History of Valentin's Day
Before you watch
1.Do you know why we celebrate Valentine's Day on February 14 or the legend behind St. Valentine?
2.Who is this mysterious saint and where did these traditions come from?
3.How did St. Valentine become associated with love and romance?
Background
情人节来历传说之一：公元3世纪，罗马帝国皇帝克劳迪乌斯二世在首都罗马宣布废弃所有的婚姻承诺，当时是出于战争的考虑，使更多无所牵挂的男人可以走上争战的疆场。一名叫瓦仑廷（Sanctus Valentinus）的神父没有遵照这个旨意而继续为相爱的年轻人举行教堂婚礼。事情被告发后，瓦仑廷神父在公元270年2月14日这天被送上了绞架被绞死。14世纪以后，人们就开始纪念这个日子。现在，中文译为“情人节”的这个日子，在西方国家里就被称为Valentine's Day ，用以纪念那位为情人做主而牺牲的神父。
情人节来历传说之二：传说以前在英国，所有雀鸟都会在2月14日日交配求偶，如黑鸟、山鹑等，皆在2月间求偶。所以，人类也认为2月14日是春天万物初生的佳日，代表着青春生命的开始，也仿效雀鸟于2月14日选伴侣。
Lupercalia Festival 古罗马的牧神节 ，在罗马人崇拜的众神中，畜牧神卢波库斯（Lupercus）掌管着对牧羊人和羊群的保护。每年二月中，罗马人会举行盛大的典礼来庆祝牧神节。
Vocabulary
1.One legend contends that Valentine was a priest who served during the third century in Rome.
priest=someone who is specially trained to perform religious duties and ceremonies in the Christian church n. 牧师；神父
While you watch
Video
True or False（30%）
1.The day of romance we call Valentine’s Day is named for a Christian martyr and dates back to the 5th century, but has origins in the Roman holiday Lupercalia.
2.The Christian church may have decided to place St. Valentine's feast day in the middle of February in an effort to “Christianize” the pagan celebration of Lupercalia.
2.Approximately 150 million Valentine's Day cards are exchanged annually, making Valentine's Day the second most popular card-sending holiday after Christmas.
Choice （more than one answer is possible）（70%）
1.What is one of the more popular legends surrounding St. Valentine?
A.Valentine was the first to bring flowers and chocolates to his beloved.
B.Valentine fell in love with a nun but died knowing he couldn't marry her.
C.Valentine advocated for equal marriage rights between all partners, including same-sex couples.
D.Valentine married young lovers in secret after a Roman emperor outlawed marriage for single men.
2.Who was St. Valentine?
A.A member of the Roman Senate
B.An emperor of Rome
C.A Roman priest
D.A soldier
3.How many Valentine's Day cards are sold each year?
A.50 million
B.500 million
C.1 billion
D.Who can say?
4.How many heart shaped boxes of candy are sold on valentines day?
A.more than 35 million
B.more than 39 million
C.more than 20 million
D.more than 220 million
5.What is the most gifted item on Valentine's day?
A.flowers
B.chocolate
C.jewelry
D.dinner
6.Valentines and roses go hand in hand. How many roses are produced for the Valentine's day ?
A.20 million
B.220 million
C.390 million
D.1 billion
7.When did Valentine's Day become associated with romance?
A.When Chaucer wrote about love birds in the middle ages
B.When President Theodore Roosevelt declared it a holiday
C.When a small village outside of Paris, France started it
D.When Hollywood started to make romantic comedies
Advanced reading materials.
The modern St. Valentine's Day celebrations are said to have been derived from both ancient Christian and Roman tradition. As per one legend, the holiday has originated from the ancient Roman festival of Lupercalia, a fertility celebration that used to observed annually on February 15. But the rise of Christianity in Europe saw many pagan holidays being renamed for and dedicated to the early Christian martyrs. Lupercalia was no exception. In 496 AD, Pope Gelasius turned Lupercalia into a Christian feast day and set its observance a day earlier, on February 14. He proclaimed February 14 to be the feast day in honor of Saint Valentine, a Roman martyr who lived in the 3rd century. It is this St. Valentine whom the modern Valentine's Day honors.
Open Questions
1.Do you know why we celebrate Valentine's Day on February 14 or the legend behind St. Valentine?
2.Who is this mysterious saint and where did these traditions come from?
3.How did St. Valentine become associated with love and romance?
