14 februari, Valentindagen

Idag firar man namnet Valentin, ett latinskt namn (Valentinus) avlett av adjektivet ”valens” (frisk, stark). Den 14 februari var en märkesdag då våren vid den tidpunkten börjat ge sig till känna i Sydeuropa och Valentindagen var den dag då fåglarna ansågs bilda par. Redan under medeltiden ledde det i England, Skottland och norra Frankrike till sedvänjan att ungdomar parades samman på denna dag genom lottning. Under ett helt år var de sedan varandras Valentin och Valentine vid ungdomslagets gillen. På de brittiska öarna och senare i USA levde Valentinseden vidare in i nyare tid. På Sankt Valentins dag eller Alla Hjärtans dag kan förälskade ungdomar skicka valentinkort till sin utvalda. Ofta innehåller kortet en vers, t.ex. ”Roses are red, violets are blue / Cherries are sweet, and so are you.” Det anordnas Valentinbaler och man kan även uppvakta sitt hjärtas dam med blommor och choklad. Under 1900-talets sista decennier har Valentinseden fått spridning även i Sverige, vilket delvis beror på att blomsterhandlare och andra komersiella intressenter har verkat aktivt för att introducera den. I många svenska skolor kan ungdomar uttrycka sina känslor för varandra med blommor den dagen.

Today the name Valentin is celebrated, a Latin name (Valentinus) derived from the adjective "valens" (healthy, strong). February 14th was a landmark day when spring at that time began to make itself felt in Southern Europe and Valentine's Day was the day when the birds were considered to form pairs. As early as the Middle Ages, it became customary in England, Scotland and northern France for young people to be mated on this day by drawing lots. For a whole year, they were then each other's Valentin and Valentine at the youth team's guild. In the British Isles and later in the United States, Valentine's custom lived on into more recent times. On St. Valentine's Day, young people in love can send Valentine's cards to their chosen ones. Often the card contains a verse, e.g. ''Roses are red, violets are blue / Cherries are sweet, and so are you.'' Valentine's balls are arranged and you can also greet your heart's lady with flowers and chocolate. During the last decades of the 20th century, Valentine's custom has also spread in Sweden, which is partly due to the fact that florists and other commercial stakeholders have worked actively to introduce it. In many Swedish schools, young people can express their feelings for each other with flowers that day.