Valentine’s Day celebrated

People celebrated Valentine’s Day in Bangladesh on Tuesday as elsewhere in the world.

They along with their beloved ones are visiting different places wearing colorful dresses and also exchanging flowers mainly red roses to express their love and affection. 

Various programmes by many organisations all over the country have been chalked out to celebrate the day.

Valentine’s Day, also called Saint Valentine’s Day or the Feast of Saint Valentine, is celebrated annually on February 14.

History of Valentine’s Day

As we know it or call it, it has different holiday origins. It has its roots in Christianity, as per History.com. Moreover, there were numerous Saint Valentines in the past and it is unclear on whose name the holiday is.

The first one was a priest in ancient Rome who defied Emperor Claudius II by secretly marrying young couples during a time when marriage was banned for young men. This defiance led to his execution.

Another Saint Valentine, St. Valentine of Terni, was a bishop who was beheaded by Emperor Claudius and is considered by many to be the true inspiration for the holiday.

There are also several other legends associated with St. Valentine, including one story of an imprisoned Valentine who fell in love with a young girl who visited him. Before his death, it is said that Valentine wrote a letter to her and signed it "From your Valentine." This is considered to be the first Valentine's Day greeting. Although its true story is known, many consider the saint to be a brave, humble and romantic person.

Day for Love

The unclear history may upset many, but nevertheless, February 14 is known as a day for love. Valentine's Day also has roots in the Middle Ages when it was believed that the day marked the beginning of birds' mating season.

The pagan celebration of Lupercalia, which took place on February 15th and was dedicated to the Roman god of agriculture, Faunus, and the founders of Rome, Romulus and Remus, was also a factor in the holiday's evolution. During the festival, priests would sacrifice animals for fertility and purification, and women would be smeared with the blood in a belief that it would make them more fertile the following year.