HISTORY OF VALENTINE S DAY

Transcription

1 HISTORY OF VALENTINE S DAY It is celebrated on February 14. Valentine's Day is not an American event, as you might think! Valentinus was a Roman priest, a doctor who secretly engaged Christian couples. For that reason he was executed on February 14 in the 269. Did you know? Approximately 150 million Valentine s Day cards are exchanged annually, making Valentine s Day the 2nd most popular card-sending holiday after Christmas.

2 Typical gifts that Slovaks give for Valentine's Day: flowers (especially roses) chocolate (in shape of a heart) Valentine's Day card ( "valentínky") romantic dinner Some people think that this is commercial holiday. But it's nice opportunity to show someone we love them. In Slovakia, on February 14 Slovak Red Cross organize Valentine drop of blood. Its aim is to motivate young people to donate blood.

3 Christians begin Easter celebration on Green Thursday. Good Friday is a state holiday in Slovakia. On Good Friday Christians commemorate the death of Jesus Christ. Then on Easter Sunday then celebrate the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ; however, not only Christians celebrate Easter.

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5 All Saints' Day This day has already started to form BC. Especially Celts who also lived in Slovakia, celebrated this day. During the night of 31. October to 1. November they parted with summer which belongs to the goddess of life and they welcomed master of death Samhain who ruled the winter. The Celts believed that the souls of the dead are returning to earth and they choose the body in which they live for 1 year. People were afraid and they brought them different sacrifices.

6 They also believed that in this night the boundary between the worlds of the living and the worlds of dead is so thin that to make contact with solus of dead is easily. For this Celts wanted to win souls of dead over and to banish evil demons. Celts prepared different gifts and sweets. Christians began to celebrate this day only in 837 when Pope Gregory IV. said that the day of Samhain also belongs to the dead in the Christian Church. This day began to call All Saints' Day at century. The Protestant Church has called this day Halloween since the 16th century. This day became tradition in Slovakia. People visit graves of their dead relations and fire candles, lay wreaths, remember them and pray for them.

7 Christmas in Slovakia In Slovakia, Christmas celebrations begin with Advent. Advent starts on Slovaks also celebrate St. Nicholas' day on the 6th December. In Slovakia he is known as sv. Mikulas. He comes in the evening of the 5th December and gives presents to good children. Young children place their shoes near the door so sv. Mikulas can fill them with sweets and fruit. With Mikulas are going angel and devil.

8 During Advent, there are lots of preparations to be made for Christmas. This includes cleaning the house, baking, shopping and buying the Christmas Tree. Carps are also sold on the streets from big tanks (carp is eaten in the main Christmas meal). Slovak Christmas Trees are decorated with coloured lights, fruits, hand-made decorations made of wood, baked goods made with honey in the form of Angels and other religious symbols and sweets. Christmas Trees are kept until January 6th, Feast of the Three Kings

9 In some Slovak families, the head of the household traces the sign of the cross on the foreheads of the children in honey. This is a wish for a sweet New Year as well as a sweet disposition. Christmas gifts are brought to children by the Baby Jesus. Family gifts are put under the Christmas Tree. We also cut an apple before dinner. If the seeds inside are shaped as a star, all members of the family would be healthy and well, but it they are shaped as a cross, there would be a loss in the family.

10 Christmas dinner begins with Oplatky small bread wafers and a blessing. We also eat,,opekance small pieces of dough with poppy seed and honey.

11 We eat a carp with potato salad. We eat 'Kapustnica'. Kapustnica is a thick cabbage soup with sausage, meat, dried mushrooms and cream. Every family has its own recipe.

12 During the supper, no one is permitted to leave the table so it is thought that someone would not be present there during the coming year. After dinner, a parent rings the bell and everyone rush towards the tree to find presents from a little Jesus.

13 People also put the carp scale or some under the table for the luck and wealth. So and after the Christmas supper the whole family goes to unpack the Christmas presents which are under the decorated Christmas tree. A tradition of launching lit candles in walnut shell boats has also been preserved. Each person must construct his or her boat alone. The builder of the boat asks a question (e.g. about employment, health, relationships, etc.), then launches the boat and follows its fate.

14 The typical sweets for our Christmas are medovniky. It is something like honey cookies. Then we decorate it. Some of the families set one extra plate on the table for all the loved who are not among us anymore or for an unexpected guest.