St. Valentine's Day - Italy

This week is going to be based on the famous Valentine's Day, an Americanized holiday that actually did not originate there.
Every February 14, across the United States and in other places around the world, candy, flowers and gifts are exchanged between loved ones, all in the name of St. Valentine.  But who is this mysterious saint and where did these traditions come from?   The Catholic Church recognizes at least "three different saints named Valentine or Valentinus."  A common story was that Valentine may have been killed for attempting to help Christians escape harsh Roman prisons.  Once imprisoned, Valentine actually sent the first “valentine” greeting himself after he fell in love with a young blind girl who visited him.  Before his death, it is said that he wrote her a letter signed “From your Valentine,” an expression that is still used presently.  The story goes on to say that the blind girl was miraculously healed and then able to read Valentine’s letter (unfortunately after his death).  Although the truth behind the legends is vague, the story shows him as being a sympathetic, heroic and romantic figure.  By the Middle Ages, perhaps thanks to this reputation, Valentine would become "one of the most popular saints in England and France." 

There are a many foods besides chocolate that have traditionally been used to celebrate both love and Valentine’s Day:

• Herbs – Basil, lavender, and rosemary are the three herbs most associated with Valentine’s Day. Basil is a "traditional symbol of fertility and was often worn by women to signal their single nature."  The scent of lavender is not only relaxing but also an aphrodisiac.  Rosemary has long been a symbol of love; with it being used frequently in wedding bouquets during the Middle Ages.

• Wine – The warm rush one gets upon drinking a glass of wine has long been compared to the “euphoria of love.”  This has easily made wine a symbol of its same. If you want to avoid its strong sensation, cooking with wine will burn off the alcohol.

• Honey – Bees are traditionally a symbol of love due to the sweetness of honey and the bitterness of their sting, just as roses are beautiful for their flower, yet harmful from their thorns.

• Strawberries – Their red color and heart shape make strawberries a perfect fruit to celebrate love.  Strawberries are also “the symbol of Venus, the Roman goddess of love.”  Dip the fruit in chocolate or yogurt and to enjoy one of the most traditional Valentine’s Day foods.

• Chocolate – Chocolates became a common gift during the Victorian era.  Victorians practiced a romanticized version of “medieval chivalry and courtly love.” Richard Cadbury, a chocolatier who worked during the mid-1800s, “not only developed a recipe for a creamier chocolate, but also dreamed up the special heart-shaped boxes now associated with Valentine’s Day.” 

http://previews.123rf.com/images/timscottrom/timscottrom0809/timscottrom080900081/3598112-mint-chives-lavender-rosemary-basil-and-thyme-fresh-herbs-in-terracotta-pots.jpg

http://www.grandscrus.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/shutterstock_10135043214.jpg

http://www.getnativ.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/raw-miel.jpg

http://dingo.care2.com/pictures/greenliving/1310/1309988.large.jpg

http://www.almondy.com/sites/almondy.d7.nx/files/styles/slideshow_extra/public/images/flavours/cabury_diary_milk_chocolate_pieces2.png?itok=Ch9qI4cU 

And here is a link to more information on the history of Valentine's Day:

http://www.history.com/topics/valentines-day/history-of-valentines-day/videos/history-of-valentines-day?m=528e394da93ae&s=undefined&f=1&free=false

Tune in next week for another exciting blog on holiday traditions around the world!

Works Cited

Administration. Traditional Va;lentine's Day Foods. Chequamegon Food Co-o. (2015). Retrieved January 26, 2015.

History.com Staff. History of Valentine’s Day. A + E Networks. (2009, January 1). Retrieved January 26, 2015.