Valentine’s Day may come from the ancient Roman feast of Lupercalia.36the fierce wolves roamed nearby, the old Romans called37the god Lupercus to help them. A festival in his38was held on February 15th. On the eve of the festival the39of the girls were written on40of paper and placed in jars. Each young man41 a slip. The girl whose name was 42was to be his sweetheart for the year. Legend43it that the holiday became Valentine’s Day44 a Roman bishop named Valentine. Emperor Claudius II 45the Roman soldiers NOT to marry or become engaged. Claudius felt married soldiers would46stay home than fight. When Valentine47the Emperor and secretly married the young couples, he was put to death on February 14th, the48of Lupercalia. After his death, Valentine became a49. Christian bishop moved the holiday from the 15th to the 14th—Valentine’s Day. Now the holiday honors Valentine50of Lupercus. Valentine’s Day has become a major51of love and romance in the modern world. The ancient god Cupid and his52into a lover’s heart may still be used to53falling in love or being in love. But we also use cards and gifts, such as flowers or jewelry, to do this.54to give flower to a wife or sweetheart on Valentine’s Day can sometimes be as55as forgetting a birthday or a wedding anniversary.
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