Valentine’s Day. Such a glorious excuse to dwell on love and romance. But ironically, this day of roses, chocolates, and heart-shaped cards has a dark history. It actually marks the date of the execution (казнь) of St. Valentine by the Roman emperor Claudius II during the third century AD. And what was St. Valentine’s crime? The most popular theory holds that he’d been officiating at the weddings of soldiers, despite that marriage had been outlawed (вне закона) for them. Apparently, the emperor felt that love and romance made for weaker soldiers.
And Why February 14 became Valentine’s Day? The holiday may have been promoted to overshadow the pagan (языческий) festival Lupercalia. Between February 13 and 15, Romans celebrated by sacrificing (приносили в жертву) a goat and a dog and whipping women with their hides. Crude as it may seem, people believed this made women more fertile. In the 5th century, Pope Gelasius I abolished Lupercalia and officially declared February 14 Valentine’s Day.
But hey, of course we don’t want to kill the romantic mood—so please, instead of thinking about Valentine’s Day’s surprisingly dark history send a gift or bring flowers to your loved one today.
