On February 14, countries all around the world celebrate St Valentine's Day or St. Valenini's Day as they would say it in Italian. Ever since St. Valentine died on February 14, 269 AD, people have been giving their loved ones Valentines and roses and other things to show their feelings toward them. They do that because of what Valentine did. Some people believe that when Valentine died, he left a note to the jail keeper's daughter which was signed, "Your Valentine." People have been doing that since then-- once they knew that St. Valentine had done it.

St. Valentine was a great Christian who worked as a priest and a noble man. When St. Valentine was alive, the Roman Emperor, Claudius II, would arrest the Christians. If the Christians didn't change their religion, they would either be crucified, thrown to lions, or beheaded . One legend says that St. Valentine would visit the jail every day to taIk and to pray with the prisoners to help them to get out safely. After a period of time, the jail keepers got suspicious and asked him a few questions. That is when they found out that St. Valentine was a Christian soo they threw him in prison where he stayed without changing his religion. Finally he was beheaded on February 14, 269 A.D. After St Valentine's death, a church was named after him, which was a hiding place under his grave for Christians, and a public city gate, Porta Valetini (now called Porta del Popolo), was also named after him.

CELEBRATIONS AROUND THE WORLD

Great Britain

In Great Britain on Valentine's Day Eve, women used to pin four bay leaves to the corners of their pillow and eat eggs with salt replacing the removed yokes. They believed they would then dream of their future husbands. Also, women used to write their lover's names on paper and put them on clay balls which they would drop into the water. They believed that whichever paper came up first, that man would be their future husband.

In Denmark, people swap poems and candy snowdrops. Some people also send, not serious love notes, but laughable notes which are called gaekkebrev (joking letters). On the gaekkebrev, the sender signs his or her name in dots. If the receiver guesses the correct name then the sender will a candy egg at Easter time.

Germans, Austrians and some Americans who share this tradition give roses, chocolates etc to their wives. In other countries such as Sapin, the wives give gifts to the husband while the husband gives flowers to his wife.

In Italy, it is a tradition to get engaged on Valentine's Day, February 14. Some shops sell china baskets and cups which are filled with Valentine candies and tied with ribbon which you can give as Valentine presents. Click on the cupid image on the right to learn more about this famous symbol of Valentine's Day.

(Read about other Valentine Traditions Around the World.)