St. Valentine's Day

St. Valentine's Day

St. Valentine’s Day is celebrated by lovers on February, 14. It is the holiday of love and friendship. People give romantic cards and gifts to those, who they are in love. Sometimes they do it secretly.

The saying «Be my Valentine!» means “be my friend or be my love”. Heart-shaped boxes of chocolates, hand-made valentines, bright red paper hearts, cupids and flowers are popular gifts on this day.

This holiday is traditionally celebrated in the USA. Nowadays this celebration has spread all over the world. The most popular colour of the day is red as it is associated with feelings, especially love. The holiday has some symbols, one of them is Cupid, the Roman god of Love. The Cupid is usually drawn as a young boy with wings, who holds a bow and an arrow.

There are several legends that explain the origin of the holiday. Yet nobody is sure which of them is true.

One legend tells us about an Italian bishop who lived at about the same time. He refused to worship the Roman gods and was imprisoned because he had secretly married couples, contrary to the laws of the Roman Emperor. According to those laws young people were forbidden to marry as they had to be free to be good warriors.

The second legend tells us that St. Valentine was a Christian priest who lived in Rome and was thrown in prison for his teachings. He died for his faith оn the 14th of February A.D.170. He was supposed to have cured the jailer’s daughter of her blindness as well. But he was not noted for helping lovers in distress and was not the patron saint of lovers.

According to another legend, Valentine actually sent the first ‘valentine’ greeting himself. While in prison, Valentine fell in love with a young girl, his jailor’s daughter, who visited him during his confinement. Before his death, he wrote her a letter, which he signed ‘From your Valentine,’ an expression that is still in use today. Legends usually says that Valentine was a sympathetic, heroic, and romantic person. In the Middle Ages, Valentine was one of the most popular saints in England and France.

2. Соедините столбцы, вписывая буквы в строчки

1 m red roses a abbreviation for February

2 love b agreed to get married

3 valentines c beautiful, blaming plants

4 heart d candlelit dinner for two

5 red and pink e cards for Valentine’s day

6 candy f colors for Valentine’s day

7 flowers g container for flowers

8 Cupid h date for Valentine’s day

9 engagement ring I electronic card (computer)

10 vase j he flies with a bow and arrow

11 “I love you” k married man

12 February 14 l married woman

13 feb. m most popular flowers on this day

14 romantic dinner n musical instrument

3. Вставьте слова в пропуски

February, 14 is (1)……… It is the day for sweethearts. It is the day when (2) …………… and girls, (3) ……………… and neighbours, husbands and (4) ………………. exchange greetings of love and (5) …………………. On this day you can (6) ……………. cards in shops or you can make (7) ……………. yourselves. You may write, “I (8) …………. you”, “Will you be my (9) ……………?” On this day millions of people (10) …………….valentines to those whom they love.

(send, love, friendship, wives, friends, Valentine’s Day, boys, cards, valentine, buy)

4. Составьте слова

1. aethVlnie
2. eruyFbar
3. traeH
4. siKs
5. dre
6. nydac
7. taeloccho
8. ceornam
9. idpCu
10. traeheewSt

5. Ответьте на вопросы

1. This thing the bride and groom hung on bridges as a sign of love on their wedding day. What is it?

2. Which city is called the city of sweet-hearts? 3. What famous phrases do you know including the words: love and vegetables? 4. Who wrote the phrase: "Love for all ages"? 5. What does the love like in famous song of Alla Pugacheva?

6. What is love on your opinion

7. What flower do you usually use when want to "read your love fortune on a chamomile" 8. Which of Russian fashion designers called Valentin?

9. Continue the words of one of the songs of "Zveri" group.

Just such a strong love. 10. What country does not celebrate Valentine’s day and what's more - this holiday is banned?