Lovers Day, also called Valentine’s Day, is celebrated annually on February 14th. It emerged as a Christian holiday honoring an early Christian martyr, a priest named Valentin, and, through its later popularity, tradition, became a significant cultural, religious, and commercial holiday of romanticism and love in many parts of the world.
Valentine was a priest in Rome in the third century AD. At the same time, Emperor Claudius II, wanting to have a strong army, forbade marriage, because, he said, the husband of marriage is a weak soldier compared to the unmarried. Valentin, Christian priest, disregarded the royal order, which he thought was unjust, and continued to perform the marriage secretly. When the emperor found out, Valentin was imprisoned and then sentenced to death. In prison, he fell in love with the jailer’s daughter, and when he was taken to be executed, on February 14 of (approximately) 270 AD, he sent her a signed letter “from your Valentine.”
Following his martyrdom, the Roman Catholic Church named him a Saint and commemorates him every year on February 14.
In those days, the Romans organized a festival called Lupercalia, which took place in mid-February, celebrating the beginning of spring. Among the manifestations of the holiday was the choice of the names of the girls from a box by the boys. Thus, during the festival, the couples formed couples and sometimes got married.
The first celebration of Valentine’s Day took place in 496 AD.
Today is the day when people show their affection and send greeting messages, flowers or candy. It is a day dedicated to the loved one, spending time with her, through which you express and show your love.
This day is also celebrated in Romania, not long ago, namely after the fall of communism and with the increase of the western cultural influence, due to the opening that Romania has made to the whole world.
Dragobete is a traditional Romanian holiday celebrated on February 24. The holiday is part of the magical tradition of the Romanian people and of the belief in the cyclical renewal of the world.
The name Dragobete comes from the Old Slavic words “dear” – which means dear and “bits” – which means to be. So “to be dear”.
Tradition also says that Dragobete was the son of Baba Dochia (who is the main character in the myth about the arrival of spring and the end of harsh winter). Due to his endless kindness, he was chosen – according to some sources, by the Virgin Mary – to be the Guardian of Love.
The day is also known as “the day when the birds are engaged”. During this time the birds begin to build their nests and mate. On this day, considered locally the first day of spring, the boys and girls gather spring flowers and sing together. The virgins used to collect the snow that lay on the ground in many villages and then melt it, using water in magic potions for the rest of the year. On this day there is an old tradition with girls and boys going to the forest to pick snowdrops or other early spring flowers for the person they are courting. When they returned home, it was said that the boys ran after the girls to kiss them. If the girl liked the boy, let him kiss her. There is a saying in Romania that makes a lot of sense in this regard: “Dragobete kisses girls.” Tradition says that girls who have not been kissed on this day will be alone all year round.
In Romanian tradition, Dragobete is Lovers Day.
It is wonderful to have a day of love. Or two. But love should not be celebrated according to the calendar. Speaking of your soul mate and your love, don’t count the days and wait for these two special days. Valentine’s Day should be every day, not just February 14th or 24th.
Romania Color celebrates love every day.
