Four of red paper hearts on white background top view isolated. Good love, valentines day, womens day banner, offer, card, invitation, flyer, poster template.

Four of red paper hearts on white background top view isolated. Good love, valentines day, womens day banner, offer, card, invitation, flyer, poster template.
There are numerous martyrdom stories associated with various Valentines connected to February 14, including a written account of Saint Valentine of Rome's imprisonment for performing weddings for soldiers who were forbidden to marry and for ministering to Christians persecuted under the Roman Empire. According to legend, Saint Valentine restored sight to the blind daughter of his judge, and he wrote her a letter signed "Your Valentine" as a farewell before his execution. The Feast of Saint Valentine was established by Pope Gelasius I in AD 496 to be celebrated on February 14 in honour of the Christian martyr, Saint Valentine of Rome, who died on that date in AD 269.
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Pair of red paper hearts on pink background top closeup view. Pretty love, valentines day, womens day banner, offer, card, invitation, flyer, poster template.

Pair of red paper hearts on pink background top closeup view. Pretty love, valentines day, womens day banner, offer, card, invitation, flyer, poster template.
The most common Valentine's Day symbols are the heart, particularly in reds and pinks, and pictures or models of Cupid. Cupid is usually portrayed as a small winged figure with a bow and arrow. In mythology, he uses his arrow to strike the hearts of people. People who have fallen in love are sometimes said to be 'struck by Cupid's arrow. Other symbols of Valentine's Day are couples in loving embraces and the gifts of flowers, chocolate, red roses and lingerie that couples often give each other.
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Pair of red paper hearts on red background top view. Good love, valentines day, womens day banner, offer, card, invitation, flyer, poster template.

Pair of red paper hearts on red background top view. Good love, valentines day, womens day banner, offer, card, invitation, flyer, poster template.
Cupid Began as a Greek God. The chubby baby with wings and a bow and arrow that we call Cupid has been associated with Valentine’s Day for centuries. However, before he was renamed Cupid, he was known to the ancient Greeks as Eros, the god of love. Eros, the son of Greek goddess Aphrodite, would use two sets of arrows—one for love and another for hate—to play with the emotions of his targets. It wasn’t until stories of his mischief were told by Romans that he adopted the childlike appearance that we recognize today.
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Couple of pink paper hearts on pink background top view. Good love, valentines day, womens day banner, offer, card, invitation, flyer, poster template.

Couple of pink paper hearts on pink background top view. Good love, valentines day, womens day banner, offer, card, invitation, flyer, poster template.
How did Valentine's Day develop? It wasn't until more than 200 years later that 14 February was proclaimed St Valentine's Day. By this time Rome had become Christian and the Catholic Church was determined to stamp out any remaining paganism. A pagan fertility ritual was held in February each year and the Pope abolished this festival and proclaimed 14 February Saint Valentine's Day, thus establishing this feast day on the Catholic Calendar of Saints. The poet Chaucer in the Middle Ages was the first to link St Valentine with romantic love. This was the beginning of the tradition of courtly love, a ritual of expressing love and admiration, usually in secret. This custom spread throughout Europe and stories grew about a High Court of Love where female judges would rule on issues related to love on 14 February each year. Historians believe that these meetings were in fact gatherings where people read love poetry and played games of flirtation.
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Couple of red paper hearts on pink background. Good love, valentines day, womens day banner, offer, card, invitation, flyer, poster template.

Couple of red paper hearts on pink background. Good love, valentines day, womens day banner, offer, card, invitation, flyer, poster template.
The history of Valentine’s Day–and the story of its patron saint–is shrouded in mystery. We do know that February has long been celebrated as a month of romance, and that St. Valentine’s Day, as we know it today, contains vestiges of both Christian and ancient Roman tradition. But who was Saint Valentine, and how did he become associated with this ancient rite? The Catholic Church recognizes at least three different saints named Valentine or Valentinus, all of whom were martyred. One legend contends that Valentine was a priest who served during the third century in Rome. When Emperor Claudius II decided that single men made better soldiers than those with wives and families, he outlawed marriage for young men. Valentine, realizing the injustice of the decree, defied Claudius and continued to perform marriages for young lovers in secret. When Valentine’s actions were discovered, Claudius ordered that he be put to death. Still others insist that it was Saint Valentine of Terni, a bishop, who was the true namesake of the holiday. He, too, was beheaded by Claudius II outside Rome. Other stories suggest that Valentine may have been killed for attempting to help Christians escape harsh Roman prisons, where they were often beaten and tortured. According to one legend, an imprisoned Valentine actually sent the first “valentine” greeting himself after he fell in love with a young girl–possibly his jailor’s daughter–who visited him during his confinement. Before his death, it is alleged that he wrote her a letter signed “From your Valentine,” an expression that is still in use today. Although the truth behind the Valentine legends is murky, the stories all emphasize his appeal as a sympathetic, heroic and–most importantly–romantic figure. By the Middle Ages, perhaps thanks to this reputation, Valentine would become one of the most popular saints in England and France.
Valentines Day Stock vectors

Pair of red paper hearts on red background. Good love, valentines day, womens day banner, offer, card, invitation, flyer, poster template.

Pair of red paper hearts on red background. Good love, valentines day, womens day banner, offer, card, invitation, flyer, poster template.
What is Valentine's Day? St Valentine's Day is an annual festival to celebrate romantic love, friendship and admiration. Every year on 14 February people celebrate this day by sending messages of love and affection to partners, family and friends. Couples send Valentine's Day cards and flowers and spend special time together to honour their love for each other.
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Couple of pink paper hearts on white background isolated. Cute love, valentines day, womens day banner, offer, card, invitation, flyer, poster template.

Couple of pink paper hearts on white background isolated. Cute love, valentines day, womens day banner, offer, card, invitation, flyer, poster template.
Valentine’s Day: A Day of Romance Lupercalia survived the initial rise of Christianity but was outlawed—as it was deemed “un-Christian”–at the end of the 5th century, when Pope Gelasius declared February 14 St. Valentine’s Day. It was not until much later, however, that the day became definitively associated with love. During the Middle Ages, it was commonly believed in France and England that February 14 was the beginning of birds’ mating season, which added to the idea that the middle of Valentine’s Day should be a day for romance. The English poet Geoffrey Chaucer was the first to record St. Valentine’s Day as a day of romantic celebration in his 1375 poem “Parliament of Foules,” writing, ““For this was sent on Seynt Valentyne’s day / Whan every foul cometh ther to choose his mate.” Valentine greetings were popular as far back as the Middle Ages, though written Valentine’s didn’t begin to appear until after 1400. The oldest known valentine still in existence today was a poem written in 1415 by Charles, Duke of Orleans, to his wife while he was imprisoned in the Tower of London following his capture at the Battle of Agincourt. (The greeting is now part of the manuscript collection of the British Library in London, England.) Several years later, it is believed that King Henry V hired a writer named John Lydgate to compose a valentine note to Catherine of Valois.
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Couple of red paper hearts on white background isolated Pretty love, valentines day, womens day banner, offer, card, invitation, flyer, poster template.

Couple of red paper hearts on white background isolated Pretty love, valentines day, womens day banner, offer, card, invitation, flyer, poster template.
Origins to a Bloody Pagan Festival. Some trace Valentine’s Day origins to a Christian effort to replace a pagan fertility festival that has been dated as far back as the 6th century B.C. During the festival of Lupercalia, Roman priests would sacrifice goats and dogs and use their blood-soaked hides to slap women on the streets, as a fertility blessing. According to legend, women would later put their names in an urn and be selected to be paired with a man for a year.
Cute Valentines Day vectors for your design

Bunch of red and pink paper hearts and stars on white background. Good love, valentines day, womens day banner, offer, card, invitation, flyer, poster template.

Bunch of red and pink paper hearts and stars on white background. Good love, valentines day, womens day banner, offer, card, invitation, flyer, poster template.
What is Valentine's Day in Contemporary Times? While Valentine's Day is celebrated in most countries, different cultures have developed their own traditions for this festival. In some parts of the world Valentine's Day is observed as a day for expressing love between family members and friends, rather than that of romantic couples. Some traditions include leaving lollies and gifts for children and others include acts of appreciation between friends. Valentine's Day is most commonly associated with romantic love, with millions of Valentine's Day cards being exchanged each year. Gifts of flowers or a single red rose are sent with romantic messages to loved ones and couples spend special time together. Many couples choose to celebrate Valentine's Day with dinner, a picnic or special home-cooked meal. Many restaurants offer Valentine's Day dinner promotions and food is often presented with symbols of love like hearts and flowers. Another popular Valentine's Day activity is to indulge in a luxury hotel stay in a beautiful location, allowing a couple to get away from it all and enjoy some quality time together. Marriage proposals are also popular on Valentine's Day, and it is often chosen as the perfect day to express their love and commitment. Some marriage proposals are delivered very creatively, such as after climbing to the top of a mountain, or posting a message on a billboard. Whatever the method, marriage proposals made on Valentine's Day are generally romantic and memorable.
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Bunch of red and pink paper hearts on white background. Good love, valentines day, womens day banner, offer, card, invitation, flyer, poster template.

Bunch of red and pink paper hearts on white background. Good love, valentines day, womens day banner, offer, card, invitation, flyer, poster template.

‘Vinegar Valentines’ Discouraged Suitors. During the Victoria Era, those who didn’t want the attention of certain suitors would anonymously send “vinegar valentines." According to Smithsonian, these cards, also called penny dreadfuls, were the antithesis of customary valentines, comically insulting and rejecting unwanted admirers. They were later used to target suffragettes in the late 19th and early 20th century.

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Pair of paper red hearts on white background isolated with copy space. Good love, valentines day, womens day banner, card, invitation, flyer, poster template.

Pair of paper red hearts on white background isolated with copy space. Good love, valentines day, womens day banner, card, invitation, flyer, poster template.

Valentine's Day is named after Saint Valentine, a Catholic priest who lived in Rome in the 3rd Century. There are many stories about St Valentine and over time these stories grew into the legend we know today.

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Bunch of cut out of pink and red paper hearts on red background. Cute Valentines day, Womans day, love, romantic or wedding card, banner, invitation, sale, offer, ad background for banner, congratulation, card, offer, flyer, advertising, invitation.

Bunch of cut out of pink and red paper hearts on red background. Cute Valentines day, Womans day, love, romantic or wedding card, banner, invitation, sale, offer, ad background for banner, congratulation, card, offer, flyer, advertising, invitation.
The history of Valentine’s Day–and the story of its patron saint–is shrouded in mystery. We do know that February has long been celebrated as a month of romance, and that St. Valentine’s Day, as we know it today, contains vestiges of both Christian and ancient Roman tradition. But who was Saint Valentine, and how did he become associated with this ancient rite? The Catholic Church recognizes at least three different saints named Valentine or Valentinus, all of whom were martyred. One legend contends that Valentine was a priest who served during the third century in Rome. When Emperor Claudius II decided that single men made better soldiers than those with wives and families, he outlawed marriage for young men. Valentine, realizing the injustice of the decree, defied Claudius and continued to perform marriages for young lovers in secret. When Valentine’s actions were discovered, Claudius ordered that he be put to death. Still others insist that it was Saint Valentine of Terni, a bishop, who was the true namesake of the holiday. He, too, was beheaded by Claudius II outside Rome. Other stories suggest that Valentine may have been killed for attempting to help Christians escape harsh Roman prisons, where they were often beaten and tortured. According to one legend, an imprisoned Valentine actually sent the first “valentine” greeting himself after he fell in love with a young girl–possibly his jailor’s daughter–who visited him during his confinement. Before his death, it is alleged that he wrote her a letter signed “From your Valentine,” an expression that is still in use today. Although the truth behind the Valentine legends is murky, the stories all emphasize his appeal as a sympathetic, heroic and–most importantly–romantic figure. By the Middle Ages, perhaps thanks to this reputation, Valentine would become one of the most popular saints in England and France.
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Bunch of cut out of pink and red paper hearts on pink background. Cute Valentines day, Womans day, love, romantic or wedding card, banner, invitation, sale, offer, ad background for banner, congratulation, card, offer, flyer, advertising, invitation.

Bunch of cut out of pink and red paper hearts on pink background. Cute Valentines day, Womans day, love, romantic or wedding card, banner, invitation, sale, offer, ad background for banner, congratulation, card, offer, flyer, advertising, invitation.
Origins of Valentine’s Day: A Pagan Festival in February While some believe that Valentine’s Day is celebrated in the middle of February to commemorate the anniversary of Valentine’s death or burial–which probably occurred around A.D. 270–others claim that the Christian church may have decided to place St. Valentine’s feast day in the middle of February in an effort to “Christianize” the pagan celebration of Lupercalia. Celebrated at the ides of February, or February 15, Lupercalia was a fertility festival dedicated to Faunus, the Roman god of agriculture, as well as to the Roman founders Romulus and Remus. To begin the festival, members of the Luperci, an order of Roman priests, would gather at a sacred cave where the infants Romulus and Remus, the founders of Rome, were believed to have been cared for by a she-wolf or lupa. The priests would sacrifice a goat, for fertility, and a dog, for purification. They would then strip the goat’s hide into strips, dip them into the sacrificial blood and take to the streets, gently slapping both women and crop fields with the goat hide. Far from being fearful, Roman women welcomed the touch of the hides because it was believed to make them more fertile in the coming year. Later in the day, according to legend, all the young women in the city would place their names in a big urn. The city’s bachelors would each choose a name and become paired for the year with his chosen woman. These matches often ended in marriage.
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