The origin of Valentine’s can be traced back to “Lupercalia”, a Roman festival for fertility. It is also believed that the day was celebrated as an attempt by the Church to add a religious twist to the Lupercalia festival. The festival was dedicated to Faunus, the god of agriculture, and Romulus and Remus, the founders of Rome.
During the celebrations, men and women were paired based on a lottery system, and most of them eventually ended in marriage. At the end of the fifth century, Pope Gelasius I decided the time of Lupercalia celebrations as the date to celebrate Saint Valentine.
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Valentine’s Day or February 14 is celebrated with aplomb all over the world. People confess their love to one another, partners plan dates with each other, and exchange gifts and greetings with one another on Valentine’s Day. This year too, the day was celebrated with the usual festivities that included buying flowers, chocolates, cards and mushy decorations and wishes.
Check out some interesting pictures of these celebrations.
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"Happy Valentine’s Day meu amor! So lucky to have you in my life," the star footballer wrote, sharing a picture with his girlfriend.
It is not necessary that you and your partner have the same love language, so to make them feel most loved, it becomes vital to communicate in their respective love language.
According to Chapman, these five love languages are words of affirmation, acts of service, receiving gifts, quality time, or physical touch.
Here are some gifting ideas based on your partner’s love language.
-Ranjit Lal
February 14 had been declared Cow Hug Day and is also Valentine’s Day. Though the order was withdrawn, it caused a great deal of confusion in my love life as I decided to go ahead as I know hugging animals can be good (and sometimes injurious) to your health. Here’s what happened:
As I am a completely honest and above board person I first tackled my girlfriend: “You know,” I said “the Ministry of Animal Husbandry had said that we all ought to hug cows on February 14. They’ve taken the order back but I still feel like hugging a cow.”
Read more here.
Valentine's Day shouldn't just be limited to romantic relationships, and the idea can be extended to celebrate all kinds of bonds in our lives. Sharing something similar, Karan Johar took to Instagram to post a heartfelt note about his children and mother.
"Valentines Day for me for many years has been a day I either partied with other singles or then lamented the lack of a relationship or then celebrated my independence and solo status … it’s always been a blend of so many feelings and emotions! But when Roohi and Yash were born I realised my dependency and search for love ended with their arrival into our universe! I celebrate them along with my mother everyday but today is the day to say to all of us parents that we have forever valentines in our children! A paternal love story is the most satisfying, unconditional and exceptionally rewarding! So raise a toast and if no one sends you flowers today send yourself an emoji," he wrote.
The festival of love is in full bloom in Kashmir with couples from across the country arriving in the Valley to celebrate Valentine's Day.
With abundant snowfall turning the Kashmir landscape white this winter, love birds are making a beeline to resorts such as Gulmarg in north Kashmir and Pahalgam in south Kashmir.
"We came to this beautiful Valley to make Valentine's Day a memorable one. The weather is nice and I am feeling lucky that we were able to plan the celebrations in Kashmir," Madhya Pradesh native Saket Sharma said.
Marvelling at the scenic beauty, his wife Prabha Shree said, "There can be nothing more beautiful than celebrating Valentine's Day in Kashmir. We actually plan to celebrate Valentine's week here." Besides visiting the famous Mughal Gardens dotting the banks of the Dal Lake, the tourists have also added Gulmarg and Pahalgam to their itineraries.
"We came here to celebrate Valentine's Day. This is the best day of our lives," said Naveen Saini, a tourist from Jaipur in Rajasthan.
His partner Ritu said this was her first Valentine's Day in Kashmir.
Several couples on romantic escapades could be seen enjoying playful snowball fights.
(PTI)
Love is in the air as people across the globe are soaking in the spirit of Valentine's Day. To mark the occasion, actor Rajkummar Rao shared a picture with his actor-wife Patralekhaa along with a beautiful caption.
"From 2010 to 2023 and to infinity and beyond. From being your boyfriend to being your husband. It’s your love only which keeps me going. Thank you my love @patralekhaa for being my strength, my most honest critic and for always pushing me to strive for excellence. ?? ??? ?? ??? ?? ??????" he wrote.
The story of Radha and Krishna can be enjoyed on Valentine’s Day on two levels: as a sad and poignant tale of a past youthful love, remembered fondly but left behind by the call of adulthood, but also as an invitation to be open to love in all its forms.
The story of Radha and Krishna is first found in the Bhagavata Purana, a text dated by scholars as somewhere between the fifth and 10th centuries. Their story is further elaborated in the Sanskrit devotional poem “Gitagovinda,” authored by Jayadeva, who lived in the 12th century in Eastern India. Read more here.
(The Conversation)
Shah Rukh Khan on Tuesday said he gave his wife and interior designer Gauri Khan "a pair of pink plastic earrings" as his first Valentine's Day gift to her.
In an #AskSRK session on Twitter, the "Pathaan" star fielded "fun" questions on Valentine's Day and cinema.
When a user asked what was the first Valentine's Day gift for his wife, Shah Rukh said: "If I remember correctly it's been what 34 years now….a pair of pink plastic earrings I think…"
Michael Kaye, the head of global communications at OkCupid, said people who spoke two to three languages got 11% more matches and 22% more likes on the dating app over the past 90 days than those who only spoke one language. This was based on an in-app question that has been posed on the OkCupid app since 2009.
Kaye said that when it came to preferences on the app, 92% of people worldwide were fine being matched with people who did not speak English.
The New York Times asked several couples to share how they navigated the heart-shaped expectations of their multilingual relationships.
(The New York Times)
Marking Valentine's Day, actor Arjun Kapoor shared an adorable picture with girlfriend Malaika Arora along with a heart emoji.
Sharing an endearing picture with Madhuri Dixit, Dr Shriram Nene extended his greetings for Valentine's Day. "Happy Valentine’s Day #HappyValentinesDay #Valentine #Love #Soulmates #BestFriends #ILoveYou," he wrote on Instagram.
Whether you're celebrating the day with your girls or your partner, you need a perfect V-day outfit to make a mark. We have curated some celeb-inspired looks for you to get ready for the celebration of love!
Who says you need to have a significant other to enjoy Valentine’s Day? Are you experiencing the fear of missing out as all your friends who have a partner are making V-Day plans? We are here to tell you that the most important form of love is self-love. It is only when you truly love yourself that you can love others.
So, if you are single, worry not – we share with you amazing ways to have a superb Valentine’s Day.
"My Valentine ??♥??," Shilpa Shetty wrote on Instagram, sharing a video with husband Raj Kundra.
As you prepare your look for Valentine's Day, don’t forget to plan your makeup, too. After all, whether it is a date night or a galantine’s party, you need the perfect makeup look to go with your outfit.
As such, here are some curated makeup ideas from your favourite B-town divas who continue to amaze us with their style.
On the occasion of Valentine's Day 2023, IPL team Rajasthan Royals took to Twitter to share a hilarious video of cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin and his wife Prithi Narayanan. Take a look!
For Valentine’s Day, some couples only roll their eyes at each other in mutual cynicism. The capitalisation of love in the modern world can certainly seem banal.
But Valentine’s Day gifts are hardly a contemporary invention. People have been celebrating the day and gifting love tokens for hundreds of years.
Read more here.
Taking to Instagram, Miheeka posted a special wish for actor-husband Rana. "Strong and sweet, elegant and pretty, wild and wonderful... I am running out of adjectives to describe myself, no wonder you love me so much. Just kidding! To the man of my dreams! You may annoy the life out of me on most days, but that smile! It makes me fall in love all over again. Happy Valentine’s Day! ?," she wrote.
Firstly, red is associated with the heart, which is the centre of love and emotion. The heart is often depicted as a bright red symbol, and this association has helped make red a powerful symbol of love.
Another reason why red is the colour of love is because of its association with desire and passion. Red is a bold and confident colour that inspires feelings of excitement and energy. When we see red, it sparks a feeling of passion and urgency, which is why it is the perfect colour to express love on Valentine's Day.
In many cultures, red is also considered to be lucky and brings good fortune to those who wear it. On Valentine's Day, this is especially true, as red is said to attract love and happiness.
Coming to historical representations, the Greeks and Hebrews considered red to be a symbol of love. One of the most famous works of literature in the Middle Ages was a 13th-century French poem called Roman de la Rose (the Romance of the Rose). The poem was about the author's search for a red rose in an enclosed garden, symbolizing his search for the woman he loves.
Finally, red is a universal colour that is recognized and celebrated all over the world. Whether you are in the United States, Europe, Asia, or anywhere else, red is a colour that is synonymous with love and affection, making it the perfect choice for Valentine's Day.
(ANI)
Valentine’s Day is a special day for couples, who exchange gifts, and plan romantic dates and meals to celebrate their love for each other. Make this day of love even more special by sharing these specially-curated wishes with your loved ones.
Love is in the air as Valentine’s Day is finally here! If you are in a relationship, it is a good time to make your significant other feel special and reinvigorate your love life. There are various activities that you and your partner can indulge in this V-Day with each other. But, if you are out of ideas and want to plan something fun and unique, we have curated a bunch of activities that you can partake in. Read more here
While one day or week is not enough to celebrate and cherish the vast emotion of love, couples all over the globe mark February 13 as Valentine’s Day. On this day, different faces of love are not celebrated with much zeal and fervour. Marked by red roses and balloons, it’s eagerly awaited by couples. For the uninitiated, the day gets its name after a mysterious saint, though it is believed that it could owe its origin to more than one person. Its true origin is still very vague. Read more here.
Every year, Valentine’s Day is celebrated with incredible zeal, excitement and love all over the globe. And, why not! This day serves as a reminder to cherish and celebrate the most beautiful emotion we experience – love. While so much about the day is already known, have you ever wondered why it is called what it is called, and why is it celebrated on February 14? Read more here