Valentine's day

Activity 1: The history of Valentine’s Day

Work in pairs to discover more about the history of Valentine’s Day. Student 1 reads sections 1 and 3. Student 2 reads sections 2 and 4. Visit http://www.history.com/topics/valentines-day and answer the questions related to your sections.

 

Section 1: The legend of Saint Valentine

1. How many saints named Valentine and Valentinus are recognized by the Catholic Church?
2. What did Emperor Claudius ll ban?
3. How did Valentine supposedly respond to this ban?
4. Who did Valentine supposedly write a letter to, signed ’From your Valentine’?
5. How well known was Saint Valentine by the Middle Ages? 

 

Section 2: Origins Of Valentine’s Day: A Pagan Festival In February

1. What do some argue that the church was trying to ’Christianize’?
2. What did the festival of Lupercalia celebrate?
3. Where would members of the Luperci meet together at the start of the festival?
4. What did priests sacrifice?
5. According to legend, why did women leave their names in a big urn?
6.  

Section 3: Valentine’s Day: A Day Of Romance

1. Who officially chose February 14th for Saint Valentine’s Day?
2. Why did February 14 become associated with love during the Middle Ages?
3. Where is the oldest valentine greeting kept?
4. Who, according to myth, was hired by King Henry V to write a valentine greeting to Catherine of Valois?
5.  

Section 4: Typical Valentine’s Day Greetings

1. When did Valentine’s Day begin to gain popularity in Great Britain?
2. What was normal practice by the middle of the 18th century?
3. What replaced written letters in 1900?
4. According to the Greeting Card Association, how many Valentine’s Day cards are sent out each year?
5.