Daily entries from the 17th century London diary
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Wikipedia
Saint Valentine's Day[1] (commonly shortened to Valentine's Day[1][2][3]) is an annual holiday held on February 14 celebrating love and affection between intimate companions.[1][3] The holiday is named after one or more early Christian martyrs named Valentine and was established by Pope Gelasius I in 496 AD. It is traditionally a day on which lovers express their love for each other by presenting flowers, offering confectionery, and sending greeting cards (known as "valentines"). The holiday first became associated with romantic love in the circle of Geoffrey Chaucer in the High Middle Ages, when the tradition of courtly love flourished.
Modern Valentine's Day symbols include the heart-shaped outline, doves, and the figure of the winged Cupid. Since the 19th century, handwritten valentines have largely given way to mass-produced greeting cards.[4]
While sending cards, flowers, chocolates and other gifts is traditional in the UK, Valentine's Day has various regional customs. In Norfolk, a character called 'Jack' Valentine knocks on the rear door of houses leaving sweets and presents for children. Although he was leaving treats, many children were scared of this mystical person. In Wales, many people celebrate Dydd Santes Dwynwen (St Dwynwen's Day) on January 25 instead of or as well as St Valentine's Day. The day commemorates St Dwynwen, the patron saint of Welsh lovers. In France, a traditionally Catholic country, Valentine's Day is known simply as "Saint Valentin", and is celebrated in much the same way as other western countries. In Spain Valentine's Day is known as "San Valentín" and is celebrated the same way as in the U.K, although in Catalonia it is largely superseded by similar festivities of rose and/or book giving on La Diada de Sant Jordi (Saint George's Day). In Portugal it's more commonly referred to as "Dia dos Namorados" (Boy/Girlfriend's Day).
In Denmark and Norway, Valentine's Day (14 Feb) is known as Valentinsdag. It is not celebrated to a large extent, but many people take time to eat a romantic dinner with their partner, to send a card to a secret love or give a red rose to their loved one. In Sweden it is called Alla hjärtans dag ("All Hearts' Day") and was launched in the 1960s by the flower industry's commercial interests, and due to the influence of American culture. It is not an official holiday, but its celebration is recognized and sales of cosmetics and flowers for this holiday are only exceeded by those for Mother's Day.
In Finland Valentine's Day is called Ystävänpäivä which translates into "Friend's day". As the name indicates, this day is more about remembering all your friends, not only your loved ones. In Estonia Valentine's Day is called Sõbrapäev, which has a similar meaning.
In Slovenia, a proverb says that "St Valentine brings the keys of roots," so on February 14, plants and flowers start to grow. Valentine's Day has been celebrated as the day when the first work in the vineyards and in the fields commences. It is also said that birds propose to each other or marry on that day. Nevertheless, it has only recently been celebrated as the day of love. The day of love is traditionally March 12, the Saint Gregory's day. Another proverb says "Valentin - prvi spomladin" ("Valentine — first saint of spring"), as in some places (especially White Carniola) Saint Valentine marks the beginning of spring.
In Romania, the traditional holiday for lovers is Dragobete, which is celebrated on February 24. It is named after a character from Romanian folklore who was supposed to be the son of Baba Dochia. Part of his name is the word drag ("dear"), which can also be found in the word dragoste ("love"). In recent years, Romania has also started celebrating Valentine's Day, despite already having Dragobete as a traditional holiday. This has drawn backlash from many groups, reputable persons and institutions[36] but also nationalist organizations like Noua Dreaptǎ, who condemn Valentine's Day for being superficial, commercialist and imported Western kitsch.
Valentine's Day is called Sevgililer Günü in Turkey, which translates into "Sweethearts' Day".
According to Jewish tradition the 15th day of the month of Av - Tu B'Av (usually late August) is the festival of love. In ancient times girls would wear white dresses and dance in the vineyards, where the boys would be waiting for them (Mishna Taanith end of Chapter 4). In modern Israeli culture this is a popular day to pronounce love, propose marriage and give gifts like cards or flowers.
Mexico,Central and South America
In Mexico, Guatemala and in El Salvador, Valentine's Day is known as "Día del Amor y la Amistad" (Day of Love and Friendship). Although it is similar to the United States' version in many ways, it is also common to see people do "acts of appreciation" for their friends.[37]
In Brazil, the Dia dos Namorados (lit. "Day of the Enamored", or "Boyfriends'/Girlfriends' Day") is celebrated on June 12, when couples exchange gifts, chocolates, cards and flower bouquets. This day was chosen probably because it is the day before the Festa junina’s Saint Anthony's day, known there as the marriage saint, when traditionally many single women perform popular rituals, called simpatias, in order to find a good husband or boyfriend. The February 14's Valentine's Day is not celebrated at all, mainly for cultural and commercial reasons, since it usually falls too little before or after Carnival, a major floating holiday in Brazil — long regarded as a holiday of sex and debauchery by many in the country[38] — that can fall anywhere from early February to early March.
In Venezuela, in 2009, President Hugo Chavez said in a meeting to his supporters for the upcoming referendum vote on February 15, that "since on the 14th, there will be no time of doing nothing, nothing or next to nothing ... maybe a little kiss or something very superficial", he recommended people to celebrate a week of love after the referendum vote.[39]
In most of South America the Día del amor y la amistad (lit. "Love and Friendship Day") and the Amigo secreto ("Secret friend") are quite popular and usually celebrated together on the 14 of February (one exception is Colombia, where it is celebrated every third Saturday of September). The latter consists of randomly assigning to each participant a recipient who is to be given an anonymous gift (similar to the Christmas tradition of Secret Santa).
Asia
Thanks to a concentrated marketing effort, Valentine's Day is celebrated in some Asian countries with Singaporeans, Chinese and South Koreans spending the most money on Valentine's gifts.[40]
In Japan, in 1960, Morinaga, one of the biggest Japanese confectionery companies, originated the present custom that only women give chocolates to men. In particular, office ladies give chocolate to their co-workers. One month later, on March 14, White Day was created by the Japanese National Confectionery Industry Association as a "reply day", where men are expected to return the favour to those who gave them chocolates on Valentine's Day. Unlike western countries, gifts such as candies, flowers, or dinner dates are uncommon. Many women feel obliged to give chocolates to all male co-workers, except when the 14th falls on a Sunday, a holiday. This is known as giri-choko (義理チョコ), from giri ("obligation") and choko, ("chocolate"), with unpopular co-workers receiving only "ultra-obligatory" chō-giri choko cheap chocolate. This contrasts with honmei-choko (本命チョコ, Favorite chocolate); chocolate given to a loved one. Friends, especially girls, may exchange chocolate referred to as tomo-choko (友チョコ); from tomo meaning "friend".[41]
In South Korea, women give chocolate to men on February 14, and men give non-chocolate candy to women on March 14 (White Day). On April 14 (Black Day), those who did not receive anything on the 14th of Feb or March go to a Chinese restaurant to eat black noodles (자장면 jajangmyeon) and "mourn" their single life. Koreans also celebrate Pepero Day on November 11, when young couples give each other Pepero cookies. The date '11/11' is intended to resemble the long shape of the cookie. The 14th of every month marks a love-related day in Korea, although most of them are obscure. From January to December: Candle Day, Valentine's Day, White Day, Black Day, Rose Day, Kiss Day, Silver Day, Green Day, Music Day, Wine Day, Movie Day, and Hug Day.[42]
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 (simplified Chinese: 情人节; traditional Chinese: 情人節; pinyin: qíng rén jié).
In the Philippines, Valentine's Day is called "Araw ng mga Puso" or "Hearts Day". It is usually marked by a steep increase in the prices of flowers.
Similar Asian traditions
In Chinese culture, there is an older observance related to lovers, called "The Night of Sevens" (Chinese: 七夕; pinyin: Qi Xi). 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.
In Japan, a slightly different version of 七夕 called Tanabata is celebrated, on July 7 (Gregorian calendar. The celebration is not related to St. Valentine's Day.
Middle East
In Iran, the millenarian traditional celebration of love, called Sepandarmazgan or Esfandegan, has been progressively forgotten in favour of the Western celebration of Valentine's Day. The Association of Iran's Cultural and Natural Phenomena has been trying since 2006 to make Sepandarmazgan a national holiday in 17th February in order to replace the Western holiday.[43]
- ^ a b c The History of Valentine's Day – History.com, A&E Television Networks. Retrieved February 2, 2010.
- ^ Valentine's Day - Holidays – Christianity Today International. Retrieved February 2, 2010.
- ^ a b HowStuffWorks "How Valentine's Day works" – HowStuffWorks. Retrieved February 2, 2010.
- ^ a b Leigh Eric Schmidt, "The Fashioning of a Modern Holiday: St. Valentine's Day, 1840-1870" Winterthur Portfolio 28.4 (Winter 1993), pp. 209-245.
- ^ a b Leigh Eric Schmidt, "The Commercialization of the calendar: American holidays and the culture of consumption, 1870-1930" Journal of American History 78.3 (December 1991) pp 890-98.
- ^ a b "American Greetings: The business of Valentine's day". http://pressroom.americangreetings.com/archives/val08/valbiz08.html.
- ^ Henry Ansgar Kelly, in Chaucer and the Cult of Saint Valentine (Leiden: Brill) 1986, accounts for these and further local Saints Valentine (Ch. 6 "The Genoese Saint Valentine and the observances of May") in arguring that Chaucer had an established tradition in mind, and (pp 79ff) linking the Valentine in question to Valentine, first bishop of Genoa, the only Saint Valentine honoured with a feast in springtime, the season indicated by Chaucer. Valentine of Genoa was treated by Jacobus of Verazze in his Chronicle of Genoa (Kelly p. 85).
- ^ Oxford Dictionary of Saints, s.v. "Valentine": "The Acts of both are unreliable, and the Bollandists assert that these two Valentines were in fact one and the same."
- ^ "Valentine of Rome". http://www.catholic-forum.com/saints/saintv06.htm.
- ^ "Saint Valentine's Day: Legend of the Saint". http://www.novareinna.com/festive/saintval.html.
- ^ "Valentine of Terni". http://www.catholic-forum.com/saints/saintv90.htm.
- ^ "Basilica of Saint Valentine in Terni". http://www.virtualmuseum.ca/Exhibitions/Valentin/English/6/622.php3.
- ^ "Catholic Encyclopedia: St. Valentine". http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/15254a.htm.
- ^ The present Roman Martyrology records, at February 14, "In Rome, on the Via Flaminia near the Milvian Bridge: St. Valentine, martyr."
- ^ Calendarium Romanum ex Decreto Sacrosancti Œcumenici Concilii Vaticani II Instauratum Auctoritate Pauli PP. VI Promulgatum (Typis Polyglottis Vaticanis, MCMLXIX), p. 117
- ^ Legenda Aurea, "Saint Valentine".
- ^ a b "The History of Valentine's Day". History.com. http://www.history.com/minisite.do?content_type=Minisite_Generic&content_type_id=882&display_order=1&sub_display_order=1&mini_id=1084.
- ^ History of Valentine's day, TheHolidaySpot.com
- ^ Jack B. Oruch, "St. Valentine, Chaucer, and Spring in February" Speculum 56.3 (July 1981:534-565)
- ^ William M. Green "The Lupercalia in the Fifth Century", Classical Philology 26.1 (Jan. 1931), pp 60‑69 pp60‑69
- ^ Oruch, Jack B., "St. Valentine, Chaucer, and Spring in February," Speculum, 56 (1981): 534-65. Oruch's survey of the literature finds no association between Valentine and romance prior to Chaucer. He concludes that Chaucer is likely to be "the original mythmaker in this instance."[1]
- ^ "Henry Ansgar Kelly, Valentine's Day / UCLA Spotlight". http://spotlight.ucla.edu/faculty/henry-kelly_valentine/.
- ^ "Chaucer: The Parliament of Fowls". http://www.wsu.edu/~delahoyd/chaucer/PF.html.
- ^ Kelly, Henry Ansgar, Chaucer and the Cult of Saint Valentine (Brill Academic Publishers, 1997), ISBN 90-04-07849-5. Kelly gives the saint's day of the Genoese Valentine as May 3 and also claims that Richard's engagement was announced on this day. [2]
- ^ Calendar of the Saints: 2 May; Saint Patrick's Church: Saints of May 2
- ^ Oruch 1981:539.
- ^ Domestic Violence, Discourses of Romantic Love, and Complex Personhood in the Law - [1999] MULR 8; (1999) 23 Melbourne University Law Review 211
- ^ "Court of Love: Valentine's Day, 1400". http://www.virtualmuseum.ca/Exhibitions/Valentin/English/4/422.php3.
- ^ full text in wikisource
- ^ History Channel.
- ^ http://www.ummah.net/Al_adaab/dawah/valentines.html
- ^ http://www.emotionscards.com/museum/vals.html
- ^ "Valentine's Day worth £1.3 Billion to UK Retailers". British Retail Consortium. http://www.brc.org.uk/details04.asp?id=1091&kCat=&kData=1.
- ^ Schmidt 1993:209-245.
- ^ Quoted in Schmidt 1993:209.
- ^ Valentine`s Day versus Dragobete (Romanian)
- ^ "Día del Amor y la Amistad". http://www.contactomagazine.com/sanvalentin0203.htm.
- ^ The Psychology of Carnaval, TIME Magazine, February 14, 1969
- ^ Video of Chavez joking about Valentine's day, youtube.com, 2009-01-31
- ^ Domingo, Ronnel. Among Asians, Filipinos dig Valentine's Day the most. Philippine Daily Inquirer, February 14, 2008. Retrieved 21 February 2008.
- ^ Yuko Ogasawara (1998). University of California Press. ed. Office Ladies and Salaried Men: Power, Gender, and Work in Japanese Companies (illustrated ed.). Berkeley: Univ. of California Press. pp. 98–113,142–154,156,163. ISBN 0520210441. http://books.google.com/books?id=9_yjfAZo4jIC&pg=PA98&vq=valentine+day&dq=japan+chocolate+saint+valentin&lr=&client=opera&hl=es&source=gbs_search_s&cad=0.
- ^ Korea rivals U.S. in romantic holidays, Centre Daily Times, February 14, 2009.
- ^ Esfandegan to Replace Valentine, Iran Daily, 2008-12-31, p. 6, http://www.nitc.co.ir/iran-daily/1387/3307/pdf/i6.pdf
Conflict with religious fundamentalists
India
In India, in past Valentine's Day has been explicitly discouraged by some of the Hindu fundamentalists, mainly the Shiv Sena, the Bajrang Dal and the Vishva Hindu Parishad.[1][2] Since 2001 there has been each year violent clashes between shopkeepers dealing in Valentine related items and Shiv Sena die-hards, who oppose it as "cultural pollution from the west".[1][3] Especially in Mumbai and surrounding areas Bal Thackeray and others sent out signals before the day warning people not to have anything to do with Valentine.[4] Those who violate this are dealt with harshly by baton-holding brigands of Shiv Sena who lurk in public places especially parks, chasing young people holding hands and others suspected to be lovers. In many parts of south India couples who are found in parks and other public places are immediately forced to marry on the spot by the Shiv Sena and other similar activists.
The Middle East
Saudi Arabia
In Saudi Arabia, in 2002 and 2008, religious police banned the sale of all Valentine's Day items, telling shop workers to remove any red items, as the day is considered a non-Islamic holiday.[3][5] In 2008 this ban created a black market of roses and wrapping paper.[5]
Pakistan
The Jamaat-e-Islami political party has called for the banning of the holiday, and has called it "a shameful day. The people in the West are just fulfilling and satisfying their sex thirst." They claim that the holiday an insult to Islam.[6][2] Despite this, the celebration is increasingly popular[2] and the florist shops expect to sell great amount of flowers, specially red roses.[7]
See also
- White Day (March 14) - similar to Valentine's Day
- Black Day (April 14) - celebration day for single people
- Sepandarmazgan (February 17) - day of love and earth in Iranian culture
- Sailor's Valentines
- Vinegar valentines
- Dydd Santes Dwynwen
- Antivalentinism
- Hallmark holiday
- Valentine's Day Love Coupons
- Women’s Memorial March, held on Valentine's Day in Vancouver, British Columbia.
References
- ^ a b Arkadev Ghoshal & Hemangi Keneka (14 February 2009). "V-Day turns into battlefield". Times of India. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Nagpur/V-Day_turns_into_battlefield/articleshow/4127811.cms.
- ^ a b c Hindu and Muslim anger at Valentine's, BBC, 2003-02-11, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/2749667.stm
- ^ a b "Cooling the ardour of Valentine's Day". BBC News. 3 February 2002. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/1818642.stm.
- ^ A man holding a banner in Mumbai on Valentine's Day protesting the holiday
- ^ a b "Saudis clamp down on valentines". BBC News. 11 February 2008. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7239005.stm.
- ^ Daniel Pipes (2004-02-17), "Hating Valentine's Day", New York Sun, http://www.danielpipes.org/1563/hating-valentines-day
- ^ Flower sellers await Valentine's Day, The Nation, 2010-02-08, http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-news-newspaper-daily-english-online/Regional/Islamabad/08-Feb-2010/Flower-sellers-await-Valentines-Day
1893 text
The practice of choosing valentines was very general at this time, but some of the best examples of the custom are found in this Diary.
The observation of St. Valentine’s day is very ancient in this country. Shakespeare makes Ophelia sing
To-morrow is Saint Valentine’s day, All in the morning betime, And I a maid at your window To be your Valentine.
Hamlet, act iv. sc. 5. — M. B.
Annotations
-
Messrs. Valentine
Pepys doesn’t say so, but at least two men who appear in the diary even before St. Valentine’s Day 1660 have the first name “Valentine,” according to Robert Latham’s index volume [11] of the Latham & Matthew’s edition of the diary:— Valentine Wanley (“Vanly”), Pepys’s Axe Yard landlord
— Valentine Fage (a/k/a “Fyge”), Pepys’s apothecary -
The name “Valentine” / Valentine Cards
VALENTINE AS A NAME:
“Henry Ansgar Kelly, a medievalist at the University of California at Los Angeles who has studied the day’s origins … said that in medieval times the name ‘Valentine’ (derived from the Latin word ‘valor’) was so popular that more than 50 Christian martyrs claimed the name.”VALENTINE CARDS:
“According to www.holidays.net [apparently now defunct], the oldest ‘valentine’ greeting in existence was made in the 1400s, and is in the British Museum. Around that time in Europe, often hand-made paper valentines were exchanged, and were especially popular in England. By the early 1800s, valentines began to be assembled in factories …
http://abcnews.go.com/sections/us/Holiday/ValentinesOrigins010214.html -
POPULAR SAINT
“[B]y the Middle Ages, Valentine was one of the most popular saints in England and France.”BIRD MYTH
“In the Middle Ages it was believed throughout Europe that February 14 was the mating day for birds. For example, English poet Geoffrey Chaucer wrote, ‘On St. Valentine’s Day, when every bird cometh to choose his mate.’ The belief endured.”JOHN DONNE’S POEM
“In 1614, English clergyman and poet John Donne wrote a poem honoring the Saint Valentine’s Day marriage of Princess Elizabeth to Frederick, Count Palatine of the Rhine:”Hail Bishop Valentine! whose day this is;
All the air is thy diocese,
And all the chirping choristers
And other birds are thy parishioners:
Thou marryest ever year
The lyric lark and the grave whispering dove;
The sparrow that neglects his life for love,
The household bird with the red stomarcher;
Celebrations
Thous mak’st the blackbird speed as soon,
As doth the goldfinch or the halcyon …
This day more cheerfully than ever shine,
This day which might inflame thyself, old Valentine! -
BIRDS / BILLET BOXES
MORE BIRD MYTHS:
“Many superstitions related to birds seen by maidens on Valentine’s Day. If a maiden spied a blackbird, she would marry a clergyman; a goldfinch, a millionaire; a redbreast, a sailor; a crossbill, a quarrelsome man. If she saw a flock of doves, she would have a happy marriage in all ways, but if she saw a wryneck she would suffer a lifetime as an old maid.”A BILLET BOXES TRADITION
“In France and England in the seventeenth century it was customary for both sexes on Saint Valentine’s Eve to draw names from ‘billet boxes’ to determine their partners for the forthcoming celebration. According to a 1698 account, ‘The maids take the men’s billets, and the men the maids’, so that each young Man she calls hers. This means each has two Valentines.’ Getting this involved situation sorted out into satisfied valentine couples was an exciting but sometimes combative procedure, handled differently depending on locality. In France, matters sometimes ended in a duel. According to the 1698 account, once the couples were ‘fixed,’ the young men took over: ‘The Valentines give treats to their mistresses, wear their billets upon their sleeves, and this sport often ends in love.’”
— Peggy Robbins, “This Day Might Inflame: Valentine Customs through the Ages,” The World & I magazine (Feb 1994; p 252)
http://www.worldandi.com/public/1994/february/cl4.cfm -
Valentine’s Day
Pepys and his wife seem to observe the simpler form of custom, namely that one might claim for one’s Valentine the first person of the opposite sex that one saw on Valentine’s Day (spouses being excepted). Note that Elizabeth only leaves the dressing-room when she has heard and recognised the voice of someone whom she considers a suitable Valentine
-
This seems to be subverted in the device in “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” whereby Titania, enchanted and thus made mad for a special festival of misrule (in this case, midsummer), falls in love with Bottom - “the first live creature that thou seest”