LOVE IS IN THE AIR

Red roses, fine pralines, tingling champagne, a romantic ambience and sparkling jewelry - on Valentine's Day we like to show our loved ones what they mean to us, because February 14th is dedicated to the lovers of this world every year.
But why do we celebrate Valentine's Day? What customs are there? Or is Valentine's Day just an invention to boost the economy?

February 14th is the commemoration day of St. Valentine (Valentine's Day), which is also the namesake for this day.

But who was Saint Valentine actually?

According to tradition, Saint Valentine was a poor priest who lived in Rome in the third century under the pro-Christian Emperor Claudius II.
Legend has it that he gave newlyweds flowers from his garden. In addition, marriages concluded through him are said to have always been under a lucky star.

After a Christian ceremony, Valentin also married soldiers who, according to an imperial order, had to remain unmarried. Presumably this was also the reason why Valentin was beheaded in Rome on February 14, 269 by order of Emperor Claudius II and he was thus martyred.

In addition to the possible Christian origin, there are other stories about the origin of Valentine's Day: It is also assumed that Valentine's Day has its origin in the approaching spring, because the mating season of the birds begins in mid-February. In addition, this day was originally dedicated to the goddess Juno (protector of marriage and family) in the Roman Empire. On the one hand, flowers were offered to the goddess Juno on this day and on the other hand, women were given flowers to honor them. On this day, young girls went to the Temple of Juno to get a love oracle for the right choice of partner.

Customs on Valentine's Day

With the fixed date, the custom arose in Rome that young, unmarried men could draw one from a number of slips of paper with the name of an unmarried woman on it. The couples drawn by lot walked around town together, and some are said to have fallen in love so much that they stayed together. Thus the older Roman customs mixed with the story of St. Valentine and flowed into later society.

In the Middle Ages, it was customary for men who wished to marry to bring a bouquet of flowers to their loved one as early as possible in the morning. According to folk lore, a girl will marry whoever she sees as her first man on Valentine's Day.
In England, it was customary to send each other anonymous love letters on Valentine's Day. In France, Valentin and Valentine were chosen by lot, and then lived a kind of engagement for a year. The tradition of celebrating St. Valentine as the patron saint of lovers originated in France, Belgium and England in the Middle Ages. The "Valentine greetings" were first documented in the 14th century.

Here in Germany, Valentine's Day became known after the Second World War because of the US soldiers stationed here. However, Valentine's Day in general became better known through the increased use of advertising in the floral and confectionery industries.

Even today, many people say that Valentine's Day is just a clever industry marketing strategy. You should appreciate the person you love every day. Of course that's true, but far too often everyday life and routine get in the way. That's why a little reminder never hurts.

But Valentine's Day is not only for lovers: the topic of self-love is becoming increasingly important in our time. That's why Valentine's Day at Beauty Hills 2020 is themed "Give yourself a present!"
Our 7 ideas for me-time on Valentine's Day: