Valentine's Day festival holds immense importance for those in love. Lovers around the world anxiously wait for the festival as it gives them an opportunity to express love for their beloved and spend a day in togetherness. Celebrating the festival in a traditional manner lovers go out for date in a park or spend time looking into the eyes of their partners over a candlelight dinner. Indulging sweethearts with fresh flowers mainly red roses, chocolates, cards and other gifts of love is the other most popular custom of Valentine's Day for lovers.
Historic Association of Valentine's Day with Romantic Love
Ever since its inception Valentine's Day has been associated with romantic love. Valentine's Day originated in pagan times when people celebrated February 14 in honor of Roman God of Fertility. This fertility festival coincided with beginning of the spring and was popularly known as the Feast of Lupercalia.A popular custom of this festival was pairing of young boys and girls for a year through a lottery system. The couples would eventually fall in love and marry.
Another story that linked Valentine's Day festival to the day of romance goes back to the reign of Emperor Claudius II of Rome. A hardhearted king, Claudius constantly engaged Rome in bloody battles. Claudius found it tough to get soldiers for his army and felt that the reason why many men are not willing to become soldiers was their attachment with wives and families. In order to get rid of the cause of the problem perceived Claudius banned marriages and engagements in Rome. Young men and women found a savior in Saint Valentine, who defied Claudius's decree and arranged secret marriages. Valentine's act of defiance was noticed and he was put to death by Claudius on February 14 circa 270 AD. Later, when Christianity spread through Rome, Christian Church decided to turn the popular pagan event as a Christian celebration in honor of St Valentine. St Valentine's Day festival gradually came to be celebrated as a day to express love for sweethearts.
Besides, during the Middle ages, people in England and France believed that February 14 marked the beginning of birds mating season. This belief further boosted the idea that February 14 should be celebrated as a day for romance.
Valentines Day Celebration by Lovers
Elaborate plans are made by lovers to celebrate Valentine's Day festival in the much-popularized romantic fashion. For some lovers the day begins by whispering ‘I love you' in the ears of beloved. The romantic gesture is usually accompanied with an exchange of red roses, chocolates, cards and other gifts. Most lovers plan to spend the entire day in the company of their beloved and celebrate being in love. All around the city, be it parks, mall, restaurants or discotheques one can find couples celebrating the idea of being in love. Such lovey-dovey celebrations often continue till late in the night as several clubs and hotels organize Valentine's Day balls and dance parties. Those away from their Valentine keep in touch through e-mails and phone. Sending online Valentine's Day gifts is fast becoming a fad amongst lovers separated by a distance.
Though one may say that love is to be celebrated everyday and not just one, lovers cherish the fact that there is exclusively a festival that celebrates love and lovers and provides opportunity to pamper their beloved with love.
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