情人节 (Valentine’s Day) ：2月14日

到处都可以看到爱、丘比特 (Cupid) 、心、巧克力、卡片，还有鲜花，因为今天是情人节！美国人在每年的2月14日都会庆祝爱情与友谊。但是，为什么会有这个充满热情的节日呢？

关于情人节的由来可说是众说纷纭。不过，我们知道古罗马时代会在每年的2月15日举办春季庆典，也就是庆祝「牧神节」 (Feast of Lupercalia) 。基督教被引进之后，这个节日也一到2月14日：这是纪念早期基督教殉教者瓦伦泰 (Valentine) 的日子。不过后来这个节日却成为代表浪漫的日子。例如，汤玛斯．爱迪生 (Thomas Edison) 在1900年就制作了这部浪漫的电影：亲吻 (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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