valentine cards are exchanged
each year...
 Around the world
Britain:
The sending of cards and gifts of flowers
and chocolates is standard procedure
throughout the entire country. Children sing
special songs and then receive gifts of
candy, fruit or money.
Denmark:
People send pressed white flowers called
Snowdrops to their friends. There is a form
of valentine known as a gaekkebrev (or
"joking letter"), where the sender signs his
or her name in dots. If the receiver guesses
the correct name then the sender will get a
candy egg at Easter time.
 Around the world
Germany:
It has become customary for the young man
to present his beloved with flowers on
February 14. Valentine gifts in Germany are
usually in the shape of love tokens,
completed with love messages.

Japan:
Valentine's Day is celebrated on two different
dates...February 14 and March 14. On the first
date, the female gives a gift to the male and on the
second date (known as White Day) the male has to
return the gift he received on February 14. Thus,
strictly speaking, a Japanese female has the luxury
of actually choosing her own gift.
 Around the world
Korea:
The traditional gift of candy takes place in Korea
on February 14, but only from females to males.
They also celebrate the White day (March 14) and
for those young people who have no particular
romantic partners get together on April 14 ("Black
Day”) and partake of Jajang noodles, which are
black in color, hence the name of the day.

Spain:
it is customary for couples to exchange gifts
on Valentine's Day and for husbands to send
their wives bouquets of roses.
 Around the world
Scotland:
Valentine's Day is celebrated with a festival. There is an
equal number of unmarried males and females. Each
person writes his/her name on a piece of paper. Pieces
are folded and placed into one hat for the ladies and one
for the men. Then both females and males draw a name
from the hat. Probably, their names will not match but
men must partner with the female who selected their
names. The females would then pin the name of their
partner over their hearts or on their sleeves. A dance
often follows and, at the end of the festival, it is not
unusual for marriages to take place.
Valentine's Day gifts in Scotland are frequently given by
both parties in the form of a love-token or true-love-
knot.