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Valentine's Day
Saint Valentine’s Day, or simply Valentine’s Day, is celebrated on the 14th of February, almost internationally but primarily in western societies. It is a commemorative Christian feast for some but a secular occasion for others who see it...
Video
The History of Valentines Day: From the Lupercalia to Cupid
Before chocolates, roses and letters from your valentine were given on Valentines Day, there was the Ancient Roman Festival of the Lupercalia in honour of both the agricultural god Luperca and the she-wolf who sucked Romulus and Remus, Lupus...
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Saint Valentine Kneeling in Supplication
Saint Valentine kneeling in supplication, painting by David Teniers III, 1677 CE.
Video
Eros and Psyche: A Valentine’s Story | Mythology w/ Dael Kingsmill
Dael tries not to be cynical about Valentine’s Day this year, instead telling the grand love story of Eros and Psyche. Featuring the Greek version of Cupid, accidents involving magical arrows, and an impressive amount of non-human things...
Video
The Qingming Festival: Chinese Tomb Sweeping Day
The Qingming Festival is held one hundred and four days after the winter solstice, and is known as the ‘pure bright festival’, ‘tomb-sweeping day’ and ‘ancestors day’. For over 2,500 years, this festival has been a day for Chinese people...
Video
Eros-Cupid and Psyche, the Greek and Roman Gods of Love and the Soul
Eros in Greek mythology, known as Cupid in Rome, is the god of love but more specifically, the god of physical and passionate desire. He is often referred to as a son and attendant of Aphrodite (Venus), the goddess of love and beauty, and...
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Valentine's Day Postcard
Card showing an angel paddling in a small boat called "Hearts Delight", 1890 CE.
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C.
Definition
Samhain
Samhain (pronounced “SOW-in” or “SAH-win”), was a festival celebrated by the ancient Celts halfway between the autumn equinox and the winter solstice. It began at dusk around October 31st and likely lasted three days. Samhain marked the transition...
Article
Holidays in the Elizabethan Era
During the Elizabethan Era (1558-1603 CE), people of all classes greatly looked forward to the many holidays and festivals on offer throughout the year. The vast majority of public holidays were also religious commemorations, and attendance...
Article
History of Halloween
Halloween is among the oldest traditions in the world as it touches on an essential element of the human condition: the relationship between the living and the dead. The observance evolved from ancient rituals marking the transition from...