Valentines Day Facts
Valentine’s DayThe Festival of Love was one of the festivals of the pagan Romans, when paganism was the prevalent religion of the Romans more than seventeen centuries ago. In the pagan Roman concept, it was an expression of "spiritual love".
Historic Background
There were myths associated with this pagan festival of the Romans, which persisted with their Christian heirs. Among the most famous of these myths was the Roman belief that Romulus, the founder of Rome, was suckled one day by a she-wolf, which gave him strength and wisdom. The Romans used to celebrate this event in mid-February each year with a big festival.
One of the rituals of this festival was the sacrifice of a dog and a goat. Two strong and muscular youths would daub the blood of the dog and goat onto their bodies, then they would wash the blood away with milk. After that there would be a great parade, with these two youths at its head, which would go about the streets. The two youths would have pieces of leather with which they would hit everyone who crossed their path. The Roman women would welcome these blows, because they believed that they could prevent or cure infertility.
The connection between Saint Valentine and this festival:
Opinions abound as to who was the original Valentine, with the most popular theory that he was a clergyman who was executed for secretly marrying couples in ancient Rome in spite of Emperor Claudius II, who felt that marriage weakened his soldiers. In any event, in A.D. 496, Pope Gelasius I declared Feb. 14 as Valentine Day. Through the centuries, the Christian holiday became a time to exchange love messages, and St. Valentine became the patron saint of lovers. Esther Howland, a native of Massachusetts, is given credit for selling the first mass-produced valentine cards in the 1840s. The spirit of love continues today as valentines are sent with sentimental verses, from and to young and old romantics.
Facts on Valentine’s DaySnapshot
- 77% of respondents spent money on Valentine’s Day this year
- Men are more likely to spend money on Valentine’s Day then women (79% versus 71%)
- Men also spent more ($112 versus $66)
- Boyfriends and girlfriends spent more than husbands and wives
- Respondents spent $119 on their boyfriends or girlfriends, but only $94 on their husbands or wives
- Who spent money on Valentine’s Day 2008? Base = 1,031
- Men are most likely to spend money on Valentine’s day
- 29% of women didn’t spend any money on Valentine’s Day, compared to only 21% of men
- Younger people are more likely to opt out
- 24% of people under 30 didn’t spend any money on Valentine’s Day, but only 15% people over 45 resisted the urge to participate monetarily
- Valentine’s Day is a luxury for lower-income earners
- 30% of people earning less than $30,000/yr didn’t spend money on Valentine’s Day, but only 20% of people earning $75,000/yr or more kept their money in their pockets
http://blogs.wsj.com/runway/2009/01/29/valentines-day-spending-cupid-takes-a-hit/tab/article/
· Parents must lead by example
Comments (0)
Write comment