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Saint Valentine's Day
The History of Saint Valentine's Day
Valentine's Day started in the time of the Roman Empire. In ancient Rome, February 14th was a holiday to honour Juno. Juno was the Queen of the Roman Gods and Goddesses. The Romans also knew her as the Goddess of women and marriage. The following day, February 15th, began the Feast of Lupercalia.
The lives of young boys and girls were strictly separate. However, one of the customs of the young people was name drawing. On the eve of the festival of Lupercalia the names of Roman girls were written on slips of paper and placed into jars. Each young man would draw a girl's name from the jar and would then be partners for the duration of the festival with the girl whom he chose. Sometimes the pairing of the children lasted an entire year, and often, they would fall in love and would later marry.
Under the rule of Emperor Claudius II Rome was involved in many bloody and unpopular campaigns. Claudius the Cruel was having a difficult time getting soldiers to join his military leagues. He believed that the reason was that roman men did not want to leave their loves or families. As a result, Claudius cancelled all marriages and engagements in Rome. The good Saint Valentine was a priest at Rome in the days of Claudius II. He and Saint Marius aided the Christian martyrs and secretly married couples, and for this kind deed Saint Valentine was apprehended and dragged before the Prefect of Rome, who condemned him to be beaten to death with clubs and to have his head cut off. He suffered martyrdom on the 14th day of February, about the year 270. At that time it was the custom in Rome, a very ancient custom, indeed, to celebrate in the month of February the Lupercalia, feasts in honour of a heathen god. On these occasions, amidst a variety of pagan ceremonies, the names of young women were placed in a box, from which they were drawn by the men as chance directed.
The pastors of the early Christian Church in Rome endeavoured to do away with the pagan element in these feasts by substituting the names of saints for those of maidens. And as the Lupercalia began about the middle of February, the pastors appear to have chosen Saint Valentine's Day for the celebration of this new feaSt. So it seems that the custom of young men choosing maidens for valentines, or saints as patrons for the coming year, arose in this way.
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St. Valentine's Story
Let me introduce myself. My name is Valentine. I lived in Rome during the third century. That was long, long ago! At that time, Rome was ruled by an emperor named Claudius. I didn't like Emperor Claudius, and I wasn't the only one! A lot of people shared my feelings.
Claudius wanted to have a big army. He expected men to volunteer to join. Many men just did not want to fight in wars. They did not want to leave their wives and families. As you might have guessed, not many men signed up. This made Claudius furious. So what happened? He had a crazy idea. He thought that if men were not married, they would not mind joining the army. So Claudius decided not to allow any more marriages. Young people thought his new law was cruel. I thought it was preposterous! I certainly wasn't going to support that law!
Did I mention that I was a priest? One of my favourite activities was to marry couples. Even after Emperor Claudius passed his law, I kept on performing marriage ceremonies -- secretly, of course. It was really quite exciting. Imagine a small candlelit room with only the bride and groom and myself. We would whisper the words of the ceremony, listening all the while for the steps of soldiers.
One night, we did hear footsteps. It was scary! Thank goodness the couple I was marrying escaped in time. I was caught. (Not quite as light on my feet as I used to be, I guess.) I was thrown in jail and told that my punishment was death.
I tried to stay cheerful. And do you know what? Wonderful things happened. Many young people came to the jail to visit me. They threw flowers and notes up to my window. They wanted me to know that they, too, believed in love.
One of these young people was the daughter of the prison guard. Her father allowed her to visit me in the cell. Sometimes we would sit and talk for hours. She helped me to keep my spirits up. She agreed that I did the right thing by ignoring the Emperor and going ahead with the secret marriages. On the day I was to die, I left my friend a little note thanking her for her friendship and loyalty. I signed it, "Love from your Valentine."
I believe that note started the custom of exchanging love messages on Valentine's Day. It was written on the day I died, February 14, 269 A.D. Now, every year on this day, people remember. But most importantly, they think about love and friendship. And when they think of Emperor Claudius, they remember how he tried to stand in the way of love, and they laugh -- because they know that love can't be beaten!
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Valentine Traditions
Hundreds of years ago in England, many children dressed up as adults on Valentine's Day. They went singing from home to home. One verse they sang was:
Good morning to you, valentine;
Curl your locks as I do mine---
Two before and three behind.
Good morning to you, valentine.
In Wales wooden love spoons were carved and given as gifts on February 14th. Hearts, keys and keyholes were favourite decorations on the spoons. The decoration meant, "You unlock my heart!"
In the Middle Ages, young men and women drew names from a bowl to see who their valentines would be. They would wear these names on their sleeves for one week. To wear your heart on your sleeve now means that it is easy for other people to know how you are feeling.
In some countries, a young woman may receive a gift of clothing from a young man. If she keeps the gift, it means she will marry him.
Some people used to believe that if a woman saw a robin flying overhead on Valentine's Day, it meant she would marry a sailor. If she saw a sparrow, she would marry a poor man and be very happy. If she saw a goldfinch, she would marry a millionaire.
A love seat is a wide chair. It was first made to seat one woman and her wide dress. Later, the love seat or courting seat had two sections, often in an S-shape. In this way, a couple could sit together -- but not too closely!
Think of five or six names of boys or girls you might marry, As you twist the stem of an apple, recite the names until the stem comes off. You will marry the person whose name you were saying when the stem fell off.
Pick a dandelion that has gone to seed. Take a deep breath and blow the seeds into the wind. Count the seeds that remain on the stem. That is the number of children you will have.
If you cut an apple in half and count how many seeds are inside, you will also know how many children you will have.
Valentine's Day started in the time of the Roman Empire. In ancient Rome, February 14th was a holiday to honour Juno. Juno was the Queen of the Roman Gods and Goddesses. The Romans also knew her as the Goddess of women and marriage. The following day, February 15th, began the Feast of Lupercalia.
The lives of young boys and girls were strictly separate. However, one of the customs of the young people was name drawing. On the eve of the festival of Lupercalia the names of Roman girls were written on slips of paper and placed into jars. Each young man would draw a girl's name from the jar and would then be partners for the duration of the festival with the girl whom he chose. Sometimes the pairing of the children lasted an entire year, and often, they would fall in love and would later marry.
Under the rule of Emperor Claudius II Rome was involved in many bloody and unpopular campaigns. Claudius the Cruel was having a difficult time getting soldiers to join his military leagues. He believed that the reason was that roman men did not want to leave their loves or families. As a result, Claudius cancelled all marriages and engagements in Rome. The good Saint Valentine was a priest at Rome in the days of Claudius II. He and Saint Marius aided the Christian martyrs and secretly married couples, and for this kind deed Saint Valentine was apprehended and dragged before the Prefect of Rome, who condemned him to be beaten to death with clubs and to have his head cut off. He suffered martyrdom on the 14th day of February, about the year 270. At that time it was the custom in Rome, a very ancient custom, indeed, to celebrate in the month of February the Lupercalia, feasts in honour of a heathen god. On these occasions, amidst a variety of pagan ceremonies, the names of young women were placed in a box, from which they were drawn by the men as chance directed.
The pastors of the early Christian Church in Rome endeavoured to do away with the pagan element in these feasts by substituting the names of saints for those of maidens. And as the Lupercalia began about the middle of February, the pastors appear to have chosen Saint Valentine's Day for the celebration of this new feaSt. So it seems that the custom of young men choosing maidens for valentines, or saints as patrons for the coming year, arose in this way.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
St. Valentine's Story
Let me introduce myself. My name is Valentine. I lived in Rome during the third century. That was long, long ago! At that time, Rome was ruled by an emperor named Claudius. I didn't like Emperor Claudius, and I wasn't the only one! A lot of people shared my feelings.
Claudius wanted to have a big army. He expected men to volunteer to join. Many men just did not want to fight in wars. They did not want to leave their wives and families. As you might have guessed, not many men signed up. This made Claudius furious. So what happened? He had a crazy idea. He thought that if men were not married, they would not mind joining the army. So Claudius decided not to allow any more marriages. Young people thought his new law was cruel. I thought it was preposterous! I certainly wasn't going to support that law!
Did I mention that I was a priest? One of my favourite activities was to marry couples. Even after Emperor Claudius passed his law, I kept on performing marriage ceremonies -- secretly, of course. It was really quite exciting. Imagine a small candlelit room with only the bride and groom and myself. We would whisper the words of the ceremony, listening all the while for the steps of soldiers.
One night, we did hear footsteps. It was scary! Thank goodness the couple I was marrying escaped in time. I was caught. (Not quite as light on my feet as I used to be, I guess.) I was thrown in jail and told that my punishment was death.
I tried to stay cheerful. And do you know what? Wonderful things happened. Many young people came to the jail to visit me. They threw flowers and notes up to my window. They wanted me to know that they, too, believed in love.
One of these young people was the daughter of the prison guard. Her father allowed her to visit me in the cell. Sometimes we would sit and talk for hours. She helped me to keep my spirits up. She agreed that I did the right thing by ignoring the Emperor and going ahead with the secret marriages. On the day I was to die, I left my friend a little note thanking her for her friendship and loyalty. I signed it, "Love from your Valentine."
I believe that note started the custom of exchanging love messages on Valentine's Day. It was written on the day I died, February 14, 269 A.D. Now, every year on this day, people remember. But most importantly, they think about love and friendship. And when they think of Emperor Claudius, they remember how he tried to stand in the way of love, and they laugh -- because they know that love can't be beaten!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Valentine Traditions
Hundreds of years ago in England, many children dressed up as adults on Valentine's Day. They went singing from home to home. One verse they sang was:
Good morning to you, valentine;
Curl your locks as I do mine---
Two before and three behind.
Good morning to you, valentine.
In Wales wooden love spoons were carved and given as gifts on February 14th. Hearts, keys and keyholes were favourite decorations on the spoons. The decoration meant, "You unlock my heart!"
In the Middle Ages, young men and women drew names from a bowl to see who their valentines would be. They would wear these names on their sleeves for one week. To wear your heart on your sleeve now means that it is easy for other people to know how you are feeling.
In some countries, a young woman may receive a gift of clothing from a young man. If she keeps the gift, it means she will marry him.
Some people used to believe that if a woman saw a robin flying overhead on Valentine's Day, it meant she would marry a sailor. If she saw a sparrow, she would marry a poor man and be very happy. If she saw a goldfinch, she would marry a millionaire.
A love seat is a wide chair. It was first made to seat one woman and her wide dress. Later, the love seat or courting seat had two sections, often in an S-shape. In this way, a couple could sit together -- but not too closely!
Think of five or six names of boys or girls you might marry, As you twist the stem of an apple, recite the names until the stem comes off. You will marry the person whose name you were saying when the stem fell off.
Pick a dandelion that has gone to seed. Take a deep breath and blow the seeds into the wind. Count the seeds that remain on the stem. That is the number of children you will have.
If you cut an apple in half and count how many seeds are inside, you will also know how many children you will have.
Romeo and Juliet
Romeo y Julieta es una famosa obra del dramaturgo William Shakespeare, estrenada el 29 de enero de 1595.
El balcón de Julieta, en Verona
Dos familias nobles de la Verona del siglo XIV, Montesco y Capuleto, se encuentran en discordia desde muchos años atrás. Romeo, hijo de Montesco, es un joven inconstante, enamorado del amor; pero después se enamora de Julieta, hija de Capuleto, quien candorosamente corresponde a este amor. Los jóvenes han jurado amarse y llevan su juramento hasta la muerte. Romeo y Julieta recorren en cuatro días toda una vida de amor entre odio, rencor y venganza, y se ofrecen en sublime inmolación para disiparlos. En "Romeo y Julieta" surge el amor, como una necesidad ineludible del hombre, llevado a la sublimación. En Shakespeare encontramos todos los valores humanos, a la persona proyectada en todas sus facetas, en sus cualidades y defectos, lo que nos hace vibrar con sus personajes, identificarnos con ellos y comprenderlos a cada momento.
Todos simpatizamos con los enamorados, y si hacemos un juicio basándonos en la trascendencia que ha tenido esta obra, que se distingue por su atemporalidad, Romeo y Julieta están -y estarán siempre- entre los amantes más conocidos del mundo, tanto por su personalidad como por su problemática.
No obstante, la primera obra escrita sobre Romeo y Julieta no fue la de Shakespeare, aunque sí ha sido ésta la más conocida. El primero que escribió la historia fue Luigi da Porto, de Vicenza, en el año 1520, y tras ella se han escrito numerosas versiones en prosa, en verso, ballets y obras de teatro. Con respecto a la veracidad de los hechos, según la documentación que al respecto parece ser que se conserva, no se puede confirmar que la historia de los amantes fuera verídica, que ocurriera así realmente. Lo que sí parece que se ha confirmado es que en la casa que se dice de Julieta, sita en una posada restaurada del siglo XIII, en la Via Cappelo 27 de Verona, cuyo balcón se ve en la fotografía, efectivamente vivió la familia Capuleto y también parece ser cierto que existían rivalidades importantes entre la mayoría de familias de la ciudad, no sólo entre Montescos y Capuletos.
En el cine
La obra de Shakespeare ha tenido tanta relevancia que ha sido llevada a la gran pantalla en varias ocasiones. Entre todas las versiones cinematográficas la más vanguardista es la dirigida por Baz Lurhmann y protagonizada por Claire Danes y Leonardo Di caprio. Romeo y Julieta (1996) es una adaptación moderna de este clásico en la que el director ha recurrido como en otras de sus películas a la estética del videoclip.
Películas sobre «Romeo y Julieta»
1912 Indian Romeo and Juliet
1920 Romeo y Julieta de Lubitsch.
1924 Romeo y Julieta de Mack Sennett, cortometraje
1936 Romeo y Julieta Versión de Cukor sobre los amantes de Verona. Primera adaptación estimable para el cine de esta tragedia.
1943 Romeo y Julieta parodia de Cantinflas
1954 Romeo y Julieta de Renato Castellani. Coproducción angloitaliana, es la primera versión en color de la obra.
1955 Romeo y Julieta. Galina Ulanova y Juri Zhdanov protagonizan esta versión soviética del ballet clásico «Romeo y Julieta»
1960 Romeo y Julieta y las tinieblas de Jiri Weiss, Premio en el festival de San Sebastián
1961 West Side Story (Cuento del Lado del Oeste) de Jerome Robbins y Robert Wise. Un musical ambientado en el barrio de Nueva York donde se destaca el problema de las bandas callejeras.
1966 Romeo y Julieta dirigida por Paul Czinner, en una filmación inglesa del ballet clásico
1968 Romeo y Julieta de Franco Zeffirelli
1996 Romeo + Julieta de Baz Luhrman
2000 Romeo debe morir de Andrzej Bartkowiak. Las familias que se enfrentan son la mafia norteamericana y la mafia china.
Véase también
Tragedias de Shakespeare
Obra de William Shakespeare editar
Tragedias:
Romeo y Julieta Macbeth El rey Lear Hamlet Otelo Tito Andrónico Julio César Antonio y Cleopatra Coriolano Troilo y Crésida Timón de Atenas
Comedias:
El sueño de una noche de verano A buen fin no hay mal tiempo Como gustéis Cimbelino Trabajos de amor perdidos Medida por medida El mercader de Venecia Las alegres casadas de Windsor Mucho ruido y pocas nueces Pericles, príncipe de Tiro La fierecilla domada La comedia de las equivocaciones La tempestad Noche de Reyes Los dos hidalgos de Verona Los dos parientes nobles El cuento de invierno
Históricas:
El rey Juan Ricardo II Enrique IV Enrique VI Ricardo III Enrique VIII
Poemas y sonetos:
Sonetos Venus y Adonis La violación de Lucrecia El peregrino apasionado El fénix y la tórtola La queja de un amante
Apócrifos y obras perdidas:
Eduardo III Sir Thomas More Cardenio (perdida) Love's Labour's Won (perdida)
Además puedes tener en consideración la película Titanic que puedes ver el momento más romántico de la película en el siguiente video:
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