“Giorno di San Valentino”: Valentine’s Day in Italy is on February 14th
Today, February 14th is Valentine's Day in Italy and in many countries in Europe, the Americas and the Far East. But after all, why should Valentine's Day, or Valentine's Day? Valentine's day Is it celebrated on this date?
The origin of the day of Valentine's day coincides with the Catholic church's attempt to Christianize the pagan fertility ritual.
For the ancient Romans, February was the time of preparation for the period of rebirth. The festivals in honor of Luperco, the entity that protects the fields and herds, took place on February 15th, five weeks before the beginning of spring.
In order to replace the libertine celebrations, Pope Gelasius, at the end of the 5th century, welcomed the legends about Valentine's day and instituted its celebration on February 14, extinguishing the Lupercal festivals and appropriating its tradition.
Among the many legends that have emerged over the centuries, one that stands out is that of a centurion who fell in love with Serapia, but they could not marry because he was a pagan and she was from a Christian family. San Valentin so he baptized him and celebrated their wedding so that they could experience their love.
There is also a legend that says that the saint gave a rose from his garden to a couple who were fighting. He told them to make peace by praying and holding this rose together. After a while, the couple asked the bishop to celebrate their wedding, so other couples began to ask the bishop for the same blessing.
Another legend says that Emperor Claudius, because he did not have enough volunteers to be part of his army to expand the Roman empire, banned marriages. The reason for not having volunteers was precisely because men did not want to leave their wives and children. Valentine's day So, he celebrated weddings in secret until he was discovered, kept in prison and then executed during the night so as not to arouse fury from his faithful.
While he was imprisoned, the priest fell madly in love with the blind daughter of one of his jailers who, under the influence of passion, miraculously regained her sight.
Despite all the romanticism, the saint was beheaded in Rome on February 14, 269 AD, in Terni, Umbria.
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