February 14, 2016, Saint Valentine’s Day in Provence
February 14 is approaching, soon it will be Valentine’s Day
Like each year, the shops’ windows are decorated in red and pink.
Valentine’s Day is a very old celebration.
If today some consider it as purely commercial, its origins go back to the 3rd century A.D.
This celebration is at its origin a beautiful story... The story of Valentine and his commitment to love.
In France Valentine’s Day is usually the opportunity to offer flowers, chocolates or to enjoy a romantic evening, in a restaurant or at the movies where romantic comedies are prevalent.
Some movie theaters even offer a bag of chocolates for this occasion.
Ideas for outings in Provence for Saint Valentine’s Day
Saint Valentine’s Day is on a Sunday this year, so if you don’t have any ideas...
For this 2016 Saint Valentine’s Day in Provence, our agency
Plaisirs et Maisons de Provence offers for example:
_ A romantic outing in Marseille, to discover the Phocean City and its calanques.
_ A theater outing in Aix en Provence where the play Meilleurs Voeux is performed for this occasion at the Cafe Theatre de la Fontaine d’Argent.
_ The discovery of Provencal landscapes loved by so many painters...
_ Wine tasting and candlelight dinner
_ Say it with flowers this year the International Salon of the Orchid is placed under the sign of romanticism and takes place in Bouc Bel Air.
If you are a bachelor, you are not forgotten, big cities like Marseille, Aix en Provence or Avignon offer Valentine’s Day evenings reserved for bachelors, maybe the opportunity to meet people.
Did you know? The origins, The patron Saint of lovers: Saint Valentine
Saint Valentine was a doctor who became a priest in the third century.
He was jailed then sentenced to death around 270 A.D. by Emperor Claudius II for having clandestinely celebrated several marriages.
In fact, the Emperor had abolished marriage since, once married, some Christians refused to enlist in the army in order to remain with their family.
But many young people in love continued to go to the priest Valentin to make their union official.
It was said that during his captivity Valentin fell in love with the daughter of his jailer, a young blind girl to whom he offered tree leaves in the shape of a heart with “Your Valentine” written on them before being executed.
Dead as a martyr in the name of love and marriage, it was his life which was celebrated during the first Valentine’s Day.
