Lovers’ Day is an important part of Irish life! Every February 14th, it’s always the same ballet! Flowers, chocolates, gifts, restaurants… In short, great classics for this party! But did you know that the Irish also have an original tradition associated with Valentine’s Day that doesn’t exist in any other country? Find out more here…
Valentine’s Day is a very special day in Ireland! As well as bringing couples together, it’s a tribute to Saint Valentine! For the record, this saint was born in Italy in the 3rd century, during the reign of Emperor Claudius II the Gothic. The latter was then known as an authoritarian tyrant, with a habit of persecuting Christians.
Very involved in the development of Christianity, Father Valentin regularly offered his help to the Christians of his town. The latter even went so far as to celebrate Christian marriages in secret, even though this practice was forbidden.
He was eventually discovered, imprisoned and sentenced to be beaten to death. Nevertheless, his sentence was commuted, and he was beheaded on February 14 269 and buried.
It wasn’t until 1836 that his relics were transported, and finally laid to rest in Dublin. Pope Gregory XVI in fact donated the Saint’s remains to John Spratt, an Irish Carmelite cleric much appreciated in Rome. Since then, the Saint has been laid to rest in a small Dublin church on Aungier Street…
Valentine’s Day is a fairly classic celebration, but it usually takes on a whole new meaning in Ireland during leap years! Tradition has it that every leap year, it’s the women who propose to their partners!
This event would echo Valentine’s Day: tired of waiting for men to propose, women would exceptionally be allowed to propose themselves on February 29!
A rather amusing tradition, which has its roots in the time of Saint Brigitte, the patron saint of the Irish. The latter is said to have asked Saint Patrick for exceptional permission to allow impatient women to make their own marriage proposals.
To which Saint Patrick would have said yes, on condition that it only took place every 7 years! Saint Brigid retorted that the periodicity was too long, and managed to negotiate 4 years, based on leap years. And so the tradition was born!
