Things You Don't Know About Valentine's Day

Things You Don't Know About Valentine's Day

情人节知多少

本篇适合：对话

情人节是不是专属于情人的节日呢？或许大部分人的答案是肯定的。其实情人节的起源与一位圣人有关，他乐善好施，救人于苦难，却为此献出了自己的生命。为了赞颂他，人们把他的忌日设为圣瓦伦丁节，也就是今天的情人节。虽然情人节这天的普遍庆祝方法是情人间互表衷肠，但在不同地区、不同时期，还有很多独特又有趣的庆祝传统，我们一起来了解一下吧！

by Sea

Valentine's Day, also called Saint Valentine's Day, is an annual holiday celebrated on February 14th. It is not a public holiday in any country, but it is an important cultural celebration in many places.

The Origin of Valentine's Day

About the origin of Valentine's Day, one popular story goes like this: soldiers were forbidden to marry in third-century Rome, but Valentine, a Roman priest, hosted weddings for them. He was imprisoned. In the prison, he healed Julia, the blind daughter of his jailer, and he wrote her a letter signed “Your Valentine” as a farewell. He was buried on February 14th.

The Celebration of Valentine's Day

In 18th-century England, the day evolved into a day when lovers expressed their love by sending fowers, sweets, and greeting cards.

In Europe, Saint Valentine's Keys are given to lovers “as a romantic symbol and an invitation to unlock the giver's heart,” and to children, in order to keep away diseases.

Valentine's Day symbols people use today include the heart-shaped outline, doves, and the fgure of Cupid.

Folk Traditions

Nowadays, Valentine's Day is celebrated as a day of love in most places, but there are still some connections between the saint and the coming of spring.

Valentine['væləntaın] n. 瓦伦丁（罗马基督教殉道者）；心爱的人

saint[seınt] n. 圣人

annual['ænjʊəl] adj. 每年的， 一年一次的

origin['ɒrıdʒın] n. 起源

forbid[fə'bıd] v. 禁止

（过去分词：forbidden）

priest[priːst] n. 神父，牧师

host[həʊst] v. 主持（过去式：hosted）

imprison[ım'prızən] v. 关押，监禁

（过去分词：imprisoned）

heal[hiːl] v. 治疗（过去式：healed）

jailer['dʒeılə] n. 监狱看守，狱卒

sign[saın] v. 签名（过去分词：signed）

farewell[,feə'wel] n. 告别

evolve[ı'vɒlv] v. 演化，发展（过去式：evolved）invitation[,ınvı'teı∫ən] n. 邀请

Cupid['kjuːpıd] n. 丘比特 （罗马神话中的爱神）

In Slovenia, Saint Valentine was one of the saints of spring and the saint of good health.

A proverb says that “Saint Valentine brings the keys of roots.” Plants and flowers start to grow on this day. Birds also marry on Valentine's Day.

Slovenia[sləʊ'viːnıə] n. 斯洛文尼亚（东欧国家）proverb['prɒvзːb] n. 谚语，格言

有趣的情人节传统

英国维多利亚女王时期有一项独特的情人节习俗：2月14日这一天，情人们将一株生有两朵花苞的春枝移植在盆内。几天后，如果这春枝上的双蕾怒放，便预示这对情人白首偕老；如果双蕾相向而开，这对情人终将劳燕分飞；如果花开得硕大、灿烂，表示以后子孙满堂，合家欢乐；倘若一花枯萎凋谢，情人中的一人有早夭之险。

意大利的情侣们则相信，情人节那天在著名景点——朱丽叶爱墙上交换表达爱意的小纸条，就会得到爱神的眷顾。

韩国是情人节最多的国家，一年有12个情人节。

情人节常见的物品和象征物有哪些呢？来连一连测试一下吧！

中文大意及答案请见第44页。