St.Valentine"s Day is celebrated on February 14 in Europe and in the USA. Traditionaly lovers express their love to each other by sending Valentine"s cards. People usually give each other sweets and flowers.

True/False 1. Lovers exchange of romantic cards (valentines), flowers, and other gifts. 2. St. Valentine is believed to have been a Roman priest. 3. St. Valentine was imprisoned for performing weddings for soldiers who were forbidden to marry. 4. «Be my Valentine» means «be my love».

Legends about St.Valentine: Valentine lived in the time of Roman Empire. It is unsure who St. Valentine was, but there are several possible candidates. One of these Valentines is believed to have been a Roman priest and he married young couples against the law. The Emporior of Rome believed that unmarried soldiers were better warriors, but Valentine helped lovers. He was put into prison by roman authorities for his actions and was beheaded on February 14 in the third century A. D. According to the legend he performed a miracle -he cured the blindness of his jailer"s daughter. Before the execution, he wrote her a letter signed «From Your Valentine».

Questions: Thin questions Who is Valentine? What did he do ? When did he live ? Where do people celebrate St.Valentines Day ? Thick questions Why do people celebrate St.Valentines Day? Explain why do people show their love like that only 1 time a year ? What is the most important idea of St. Valentine"s Day celebration? What is the difference between celebration of this holiday in Europe and in Russia ?

Proverbs about love in English language: 1.Love and a cough cannot be hidden. 2.Alls fair in love and war. 3.Better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all. 4.Love is blind. a.Лучше любить и потерять, чем не любить никогда. b.В любви и на войне все средства хороши. c.Любовь слепа. d.Любовь и кашель не утаишь.

Roses are red, violets are blue. My heart is full of love for you …

День святого Валентина прошел, признают и любят этот праздник не все, но почему бы не порадовать учеников и не отдохнуть несколько минут от скучной грамматики?

St Valentine’s Day для малявок

Самые маленькие ученики, скорее всего, об этом празднике ничего не знают. Помочь им с ним познакомиться можно, используя .

Задействую их на уроке по-разному – можно распечатать два раза и сыграть в Matching game, переворачивая и ища пару. What’s missing? – игра, когда один человек отворачивается, а другой прячет одну карточку, и ему нужно вспомнить, что было спрятано (здесь хорошо использовать конструкцию There isn’t/aren’t). Также можно адаптировать эти карточки для игры Go fish (правила).

И по этой теме есть простая песенка, ее можно посмотреть в конце занятия:

St Valentine’s Day для школьников

С теми, кто постарше, можно взять вот это упражнение и повторить времена Present Simple, Present Perfect, Past Simple и вопросы с ними.

Для повторения одного Past Simple и ознакомления с историей дня подойдет , для более романтичных особ к истории с вопросами на понимание текста добавлен тест Are you in love? .

И для тех, кто уже знает историю этого праздника: .

St Valentine’s Day для взрослых

Ученикам уровня pre-intermediate+ можно показать вот такую презентацию . Пусть сами попробуют угадать значение новых выражений, а потом привести на каждую идиому по примеру из своей жизни. Если вы делаете это задание в группе – каждый описывает ситуацию на любое выражение, не называя его, и все пытаются угадать идиому.

Еще со взрослыми (да и со старшими школьниками) смотрю две части любимого сериала Word on the Street и делаю к нему упражнения.

P.S. Почти все материалы взяты с сайта ESL Printables .

Всем удачи и учеников, а также любви!

St Valentine’s Day comes on February 14. It is not a legal or national holiday. Banks and offices are not closed, but it is a happy little festival for young people. St Valentine is the patron of sweethearts. February 14 is the anniversary of his death.

It is widely celebrated among people of all ages by exchange of “valentines”. A “valentine” may mean a special greeting-card or a little present. The day is the time to send little gifts to those you love. Flowers and candies are favourite presents which sweethearts send to each other. Valentine candies are packed in red heart-shaped boxes and sold for this one day.

Valentines are special greeting cards. They are often coloured red, have red trimmings and pictures of hearts. Some “valentines” are very fancy, they are trimmed with paper lace and little bows of paper ribbon. They have verses of love poetry printed on them.

It is a good day for parties. The hosts trim the hall with red and white paper hearts. Refreshments are often coloured red. Sandwiches and cakes are often cut in the shape of hearts. Sometimes, a King and Queen of Hearts are chosen during this evening

It is a very interesting holiday and many people like to celebrate it.

День Святого Валентина

День Святого Валентина отмечается 14 февраля. Это не государственный или национальный праздник. Банки и офисы не закрываются в этот день, но это весёлый праздник молодых людей. Святой Валентин является покровителем влюбленных. 14 февраля является годовщиной его смерти.

Этот день широко отмечается среди людей всех возрастов. Они обмениваются "Валентинками". "Валентинка" может означать специальную открытку или маленький подарок. В этот день принято отправлять маленькие подарки тем, кого вы любите. Цветы и конфеты - любимые подарки, которые возлюбленные отправляют друг другу. Конфеты упакованы в красные коробки в форме сердца и продаются специально в этот день.

Валентинки - это также специальные поздравительные открытки. Они часто красного цвета, с красной отделкой и изображениями сердца. Некоторые "Валентинки" очень причудливы, они украшены кружевами бумаги и маленькими бантиками из бумажной ленты. В них напечатаны стихи о любви.

Это хороший день для вечеринок, особенно среди молодежи. Хозяева украшают зал красными и белыми сердцами из бумаги. Напитки и закуски часто красного цвета. Сэндвичи и пирожные часто вырезаны в форме сердца. Иногда, выбираются король и королева сердец.

Это очень интересный праздник и многим людям нравится его отмечать.

St valentine"s Day comes on February 14. It is not a legal or a national holiday. Banks and offices are not closed, but it is a happy little festival for young people. It is widely celebrated among people of all ages by exchange of “valentines”. A “valentine” may mean a special greeting-card or a little present. It may be for the person who receives the gift.
St Valentine is the patron of sweet-hearts. February 14 is the anniversary of his death. The day is the time to send little gifts to those you love. Flowers and candy are favourite which presents sweethearts send to each other. Valentine candy is packed in red heart-shaped boxes and sold for this one day.
Valentines are special greeting cards. They are often coloured red, have red and trimmings pictures of hearts. Some “valentines” are very fancy, they are trimmed with paper lace and little bows of paper ribbon. They have verses of love poetry printed on them.
It is a good day for parties, especially by young people. The hosts trim the hall with red and white paper hearts. Refreshments are often coloured red, like candy red and punch. Sandwiches and cakes are often cut in the shape of hearts. Sometimes, a King and Queen of Hearts are chosen for the evening of dance.

День Св. Валентина

День Св. Валентина приходится на 14 февраля. Это не узаконенный национальный праздник. Банки и офисы не закрыты, но это радостный небольшой праздник молодежи. Он широко празднуется людьми разного возраста, люди обмениваются «валентинками». «Валентинка» - специальная поздравительная открытка или небольшой подарок. Она может быть назначена лицу, получающему подарок.

Святой Валентин - покровитель влюбленных. Возможно, 14 февраля - годовщина его смерти. Этот день означает то, что время послать небольшие подарки тем, кого любишь. Цветы и конфеты - любимые подарки, влюбленные посылают друг другу. Конфеты в День Валентина упакованы в красные коробочки в форме сердца и продаются только в этот день.

Валентинки - специальные открытки. Часто они красного цвета, имеют красную отделку и картинки в форме сердец. Некоторые валентинки ярко окрашены, обработаны бумажным кружевом и маленькими бантиками из бумажных лент. В них напечатаны стихи о любви.

Это удобный день для вечеринок, особенно для молодых людей. Хозяева украшают зал красными и белыми бумажными сердцами. Напитки и закуски часто красного цвета, так же как конфеты и пунши. Сендвичи и пирожные конечно вырезанные в форме сердец. Иногда для танцевального вечера избираются король и королева сердца.

День Св. Валентина

День Св. Валентина припадає на 14 лютого. Це не узаконене національне свято. Банки й офіси не закриті, але це радісне невелике свято молоді. Воно широко святкується людьми різного віку, що обмінюються «валентинками». «Валентинка» означає спеціальну вітальну листівку чи невеликий подарунок. Вона може бути призначена особі, що одержує подарунок.
Святий Валентин - заступник закоханих. Можливо, 14 лютого - річниця його смерті. Цей день означає те, що час послати невеликі подарунки тим, кого любиш. Квіти і цукерки - улюблені подарунки, що закохані посилають один одному. Цукерки в День Валентина упаковані в червоні коробочки у формі серця і продаються тільки в цей день.
Валентинки - це спеціальні вітальні листівки. Часто вони червоного кольору, мають червону обробку і картинки у формі сердець. Деякі валентинки яскраво оздоблені, оброблені паперовим мереживом і маленькими бантиками з паперових стрічок. У них надруковані вірші про любов.
Це зручний день для вечірок, особливо для молодих людей. Господарі прикрашають зал червоними і білими паперовими серцями. Напої і закуски часто червоного кольору, так само як цукерки і пунші. Сендвичі і тістечка звичайно вирізані у формі сердець. Іноді для танцювального вечора обираються король і королева серця.

Questions:

1. When does valentine"s Day come?
2. Is it a legal or a national holiday?
3. Who likes this Day very much?
4. What does a “valentine” mean?
5. How do people celebrate valentine"s Day?
6. Valentines are special greeting cards, aren"t they?

Здесь вы можете найти статью на английском: St. Valentine"s day/ День святого Валентина/ праздник, история.

St. Valentine"s Day falls on February 14, and is the traditional day on which lovers in certain cultures let each other know about their love, commonly by sending Valentine"s cards, which are often anonymous. The history of Valentine"s day can be traced back to an obscure Catholic Church feast day, said to be in honor of Saint Valentine. The day"s associations with romantic love arrived after the High Middle Ages, during which the concept of romantic love was formulated.

The day is now most closely associated with the mutual exchange of love notes in the form of "valentines." Modern Valentine symbols include the heart-shaped outline and the figure of the winged Cupid. Since the 19th century, the practice of hand writing notes has largely given way to the exchange of mass-produced greeting cards. The Greeting Card Association estimates that, world-wide, approximately one billion valentine cards are sent each year, making the day the second largest card-sending holiday of the year behind Christmas. The association also estimates that women purchase approximately 85 percent of all valentines.

History of Valentine"s Day

February fertility festivals
The association of the middle of February with love and fertility dates to ancient times. In the calendar of Ancient Athens, the period between mid January and mid February was the month of Gamelion, which was dedicated to the sacred marriage of Zeus and Hera.

In Ancient Rome, the day of February 15 was Lupercalia, the festival of Lupercus, the god of fertility, who was represented as half-naked and dressed in goat skins. As part of the purification ritual, the priests of Lupercus would sacrifice goats to the god, and after drinking wine, they would run through the streets of Rome holding pieces of the goat skin above their heads, touching anyone they met. Young women especially would come forth voluntarily for the occasion, in the belief that being so touched would render them fruitful and bring easy childbirth.

According to the Catholic Encyclopedia (1908), at least three different Saints Valentine, all of them martyrs and all quite obscure, are mentioned in the early martyrologies under the date of February 14:

a priest in Rome who suffered martyrdom in the second half of the 3rd century and was buried on the Via Flaminia.
a bishop of Interamna (modern Terni) also suffered martyrdom in the second half of the 3rd century and was also buried on the Via Flaminia, but in a different location than the priest.
a martyr in North Africa, about whom little else is known.
The connection between St. Valentine and romantic love is not mentioned in any early histories and is regarded by secular historians as purely a matter of legend (see below). The feast of St. Valentine was first declared to be on February 14 by Pope Gelasius I in 496. There is a widespread legend that he created the day to counter the practice held on Lupercalia of young men and women pairing off as lovers by drawing their names out of an urn, but this practice is not attested in any sources from that era.

In the 19th century, relics of St. Valentine were donated by Pope Gregory XVI to the Whitefriar Street Carmelite Church in Dublin, Ireland, which has become a popular place of pilgrimage on February 14.

In 1969, as part of a larger effort to pare down the number of saint days of purely legendary origin, the Church removed St. Valentine"s Day as an official holiday from its calendar.

The influential Gnostic teacher Valentinius was a candidate for Bishop of Rome in 143. In his teachings, the marriage bed assumed a central place in his version of Christian love, an emphasis sharply in contrast with the asceticism of mainstream Christianity. Stephan A. Hoeller assesses Valentinius on the subject: "In addition to baptism, anointing, eucharist, the initiation of priests and the rites of the dying, the Valentinian Gnosis mentions prominently two great and mysterious sacraments called "redemption" (apolytrosis) and "bridal chamber" respectively".

Medieval era

Swedish calendar showing St Valentine"s Day 14 February 1712
The first recorded association of St. Valentine"s Day with romantic love was in the 14th century in England and France, where February 14 was traditionally the day on which birds paired off to mate. This belief is mentioned in Geoffrey Chaucer"s Parlement of Foules (1381)

It was common during that era for lovers to exchange notes on this day and to call each other their "Valentines". A 14th century valentine is said to be in the collection of the British Library. It is probable that many of the legends about St. Valentine were invented during this period. Among the legends are ones that assert that:

On the evening before St. Valentine was to be martyred for being a Christian, he passed a love note to his jailer"s daughter which read, "From Your Valentine."
During a ban on marriages of Roman soldiers by the Emperor Claudius II, St. Valentine secretly helped arrange marriages.
In most versions of these legends, February 14 is the date associated with his martyrdom.

Valentine"s Day in the USA

Valentine"s Day was probably imported into North America in the 19th century with settlers from Britain. In the United States, the first mass-produced valentines of embossed paper lace were produced and sold shortly after 1847 by Esther Howland (1828 – 1904) of Worcester, Massachusetts. Her father operated a large book and stationery store, and she took her inspiration from an English valentine she had received. (Since 2001, the Greeting Card Association has been giving an annual "Esther Howland Award for a Greeting Card Visionary".)

In the United States in the second half of the 20th century, the practice of exchanging cards was extended to include the giving of all manner of gifts, usually from a man to a woman. Such gifts typically include roses and chocolates. Starting in the 1980s, the diamond industry began to promote Valentine"s Day as an occasion for giving fine jewelry.

In 1929 due to tensions between gangs in Chicago, members of a gang led by Al Capone killed several members of Bugs Moran"s gang in what became known as the Saint Valentine"s Day Massacre.

The day has come to be associated with a generic platonic greeting of "Happy Valentine"s Day."

Those without a significant other often speak with sarcasm by referring to Valentine"s Day as "Singles" Awareness Day".

Valentine"s Day in Other Cultures

In Japan and Korea, Valentine"s Day has emerged, thanks to a concentrated marketing effort, as a day on which women give candy to men they like. Rather than being voluntary however, this has become for many women – especially those who work in offices – an obligation, and they give chocolates to all their male co-workers, sometimes at significant personal expense. This chocolate is known as giri-choco, in Japan, from the words giri (obligation) and choco, a common short version of chokoreto, meaning chocolate.

By a further marketing effort, a reciprocal day, called White Day has emerged. On this day (March 14), men are supposed to return the favour by giving something to those who gave them chocolates on Valentine"s Day. Many men, however, give only to their girlfriends. Originally the return gift was supposed to be white chocolate or marshmallows (hence the name "White Day"). However, more recently men have taken the name to a different meaning, thus lingerie is quite a common gift.

In Korea, there is also an additional Black Day, held on April 14, when males who did not receive anything for Valentine"s Day gather together to eat Jajangmyun (Chinese-style noodles in black sauce).

In Chinese Culture, there is a similar counterpart of the Valentine"s Day. It is called "The Night of Sevens", on the 7th day of the 7th month of the lunar calendar; the last one being August 11, 2005 . (A slightly different version of this day is celebrated in Japan as Tanabata, on July 7th (the same day, but transcribed to the solar calendar)).

In Persian Culture (Iran) this popular date is discreetly celebrated by most lovers despite the disapproval of such occasion by the hardline slamic government as a copycat of the west, but Persian youths and adults manage to celebrate following the traditions of the west disregarding the unfair limitations and restrictions imposed by the government.

In Brazil, there is no such day as Valentine"s Day. Instead, on June 12, "Dia dos Namorados" (lit. "Day of the enamored", or "Boyfriend"s/Girlfriend"s Day") is celebrated. On this day, boyfriends and girlfriends, husbands and wives, exchange gifts (lingerie, chocolates, and more), cards and usually a flower bouquet. This day is chosen probably because it is one day before the Saint Anthony"s day, there known as the marriage saint, when many single women perform popular rituals in order to find a good husband (or, more modernly at least a boyfriend).