Tuesday 11 February 2014

The Feast of Saint Valentine


Many think that Valentine’s Day has only recently become part of our culture and that it is mainly commercial but February has been associated with love and fertility since Antiquity.

In Ancient Athens, the period between January 15th and February 15th was dedicated to the marriage of Zeus with Hera. The Ancient Roman festival of Lupercus, the god of fertility, used to be celebrated between February 13 and 15.

According to a popular legend Valentine was a bishop who served during the third century in Rome. At that time, the Emperor Claudius II believed that married men made poor soldiers and therefore he prohibited marriage for younger citizens. Valentine defied Claudius and continued to conduct marriages for young people in secret. When Valentine's actions were discovered, he was jailed and sentenced to death. According to the legend, he fell deeply in love with his jailer's daughter and, on the day of his execution, the bishop gave her a note which said "from your Valentine".

In the Middle Age, it was a common belief that birds began their mating season on February 14th.

Nowadays, Valentine’s Day is celebrated all around the world and is considered in many countries as a day to celebrate love and friendship. According to Hallmark, Valentine’s Day is the second largest card-sending holiday of the year after Christmas.

Here is a useful link to whisper sweet nothings in different languages.

The Aplingo team wishes you a Happy Valentine’s day! We remain at your disposal if you need translation services in the language of love or any other language. Do not hesitate to email us at translation@aplin.co.uk.



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