St. Valentine's Day

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St. Valentine's Day has its origins in the Roman festival of Lupercalia, observed on February 15. Lupercalia celebrated the coming of spring in the Roman calendar (February was observed later in the year than it is today). Lupercalia was associated with the Roman gods Lupercus and Faunus. Lupercus watched over shepherds and their flocks and the festival of Lupercalia became a celebration intended to ensure the fertility of flocks, fields and people. The celebration of Lupercalia spread as the Roman Empire grew. When the Romans conquered France, the first Valentine-like cards were used, in which women had written their names (possibly accompanied by love notes) that later could be used in a lottery to search someone favours. From its association with Lupercalia, St. Valentine's Day associates with love and romance. This led Valentine's enthusiasts to appoint the Roman god Cupid as a patron of Valentine's Day. Cupid is also known as Amour or Eros in Greek mythology. The ancient Greeks believed Eros was the force of «love» that is why Eros seems to have been responsible for impregnating a number of goddesses and mortals. There are several legends about St. Valentine's Day. Each legend stems from real-life martyr known as Valentines who lived in the time of Roman Empire. It is unsure who St. Valentine was, but there are several possible candidates. One of these Valentines is believed to have been a Roman priest and physician. He was put into prison by roman authorities for his teachings and was beheaded on February 14 in the third century A. D. According to the legend he performed a miracle -he cured the blindness of his jailer's daughter. Before the execution, he wrote her a letter signed «From Your Valentine> Another legend says that the same Valentine wrote to children and friends who loved him from the jail. After his death this Valentine was buried in the
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