Harry's Text (Verfasst am: Sa Feb 12, 2005 11:18 am)

[Caitlin]

Bräuche zum Valentinstag

Customs on Valentine’s Day

(in this context I think the word „custom“ is a better translation)

Es ist schon manchmal witzig, welche seltsamen Bräuche sich zum Valentinstag entwickelt haben:
Sometimes it’s funny which odd tradions have formed at Valentine’s Day.

It sometimes really is funny what kind of odd customs have developed in honor of Valentine’s Day.

So ging einst das Gerücht herum (das übrigens nicht ich in die Welt gesetzt habe), daß derjenige, den ein Mädchen am Valentinstag als erstes sah, ihr Zukünftiger werden würde. So hatte wohl ein Milchmann, Zeitungsjunge oder Postbote die besten Chancen...
There was a rumour going around once (btw. I haven’t said that) that the one which a girl at Valentine’s Day saw first will be her husband. (I havent’t found a translations for (Zukünftiger). So had probably a milkman, paperboy or a mailman the best chances.

For instance, there was once a rumour going around(not spread by me, by the way) that on Valentine’s day, the man a girl first sets eyes on, would become her future husband. (I havent’t found a translations for (Zukünftiger) – as you see, it’s easy . Therefore, any milkman, paperboy or mailman probably had the best chances.

Andererseits sagte man auch, würde derjenige der Zukünftige, von den das Mädchen in der Nacht geträumt hatte. Was so ein Mädel machte, wenn Sie von Hans träumte und einen Franz am Morgen als erstes sah, ist nicht bekannt.
On the other Hand it is also said that the one will be the husband of who the girl was dreaming about at night. It isn’t known what happened when a girl dreamed about Hans and saw a Franz in the morning first.

On the other hand it is also said that the one, a girl had dreamed about at night,would be her future husband. It isn’t known what happened when such a girl had dreamed about Hans and then saw a Franz first thing in the morning.


Einige Damen und Herren befragten auch ein spezielles Valentinsorakel, indem sie die Namen der potentiellen Kandidaten oder Kandidatinnen auf Zettelchen schrieben, diese zusammenknüllten und mit Lehm umwickelten. Diese Lehmkügelchen schmissen sie in ein Wasserglas. Die Lehmkügelchen lösten sich im Wasser natürlich bald auf. Das Zettelchen, welches als erstes wieder freigegeben wurde, enthielt, so sagte man, Dank der Steuerung von St. Valentin, den Namen des/der Zukünftigen.
Some ladies and Sir’s were also asking a special Valentine’s oracle, by writing down the names of their potencial candidates on a piece of paper, this one they crumpled up and wraped loam round it. These loam pellets they throwed into a glass of water and of course these loam pellets dissolved quickly into the water. That piece of paper which was released first again, included, so it was saying, thanks the control of St. Valentin, the name of the husband or wife.

Some ladies and gentlemen also consulted a special Valentine’s oracle by writing down the names of their potential candidates on different pieces of paper, these they crumpled up and wrapped loam round it. These loam pellets they threw into a glass of water where the loam, of course, dissolved quickly. The piece of paper which was to be seen first, had, so it was said, the name of the future husband or wife on it, thanks to St. Valentine’s manipulations.

[support]

Als ob ich nichts besseres zu tun hätte, als dafür zu sorgen, daß sich ein Lehmkügelchen schneller auflöst als andere?
As if I wouldn’t have to do more important things than to make sure one loam pellet dissolved quicklier than the others?
As if I didn’t have more important things to do than to make sure one loam pellet dissolves quicker than the others?

Neben der schon erwähnten Zusammenlosung von Ledigen, ist es heute üblich lieben Menschen zum Valentinstag einen Gruß zu schicken. Insbesondere wenn der/die Andere nichts von der Zuneigung weiß oder wissen darf geschieht dies anonym.
Aside from the already refered (I haven’t found any word for Zusammenlosung and I have also no idea how I could say it another way) of singles, it is more common nice people to send a greeting at Valentine’s Day. Especially when the other one doesn’t or mustn’t know anything of the affection then it will be done anonymous.

Aside from the already mentionedbringing singles together by drawing lots (I haven’t found any word for Zusammenlosung and I have also no idea how I could say it another way – we had that in the text before, remember? “Lose ziehen” = “to draw lots” – “zusammengelost” = “brought together by drawing lots”), it is the custom today to send nice people a greeting card on Valentine’s Day. Especially when the other one doesn’t or mustn’t know anything of the affection, this is done anonymously.


Wer sagt denn, daß es nur der/die Liebste sein muß. Ist das nicht eine gute Gelegenheit allen Menschen, die man mag, es auch mal zeigen?
Who is saying that just it has to be the lover? It is not a good opportunity to show it to all people which you love/like?

Who says that it just has to be one’s lover? Is it not a good opportunity to show it to all the people you like?


Über so etwas freut sich doch jeder. Du doch auch?
Everyone would be glad about this, you too, wouldn’t you?


Wouldn’t everyone be glad about this, wouldn’t you too?

Anstelle eines selbstverfassten Liebesbrief oder Gedichtes greift man schon seit einem Jahrhundert auf vorgefertigte kitschige Karten mit Engelchen, Blümchen, Herzchen und ähnlichen Zeugs zurück, oder macht irgend ein nettes Geschenk. Daraus hat sich mittlerweile eine richtige Industrie entwickelt.
Instead to write a love letter or poem by him- or herself it will fall back on prefabricated kitschy cards with angles, flowers, hearts and something like that on it for already one century or it will give to the one some nice present. It has developed out of this a right industrie by now.


Instead of writing a love letter or poem by themselves, for already one century, people have been falling back on prefabricated kitschy cards, decorated with angles, flowers, hearts and something like that, or they will make some nice present. Out of this, a real industry has developed by now.


Valentinskonfekt, Valentinskarten, Parfum namens St. Valentin...
Mein Name muß mittlerweile für viel herhalten. Aber was soll ich dagegen haben? Ist es nicht eine gute Sache, Menschen zu sagen und zu zeigen, daß man sie gern hat? Das gilt auch, wenn einige Leute sich daraus ein Geschäft machen.

[support]

Valentine’s confectionery, Valentine’s cards, perfume which is called St. Valentine …
My name has to pay for a lot by now. But what shall I have against it? Isn’t it a good thing, to tell and to show humans that you love/like them? That’s also hold when some people make a business out of it.


Valentine’s confectionery, Valentine’s cards, perfume which is called St. Valentine …
My name has to hold out for a lot by now. But what should I have against this? Isn’t it a good thing to tell and to show others that you like them? That’s also true when some people make a business out of it.

Übrigens noch 8 Tage bis zum nächsten V-Tag! Wäre es nicht trotzdem eine gute Gelegenheit, jemanden zu sagen, dass er/sie nett ist?
By the wayit is just 2 (I have changed the days ) days until the next V-Day! Wouldn’t it nevertheless be a good opportunity to tell somebody that he or she is nice?


By the way, just 2 (I have changed the days ) days to go until next V-Day! Wouldn’t it all the same be a good opportunity to tell somebody that he or she is nice?

[Caitlin]

Hi Harry,

der Text ist natürlich ganz von mir korrigiert ;) "support" hat mir mit dem Posten geholfen, weil ich Probleme hatte ... ich hoffe, es macht Dir nichts aus :)

Gruß
Caitlin

[Harry]

Thanks for the corrctions Caitlin.

Yes, I remembered "Lose ziehen" but I didn't found it in the old text anymore.

If I'm honst then I have to say: This was really a hard text. ;)

No, I don't mind that "support" posted some of the text.


Best wishes

Harry

[Caitlin]

Hi Harry and everyone ;)

one more Saint Valentine's story, told a bit differently and in English (found here: http://www.pictureframes.co.uk/pages/saint_valentine.htm )


St. Valentine's Story

Let me introduce myself. My name is Valentine. I lived in Rome during the third century. That was long, long ago! At that time, Rome was ruled by an emperor named Claudius. I didn't like Emperor Claudius, and I wasn't the only one! A lot of people shared my feelings.

Claudius wanted to have a big army. He expected men to volunteer to join. Many men just did not want to fight in wars. They did not want to leave their wives and families. As you might have guessed, not many men signed up. This made Claudius furious. So what happened? He had a crazy idea. He thought that if men were not married, they would not mind joining the army. So Claudius decided not to allow any more marriages. Young people thought his new law was cruel. I thought it was preposterous! I certainly wasn't going to support that law!

Did I mention that I was a priest? One of my favourite activities was to marry couples. Even after Emperor Claudius passed his law, I kept on performing marriage ceremonies -- secretly, of course. It was really quite exciting. Imagine a small candlelit room with only the bride and groom and myself. We would whisper the words of the ceremony, listening all the while for the steps of soldiers.

One night, we did hear footsteps. It was scary! Thank goodness the couple I was marrying escaped in time. I was caught. (Not quite as light on my feet as I used to be, I guess.) I was thrown in jail and told that my punishment was death.

I tried to stay cheerful. And do you know what? Wonderful things happened. Many young people came to the jail to visit me. They threw flowers and notes up to my window. They wanted me to know that they, too, believed in love.

One of these young people was the daughter of the prison guard. Her father allowed her to visit me in the cell. Sometimes we would sit and talk for hours. She helped me to keep my spirits up. She agreed that I did the right thing by ignoring the Emperor and going ahead with the secret marriages. On the day I was to die, I left my friend a little note thanking her for her friendship and loyalty. I signed it, "Love from your Valentine."

I believe that note started the custom of exchanging love messages on Valentine's Day. It was written on the day I died, February 14, 269 A.D. Now, every year on this day, people remember. But most importantly, they think about love and friendship. And when they think of Emperor Claudius, they remember how he tried to stand in the way of love, and they laugh -- because they know that love can't be beaten!

As early as the fourth century B.C., the Romans engaged in an annual young man's rite to passage to the God Lupercus. The names of the teenage women were placed in a box and drawn at random by adolescent men; thus, a man was assigned a woman companion for the duration of the year, after which another lottery was staged. After eight hundred years of this cruel practice, the early church fathers sought to end this practice... They found an answer in Valentine, a bishop who had been martyred some two hundred years earlier.

According to church tradition St. Valentine was a priest near Rome in about the year 270 A.D. At that time the Roman Emperor Claudius-II who had issued an edict forbidding marriage.
This was around when the heyday of Roman empire had almost come to an end. Lack of quality administrators led to frequent civil strife. Learning declined, taxation increased, and trade slumped to a low, precarious level. And the Gauls, Slavs, Huns, Turks and Mongolians from Northern Europe and Asian increased their pressure on the empire's boundaries. The empire was grown too large to be shielded from external aggression and internal chaos with existing forces. Thus more of capable men were required to be recruited as soldiers and officers. When Claudius became the emperor, he felt that married men were more emotionally attached to their families, and thus, will not make good soldiers. So to assure quality soldiers, he banned marriage.
Valentine, a bishop , seeing the trauma of young lovers, met them in a secret place, and joined them in the sacrament of matrimony. Claudius learned of this "friend of lovers," and had him arrested. The emperor, impressed with the young priest's dignity and conviction, attempted to convert him to the roman gods, to save him from certain execution. Valentine refused to recognize Roman Gods and even attempted to convert the emperor, knowing the consequences fully.
On February 24, 270, Valentine was executed.

"From your Valentine"
While Valentine was in prison awaiting his fate, he came in contact with his jailor, Asterius. The jailor had a blind daughter. Asterius requested him to heal his daughter. Through his faith he miraculously restored the sight of Asterius' daughter. Just before his execution, he asked for a pen and paper from his jailor, and signed a farewell message to her "From Your Valentine," a phrase that lived ever after.


Valentine thus become a Patron Saint, and spiritual overseer of an annual festival. The festival involved young Romans offering women they admired, and wished to court, handwritten greetings of affection on February 14. The greeting cards acquired St.Valentine's name.

The Valentine's Day card spread with Christianity, and is now celebrated all over the world. One of the earliest card was sent in 1415 by Charles, duke of Orleans, to his wife while he was a prisoner in the Tower of London. The card is now preserved in the British Museum.

[Caitlin]

and, found on the same page, some Valentine traditions (sorry, Harry!!! :o :o :o )

Valentine Traditions

Hundreds of years ago in England, many children dressed up as adults on Valentine's Day. They went singing from home to home. One verse they sang was:

Good morning to you, valentine;
Curl your locks as I do mine---
Two before and three behind.
Good morning to you, valentine.


In Wales wooden love spoons were carved and given as gifts on February 14th. Hearts, keys and keyholes were favourite decorations on the spoons. The decoration meant, "You unlock my heart!"

In the Middle Ages, young men and women drew names from a bowl to see who their valentines would be. They would wear these names on their sleeves for one week. To wear your heart on your sleeve now means that it is easy for other people to know how you are feeling.


In some countries, a young woman may receive a gift of clothing from a young man. If she keeps the gift, it means she will marry him.

Some people used to believe that if a woman saw a robin flying overhead on Valentine's Day, it meant she would marry a sailor. If she saw a sparrow, she would marry a poor man and be very happy. If she saw a goldfinch, she would marry a millionaire.

A love seat is a wide chair. It was first made to seat one woman and her wide dress. Later, the love seat or courting seat had two sections, often in an S-shape. In this way, a couple could sit together -- but not too closely!

Think of five or six names of boys or girls you might marry, As you twist the stem of an apple, recite the names until the stem comes off. You will marry the person whose name you were saying when the stem fell off.


Pick a dandelion that has gone to seed. Take a deep breath and blow the seeds into the wind. Count the seeds that remain on the stem. That is the number of children you will have.

If you cut an apple in half and count how many seeds are inside, you will also know how many children you will have.

[Harry]

Hello Caitlin,

thanks for the text. It was interesting to read the story about Valentine in another way. I think there're some stories more which are written in a different way.

Best wishes

Harry