Valentine

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• Valentines Day
• Around the world

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Valentines Day 14th February

• Yep, Its that certain time of year again where
  girls go all mushy, boys and girls spend all
  their pocket money and shop profits rise.
• All because we declare our undying love for each
  other.
• In fact in Ireland alone we spend 1 million on
  cards, flowers chocolates and other gifts for
  Valentines Day.
• But who was Valentine, what is love and how is
  Valentines day celebrated around the world?

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Who was Valentine?

• Valentine was a Christian priest who lived in
  Ancient Rome.
• In 270AD, the Emperor Claudius II forbade
  marriage because he wanted men to be able to
  concentrate on war and not on their loved one.
• Valentine carried on marrying couples, but only
  couples he thought were truly in love.
• Emperor Claudius found out and Valentine was
  executed on the 14th February 270AD . As a
  result, he was martyred and made a saint.

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Others believe
Valentine was a physician who lived during the
time of Emperor Claudius. A gastronomist,
Valentine fell afoul of the Roman authorities
when he converted to Christianity, and
subsequently began treating the blind daughter of
one of the Emperor's prison guards. Discovered,
Valentine was arrested and executed when he
refused to renounce his religious beliefs. The
condemned physician had fallen in love with his
blind patient, and just before his death - on
February 14, in 269 or 270 AD - he is supposed to
have sent her a note, signed "from your
Valentine."
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How I love you is said around the world
Britain
Denmark
Japan
India
China
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In China
The Chinese also have a day devoted to love. Qi
Qiao Jie, or the seventh eve, is often referred
to as Chinese Valentine's Day. While the annual
gift giving commonly associated with St.
Valentine's Day doesn't take place, there are
several charming customs associated with this
romantic day for lovers. Valentine's Day in
China, the seventh day of the seventh lunar
month, falls on August 15 this year. That is, on
Thursday evening, Niu Lang and Zhi Nu will meet
on a bridge of magpies across the Milky Way.
Chinese grannies will remind children that they
would not be able to see any magpies on that
evening because all the magpies have left to form
a bridge in the heavens with their wings. On this
day Chinese girls prepare fruits, melons and
incense as offerings to Zhi Nu, the weaving
maiden, praying to acquire high skills in
needlecraft, as well as hoping to find
satisfactory husbands. In the evening, people
sit outdoors to observe the stars.
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The Myth
Zhi Nu was said to be the youngest of seven
daughters of the Queen of Heaven. With her
sisters, she worked hard to weave beautiful
clouds in the sky, while Niu Lang was a poor
orphan, driven out of his home by his elder
brother and his cruel wife. A cow was his only
companion. The magical cow kindly told him of a
way to find a beautiful and nice woman as his
life partner. He was told to visit the river He
saw Zhi Nu bathing with her six sisters. Niu
Lang took the dress of the youngest sister and
hid it, as he had seen her naked they must be
married. As Zhi Nu was a fairy they were only
allowed to meet one day a year on the bridge of
magpies. This day is Valentines day.
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Fairy Of The Magpie Bridge Among the beautiful
clouds, Over the heavenly river, Crosses the
weaving maiden. A night of rendezvous, Across
the autumn sky, Surpasses joy on earth. Moments
of tender love and dream, So sad to leave the
magpie bridge. Eternal love between us two,
Shall withstand the time apart.
One of the most famous poems about the legend was
written by Qin Guan of in the Song Dynasty
(960-1279).
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In Japan
In 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
and supposedly introduced by a marshmallow
company in the 1960s... 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.
Chocolate is the most popular gift in Japan.
However, since most Japanese females believe that
store-bought chocolate is not a gift of true
love, they tend to make the confection with their
own hands.
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In Scotland
In Scotland, Valentine's Day is celebrated with
a festival. At this festival, there is an equal
number of unmarried males and females, each of
whom write their name (or a made-up name) on a
piece of paper which is then folded and placed
into a hat...one hat for the ladies and one for
the men. The females then draw a name from the
hat containing the men's names and vice versa. Of
course, it is highly likely that the two drawn
names will not match. Gifts are given to the
ladies. 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. According to another Scottish
custom, the first young man or woman encountered
by chance on the street or elsewhere will become
that individual's valentine. Valentine's Day
gifts in Scotland are frequently given by both
parties in the form of a love-token or
true-love-knot.
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In Denmark
The Danish valentine days card known as a
lover's card came in the form of a transparency.
When held up to the light showed a picture of a
lover handing his love a gift. In Denmark,
people swap poems and candy snowdrops. As well as
some people send love notes not serious love
notes but, laughable notes which are called
gaekkebrev which are also referred to as joking
letters. On the gaekkebrev, 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.
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What is love?

• This is a question that has puzzled poets and
  philosophers for many centuries. But all agree
  that love goes far beyond giving each other
  presents once a year.
• According to philosophers and poets Love is
• Wanting to be there for each other through the
  good times and growing stronger together through
  the bad
• Putting the other person before you, because
  youd rather see them happy
• Feeling safe in each others company like nothing
• can hurt or harm you when you are together.

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Love is friendship, friendship is love. If love
fails, friendship should remain. For friendship
is the foundation of love.