Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day started in the time of the Roman Empire. In ancient Rome, February 14th was a holiday to honour Juno. Juno was the Queen of the Gods and Goddesses. The Romans also knew her as the Goddess of women and marriage.
The lives of young boys and girls were strictly separate. However, one of the customs of the young people was name drawing. On the 14th of February the names of Roman girls were written on slips of paper and placed into jars. Each young man would draw a girl's name from the jar and would then be partners for the duration of the holiday with the girl whom he chose. Sometimes the pairing of the children lasted for the whole year, and often, they would fall in love and would later marry.
Under the rule of Emperor Claudius II, Rome was involved in many wars.Claudis the Cruel was having a difficult time getting soldiers to join his military leagues. He believed the reason was that Roman men didn't want to leave their loves or families.As a result, Claudius cancelled all the marriages and engagements in Rome. The good Valentine was a priest in Rome. He secretly married the couples. Valentine gave to the married pairs flowers from his garden. That's why flowers play a very important role on Valentine's Day. For this kind deed Valentine was dragged before the Prefect of Rome, who condemned him to be beaten to death and to have his head cut off. It happened on the 14th of February, about the year 270.
Since the 14th century Valentine's pairs are formed in England. English emigrants took the Valentine's custom to the United States of America. After the Second World War, US soldiers brought this festival to Europe.

Nowadays Valentine's Day is a festival when lovers show their love to each other.This can be done by giving flowers, chocolates or Valentine's cards. Love notes can be given to one another. These notes are called valentines.
Symbols of Valentine's Day are heart shapes, roses and Cupid with his arrows.
The rise of Internet popularity is creating new traditions.Every year millions of people use digital means of creating and sending Valentine's Day greeting messages such as e-cards or printable greetings cards.

As estimated 15-million e-valentines were sent in 2010.
Sourсe:eng.1september.ru,№ 2 2012; en.wikipedia.org