Valentines day 

What is Valentine's Day? 

Valentine's Day is a romantic day celebrated on February 14th. People send greeting cards called valentines to their loved ones. Many valentines have romantic verses, and others have humorous pictures and sayings. The most common saying is, "Be my Valentine." 

Schools decorate their classrooms with paper hearts and streamers just for this occasion! In The United State of America, many children bring valentines to school to pass out to their friends and classmates. The most common gifts to give on Valentine's Day are candy and flowers.  

Watch this video to learn some amazing facts about Valentine's day, and then answer the questions below to test your comprehension! 

Valentine's day video questions: 

1. Who receives the most Valentines each year? 

2. Who was the first person to make chocolates for Valentine's day? 

3. What did Claudius II make against the law? 

The answers are at the bottom of this blog post :) 

Can you name these Valentine's day symbols? 

rings, a rose, February 14th, 

a heart-shaped box of chocolates, a love letter, a heart-shaped balloon,

a calendar, candles, a heart locket 

Valentines Day Vocabulary: 

Love 

Valentines 

Sweetheart 

Candy 

Box of chocolates

Girlfriend

Boyfriend

Beloved 

Cupid 

Dove 

Friendship 

Heart

Kiss 

Hug

St. Valentine

Romance

The History of Valentine's Day 

The holiday of Valentine's Day is thought to have come from the ancient Roman feast called "Lupercalia." 

In the early days of Rome, dangerous wolves lived in the forest nearby. 

The Romans called upon one of their gods, Lupercus, to keep the wolves away. 

A festival held in honor of Lupercus was celebrated on February 15th. 

One of the customs of Lupercalia for young people was called "name-drawing." 

On the eve of the festival of Lupercalia, the names of Roman girls were written on slips of paper and put in a jar. Each young man drew a piece of paper with a name on it. The girl whose name was chosen would be his "sweetheart" for the year.

Legend says that the holiday became Valentine's Day after a priest named Valentine!

Valentine was a priest in Rome at the time when Christianity was a new religion. The Emperor at that time was Claudius II. Claudius II ordered the Roman soldiers not to marry or become engaged, he believed that as married men, his soldiers would want to stay home with their families rather than fight his wars. 

Valentine disobeyed the Emperor's order and secretly married the young couples. He was eventually arrested, imprisoned, and executed. 

Valentine was executed on February 14th, the eve of the Roman holiday Lupercalia. After his death, Valentine was named a saint. 

As Rome became more Christian, the priests moved the spring holiday from the 15th of February to the 14th - Valentine's Day. Now the holiday honored Saint Valentine instead of Lupercus.

Here is a Valentine's day video about a little monkey, watch it to practice your English comprehension!

On Valentine's day people often...

  

Give gifts to their loved ones! Gifts such as flowers, cards, and candy. 

Write valentines to their loved ones and sweethearts.

Tell the people in their life that they love and appreciate them. 

Valentine's day video answers: 

1. Who receives the most Valentines each year? Teachers 

2. Who was the first person to make chocolates for Valentine's day? Richard Cadbury

3. What did Claudius II make against the law? Marriage

When you think of Valentine's day, what do you think of? 

How are you going to celebrate Valentine's day this year?