Berlin. Who was Saint Valentine? Is Valentine’s Day an invention of the flower industry? Important facts about the day of love.
- Millions of couples around the world celebrate Valentine’s Day on February 14th
- But why is love celebrated then?
- We have summarized the most important facts about Valentine’s Day for you
Am Valentine’s Day Many couples celebrate their love in a particularly romantic way. Some people, on the other hand, are rather annoyed by the “Day of Love” – while others are embarrassed in front of their partner because they forgot to get a gift. To avoid this – after all, there shouldn’t be arguments on February 14th – we answer the most important questions about Valentine’s Day.
Valentine’s Day Facts: When is dhe day of love?
Valentine’s Day takes place on February 14th every year. The day falls in 2024 Love thus on a Wednesday. Since it is not a public holiday, couples do not have the whole day to themselves. If you are planning a romantic meal in the restaurant, you should make a reservation early. Also interesting: Valentine’s Day – The best WhatsApp sayings for lovers
What will happen on Valentine’s Day celebrated?
Millions of couples around the world celebrate their love and give each other gifts on Valentine’s Day Flowers, go out to eat and spend the day together. But hardly anyone knows why people put so much effort into their partner on Valentine’s Day.
Valentine’s Day was originally a religious day of commemoration that went back to one of the earliest Christians: Valentine of Terni. The Saint Valentine lived in the 3rd century AD. At that time, Christianity was not only a very small religion in the Roman Empire, it was also banned. Nevertheless, Valentine married lovers according to the Christian faith. According to tradition, after the wedding, he gave the couple flowers that he picked from his garden. Even soldiers who were forbidden to marry by Roman law are said to have married Valentine.
Valentine’s Day: The brutal story behind the holiday
Die romantic story However, it came to an abrupt and completely unromantic end for Valentin von Terni. Valentin was arrested and beheaded – on February 14, 269. February 14 has been preserved as a memorial day in his honor.
Even if the Church Valentine of Terni canonized, his existence is actually difficult to prove historically and is shrouded in legend. At the same time there was also Valentine of Rome, also a martyr. It could therefore be that the stories about two different Valentines were woven into one.
Is the flower industry behind Valentine’s Day?
The historically uncertain evidence surrounding Saint Valentine ultimately led to a very unique theory: Valentine’s Day is a capitalist invention. What a perfect coincidence it is that St. Valentine gave the couple flowers from his garden, making the flowers the symbol of Valentine’s Day. However, many skeptics do not believe in coincidences. You mean: The lobby of the Florist and candy seller came up with the day to increase his own profits.
However, it should be borne in mind that the day is much older than the flower lobby and even more so than that confectionery industry. Pope Gelasius included Valentine’s Day in the general calendar in 469, but it was removed from it again in 1969. Nevertheless, Valentine was thought of long before the flower trade reached its current level.
Nevertheless, it can be said that florists and confectionery manufacturers understand perfectly how to promote Valentine’s Day and make a profit from it. According to a survey by the IFH Cologne Institute on behalf of the trade association Deutschland In 2021, around 17 percent of citizens specifically made additional purchases for Valentine’s Day. For retailers, this means billions in sales.
A bouquet of red roses is a classic Valentine’s Day gift. © dpa-tmn | Robert Gunther
In the weeks leading up to the day of love, many shop windows light up red hearts or balloons and heart-shaped chocolate packs. You can now find numerous items suitable for Valentine’s Day even at discounters such as Lidl and Aldi. In 2018, Lufthansa alone transported 800 tons of red roses to Germany – most of them come from the Netherlands.
Die Flower industry makes perfect use of the day: prices rise on average by around eight percent, and florist sales on Valentine’s Day are 400 percent above average.
What are good Valentine’s Day gifts?
Red roses for Valentine’s Day are the classic. Three quarters of Valentine’s Day gifts are flowers, one in six Gift is a candy. A past analysis of Google Trends shows that roses are the most popular among flowers and chocolate is the most popular among confectionery. Chocolates are also a Valentine’s Day classic. But: It could be much better and more romantic.
Because: Doing it yourself is always better. They can do that chocolates But homemade gifts such as a photo album, homemade chocolate or your partner’s favorite cake can also bring joy. And a love letter can also be a very personal gift.
Almost half of the recipients receive a card, one in three Dinner. Of course, an erotic component should not be missing on Valentine’s Day; every tenth gift is lingerie. Perfume is also often given as a gift.
Because free time is rare, it is becoming increasingly popular time together To give away. For example, cooking courses, wellness and going to the theater are very popular. Hotels are also happy to see a lot of visitors on Valentine’s Day – and sometimes raise their prices significantly. The most popular destinations on Valentine’s Day are Paris and Venice.
What about erotic gifts for Valentine’s Day?
The Online trade also booms on Valentine’s Day. It’s not just flowers that are now ordered from the comfort of the sofa, everything related to – physical – love ends up in the online shopping cart.
Lovers won’t let themselves be stopped from celebrating on Valentine’s Day this year. However, there are almost no weddings. (Symbolic image) © dpa | Susan Prautsch
Is Valentine’s Day also celebrated in other countries?
Valentine’s Day is celebrated worldwide. Here are some examples:
- In the USA It is a popular custom for school children and young people to treat themselves to Valentine’s Day cards they have written themselves. Around 190 million cards are sent on Valentine’s Day.
- If you don’t have a permanent partner, you have to Great Britain do not be sad. Couples are drawn there on Valentine’s Day and then give each other a little attention. According to timeanddate.com, Brits spend around 1.3 billion pounds (approx. 1.48 billion euros) on Valentine’s Day gifts every year.
- In South Africa Valentine’s Day is a visual eye-catcher. Because people dress in white and red to symbolize purity and love.
- In Japan Women give dark chocolate to men on the day of love. A month later, on March 14th, it is the men’s turn and return the favor with white chocolate.
- In China The counterpart to Valentine’s Day, the Qixi Festival, does not take place on February 14th, but on the evening of the seventh day of the seventh month according to the Chinese lunar calendar. In China, it is customary for young women to meet at the Qixi Festival to thread needles together. Fruits are also artistically carved, for example in the shape of birds or flowers.
Valentine’s Day: Is it okay to hate the holiday?
If you’re not in love right now, Valentine’s Day probably doesn’t matter. But also many couples don’t think much of celebrating February 14th as a day of love. In 2015, 40 percent of Germans said they hated the day.