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Post by stevenr1953 on Feb 5, 2015 20:54:38 GMT
As you probably all know it will soon be Valentine's day.
St. Valentine's Day began as a liturgical celebration for one or more early Christian saints named Valentinus. Several martyrdom stories were invented for the various Valentines that belonged to February 14.
The day was first associated with romantic love in the circle of Geoffrey Chaucer (he lived from about 1343 – 1400 and is known as the Father of English literature) in the High Middle Ages, when the tradition of courtly love flourished.
In 18th-century England, it evolved into an occasion in which lovers expressed their love for each other by presenting flowers, offering confectionery, and sending greeting cards (known as "valentines").
Valentine's Day symbols that are used today include the heart-shaped outline, doves, and the figure of the winged Cupid. Since the 19th century, handwritten valentines have given way to mass-produced greeting cards.
If you have someone you really love don't forget to tell them so on this special day.
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Post by SaRaHJaNe on Feb 5, 2015 22:53:08 GMT
As you probably all know it will soon be Valentine's day. St. Valentine's Day began as a liturgical celebration for one or more early Christian saints named Valentinus. Several martyrdom stories were invented for the various Valentines that belonged to February 14. The day was first associated with romantic love in the circle of Geoffrey Chaucer (he lived from about 1343 – 1400 and is known as the Father of English literature) in the High Middle Ages, when the tradition of courtly love flourished. In 18th-century England, it evolved into an occasion in which lovers expressed their love for each other by presenting flowers, offering confectionery, and sending greeting cards (known as "valentines"). Valentine's Day symbols that are used today include the heart-shaped outline, doves, and the figure of the winged Cupid. Since the 19th century, handwritten valentines have given way to mass-produced greeting cards. If you have someone you really love don't forget to tell them so on this special day. This is nice Steven i have never read about this yet, how valentines day started. To tell the truth I have not remembered i had celebrated this day for 2 reasons.. 1 is when i dont have anyone to celebrate it with and the other is during those day so many lovers are celebrating that its hard to join them in when you are one of those who hate traffic, and congestion, and booking with restaurants and hotels is next to impossible hehehe. I wud rather stay at home and celebrate the next day. Anyway, i would be happy if someone would greet me happy Valentines day... and for this i want to greet you all advance happy valentine day. Cheers, SJ
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Post by stevenr1953 on Feb 5, 2015 23:15:45 GMT
as Valentines day is a Saturday this year you are right all good places to go and celebrate will be fully booked and very busy. Probably on Friday night and Sunday also. many places will increase prices because they know people will pay it particularly if they change the menu only slightly and call it a "special Valentines menu" . Unless my partner really wanted to go out on the actual day I would cook a nice dinner for us (or maybe get takeaway food for at least part of the meal lol) low lights, soft music, a little wine just a nice romantic evening for 2 at home.
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Post by stevenr1953 on Feb 6, 2015 21:17:52 GMT
Valentines Day in Japan Valentine's Day is celebrated in an interesting manner on two different dates in the country of Japan. On February 14, female present gifts to their boyfriends or any man close to them. The favour is returned to ladies on the White Day celebrated on March 14 when men pamper women who gave them gifts a month before on Valentines Day.
History of Valentine's Day in Italy Valentine's Day was initially celebrated as a Spring Festival in Italy. Celebration for the day was held in the open air. Young people would gather in tree arbors or ornamental gardens and enjoy listening to music and reading of poetry. Later they would stroll off with their Valentine into the gardens. The custom steadily ceased over the course of years and has not been celebrated for centuries.
Valentines Day in India Valentine's Day celebration is a recent phenomenon in India but has caught the fancy of people to a great extent. Though some see it as a western import and hesitate to celebrate, there exist a large and growing number of those who love the feeling behind the beautiful and romantic festival. Especially to the Indian youth February 14 signifies love - a day when people express their affection for others. Just as several other countries, people in India too celebrate the Valentine's Day by exchanging cards and gifts.
Euphoria of Valentine's Day festival can be experienced weeks before the festival. Television, radio and print media start creating hype about the festival by covering all facets of it. Gift marketers and card companies launch a rigorous campaign to lure the youngsters. Card and gift shops are interestingly decorated with symbols of Valentine's Day including roses, cupid and heart shaped balloons. Shopping malls in metropolitan cities organize fun-filled competitions and distribute discount coupons to lure the consumers.
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Post by stevenr1953 on Feb 8, 2015 22:25:30 GMT
China
In China, the common situation is the man gives chocolate, flowers or both to the woman that he loves. In Chinese, Valentine's Day is called lovers' festival. The so-called "Chinese Valentine's Day" is the Qixi Festival, celebrated on the seventh day of the seventh month of the lunar calendar. It commemorates a day on which a legendary cowherder and weaving maid are allowed to be together. Valentine's Day on February 14 is often not celebrated because it is too close to the Chinese New Year, which usually falls on either January or February. In Chinese culture, there is an older observance related to lovers, called "The Night of Sevens". According to the legend, the Cowherd star and the Weaver Maid star are normally separated by the Milky Way (silvery river) but are allowed to meet by crossing it on the 7th day of the 7th month of the Chinese calendar.
Finland and Estonia
In Finland Valentine's Day is called Ystävänpäivä which translates into "Friend's Day". As the name indicates, this day is more about remembering friends, not significant others. In Estonia Valentine's Day is called sõbrapäev, which has the same meaning.[73]
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Post by stevenr1953 on Feb 10, 2015 16:52:17 GMT
Australia During the Australian gold rush period, miners who were suddenly in possession of money from the new-found wealth of the Ballarat Mines were willing to pay a princely sum for elaborate valentines and merchants in the country would ship orders amounting to thousands of pounds at a time. The most extravagent Australian valentines were made of a satin cushion, perfumed and decorated in an ornate manner with flowers and colored shells. Some might even be adorned with a taxidermied humming bird or bird of paradise. This treasure, contained within a neatly decorated box, was highly valued, being both fashionable and extremely expensive.
Austria Austria has some rather obscure courtship customs that may or may not be associated with Saint Valentine's Day. Nonetheless, it is customary for a young man to present his beloved with a bunch of flowers on February 14.
America In the United States of America, there have been many varieties of cards given over the course of the years, some of which have often been rude or even quite cruel in their humor. In the times of the Civil War, cards were flagged with rich colors accompanied by patriotic and/or political motifs. Early American valentine cards were especially lithographed and hand-colored, beautiful and distinctive in design, produced with intricate lace paper and decorated with such ornaments as beads, sea shells, cones, berries and all manner of seeds. Cards were also available decorated with seaweed or moss, in addition to dried and/or artificial flowers, all of which were attached to a string which was pulled and could then be suspended, thereby creating a three-dimensional picture. Many early American cards were imported from abroad, given the poor quality of American paper at the time which was not particularly suitable for embossing. Today, American children usually exchange valentines with their friends and there may even be a classroom party.
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Post by SaRaHJaNe on Feb 10, 2015 20:41:37 GMT
I have not thought of celebrating valentines yet but this thread Steven has inspired me... the trouble is, i still am alone on this day hehehe. well its not important to me, if im alone or not what is important is give love everyday whether its valentines day or christmas day or just ordinary day as long as you have a good heart to give to anyone who is badly needing help.
Thank u Steven for helping my friend... you truly have a good heart and i am so thankful. God bless you and keep you in all your ways.
SJ
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Post by stevenr1953 on Feb 11, 2015 21:41:03 GMT
Slovenia St. Valentine is one of the saints of spring in Slovenia, and it is said that plants and flowers start to grow on this day. Often, it is the first day of the year when work starts on vineyards and in the fields. According to tradition, St Valentine comes on February 14th to bring keys to all the roots, meaning that nature begins to awaken. It is also a strongly held tradition that the birds of the fields propose to their loved ones on this day and marry. The annual day of love celebrated in Slovenia actually falls on March 12, Saint Gregory's Day.
Wales Dwynwen's Day, otherwise known as the Welsh Valentine's Day, takes place every year on January 25th. It commemorates the Welsh Saint Dwynwen, whose ancient and tragic love story has inspired Welsh people for generations to exchange cards and gifts, and to express their deepest feelings for one another.
The legend states that Dwynwen fell in love with a young prince named Maeron. Maeron reciprocated her feelings but for an undetermined reason, they could not be together. Three hypotheses are that a) Maeron raped Dwynwen despite her wish to remain celibate until after marriage, b) her father forbade the marriage, or c) her father had already promised her to someone else. Dwynwen, distraught by her love for Maeron, prays to fall out of love with him. An angel answers her prayers by bringing her a potion that erases her love for Maeron and turns him to ice.
God then grants Dwynwen three requests. First, she asks God to free Maeron from his icy tomb. Then, she asks him to make her the Patron Saint of Lovers, and to let her remain unmarried for the rest of her life. When God grants these requests, Dwynwen dedicates herself to the church and founds the above-mentioned convent on Llanddwyn Island.
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Post by SaRaHJaNe on Feb 11, 2015 22:29:48 GMT
What a selfless love story. This amazed me but legends has it either its true or just a story... it gives us the feeling that what had happen is really something that has a twist in the history.
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Post by stevenr1953 on Feb 12, 2015 17:00:31 GMT
Britain: Valentine's Day in the UK hasn't always been such a boring, commercialised celebration. Traditionally, it has been considered the day on which birds chose their mates, and in parts of the county of Sussex, it is still referred to as the Birds' Wedding Day. On the theme of birds there are also some very unusual superstitions surrounding the day. If a woman saw a sparrow flying overhead, it meant she would marry a poor man but be happy, or alternatively if she saw a goldfinch then she would marry a rich man. If she saw a robin then it meant she would marry a sailor...apparently.
Lithuania and Latvia: After gaining independence from the Soviet Union in 1990, both these countries started celebrating Valentine's Day with people placing stickers on the faces and clothing of friends.
Venezuela: In 2009 President Hugo Chávez tried to delay the holiday, claiming that people would be too busy concentrating on the referendum vote on February 15th instead. He suggested that on the 14th people could "maybe have a little kiss or something very superficial" and recommended that people could celebrate a week of love after the referendum vote. Who said romance was dead?
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Post by stevenr1953 on Feb 12, 2015 17:04:26 GMT
Lover's Island: Spotted in Google Earth images, this tiny heart-shaped island is uninhabited — the perfect getaway if you can figure out how to get there. It's in the Adriatic Sea, off the coast of Croatia, between Zadar and the Island of Pasman.
This Day Sucks: At least in Australia, they're not afraid to admit it. Those who hate Valentine's Day see it as "a day of obligation rather than celebration, and one that puts pressure on fledgling relationships while making the pain of the lovelorn even more acute."
Virus Watch: The antivirus software maker BitDefender warns: Virus writers are notorious for launching attacks around major holidays like Christmas, New Year's and Valentine's Day. Last year, the Storm Worm struck millions of Internet users with the lure of receiving a Valentine's Day gift.
Love Is in Your Head: Sorry, you romantic devil, you! Love can be mostly understood through brain images, hormones and genetics. In fact, four tiny areas of the brain are said by some scientists to form a circuit of love. (Wouldn't you sometimes love to reprogram the circuit in your partner's brain?) Part of the evidence: In your mind, love lights up areas also linked to rewards. "Romantic love is an addiction; a wonderful addiction when it is going well, a horrible one when it is going poorly," points out researcher Helen Fisher of Rutgers University. "People kill for love. They die for love."
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Post by SaRaHJaNe on Feb 13, 2015 2:23:48 GMT
Beautiful.. and inspiring when you feel in love... but they say when you are inlove be prepared for heartaches. I felt the pain it was terrible but then later i realize, heartbreaks can be overcome. it took me about a month to recover and get back to my feet. My advice, is just simple: first stay away from the places where good memories happened when together with your ex. Maybe go somewhere, get a vacation and have fun. second, condition your mind... anything you feel can be reversed if you think the other way. Be positive and never let negative things bring you down. Soon you will know, it was all silly thing to be heartbroken...
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Post by stevenr1953 on Feb 13, 2015 12:15:08 GMT
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Post by SaRaHJaNe on Feb 14, 2015 12:34:08 GMT
hahaha this one red red bunch of roses is for me.... thank u Steven.... Happy Valentines dAy to all.
SJ
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