February 14 is Valentine’s Day in the US and many other countries.
Like many holidays, Valentine’s Day has main colors: these are red, pink, and white.
Starting several weeks before February 14, you will start seeing many candies and chocolates for sale. Many are in heart-shaped boxes. For the holiday, many people also give red roses, cards, candles, or other small gifts. Cards sent on this holiday can also be called “Valentines.” Many of the cards will say “Be my Valentine.” Many people take their loved one out to eat at a nice restaurant that night or the weekend before.
This holiday is also called St. Valentine’s Day. The abbreviation “St.” can mean “street” or “saint.” A saint is a holy person. No one knows for sure how Valentine’s Day began, but the most popular story comes from the time of the Roman Empire, about 2,000 years ago. At one time, a Roman emperor (king) made it illegal for his soldiers to get married. The emperor thought that single men made the best soldiers. He believed if a man were married and had children, then his mind would be more on his family and less on fighting for the emperor. However, an early Christian leader named Valentine broke the unjust law and performed secret weddings, in order to help people in love. Finally some guards caught him and put him in jail. While in prison, he fell in love with the jailer’s daughter and wrote her letters signed, “from your Valentine.” According to legend, this is how the tradition of sending Valentine cards began. The legend continues that the authorities killed Valentine on February 14 for breaking the law. Since he died trying to serve God and help people, the church leaders gave him the title “Saint Valentine.” February 14 later became his “holy day” and is now the holiday. It is an interesting part of the English language that the word “holiday” comes from “holy day.”
This page tells you more about Valentine’s Day in simple English.
Learn more about the history of this holiday here. (native-speaker level)
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