情人節 (Valentine』s Day) ：2月14日

到處都可以看到愛、丘比特 (Cupid) 、心、巧克力、卡片，還有鮮花，因為今天是情人節！美國人在每年的2月14日都會慶祝愛情與友誼。但是，為什麼會有這個充滿熱情的節日呢？

關於情人節的由來可說是眾說紛紜。不過，我們知道古羅馬時代會在每年的2月15日舉辦春季慶典，也就是慶祝「牧神節」 (Feast of Lupercalia) 。基督教被引進之後，這個節日也一到2月14日：這是紀念早期基督教殉教者瓦倫泰 (Valentine) 的日子。不過後來這個節日卻成為代表浪漫的日子。例如，湯瑪斯‧愛迪生 (Thomas Edison) 在1900年就製作了這部浪漫的電影：親吻 (The Kiss) 。


Love, Cupid, hearts, chocolates, cards and flowers are everywhere--it's Valentine's Day! On February 14, Americans celebrate love and friendship. But where did this holiday of affection come from?

The origins of Valentine's Day are murky. We do know that the ancient Romans celebrated the feast of Lupercalia, a spring festival, on the 15th of February. With the introduction of Christianity, the holiday moved to the 14th of February--the saint day that celebrated several early Christian martyrs named Valentine. But somewhere along the way, Valentine's Day came to represent romance. You can watch a romantic movie right here, "The Kiss," produced by Thomas Edison back in 1900.

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