O Valentine's Day in Brazil it is celebrated on June 12th, being a date reserved for couples to show their love and mutual care.
In most countries, this date is celebrated in February and is called Valentine's Day, or Valentine's Day, and it is often an occasion to honor other loved ones as well.
In Brazilian territory, the day carries a story related to the market and consumption.
Origin of Valentine's Day (Valentine's Day)
In European countries and the USA, Valentine's Day is Valentine's Day, celebrated on February 14th.
The date is a reference to a Roman priest named Valentine, who in the third century was sentenced to death for contravening the orders of Emperor Claudius II.
The monarch had forbidden the holding of marriages, as he believed that married men were not good soldiers.
However, Father Valentim, believing that marriage was part of the divine plan, continued to celebrate marriages, going against the orders of the state. So, after being discovered, he was arrested and killed by the emperor, probably in the month of February.
But before, when he was a prisoner, he fell in love with a girl and started to send her letters, in one of them it is possible that he signed "your Valentine". That's why one of the traditions of the people who worship this day is to send cards to the loved one.
In the fifth century, Pope Gelasius recognized the priest as a saint and instituted St. Valentine's Day. From then on, Valentim becomes a symbol of lovers.
Another fact that contributed to the date being decreed in February is that in that same period of the year there was a pagan festival in Rome entitled "Lupercalia".
The festival marked the transition to spring and paid homage to mythological goddesses, as well as an opportunity to practice sexual acts.
With the officialization of the Catholic religion, the Church decided to ban the festival, transforming it into an event related to Christianity.
Valentine's day in Brazil
It is not customary for the Brazilian people to celebrate the Day of Saint Valentine. Here we have another date that fulfills the same function, Valentine's Day, celebrated in June 12.
The Valentine's Day story, however, presents a more objective plot. Here, the date was created with a commercial function, to heat the market in the month of June, considered weak in sales.
The creator of this day was businessman João Dória, who in 1949 formulated an advertising campaign that suggested June 12 as a date to demonstrate love for one's partner through gifts. The slogan of his campaign, even, was: "It's not just kisses that you taste love."
The day was chosen because it is the eve of St. Anthony's Day, considered the "matchmaker saint".
This date was successful in the country and officially became the occasion to demonstrate love between couples. Today, June is one of the most profitable months for commerce.
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