Thread: Happy Valentine's Day...

Would anyone know the Russian translation for Happy Valentines Day? And is it important to celebrate it in Russia or not?
Thanx for your answer

Happy Valentine's Day = с днём Святого Валентина (s dnyom svyatova Valenteena)

I don't think it's very important to celebrate it but there's a lot of talk about it in mass media and a lot of advertising too.

Originally Posted by Friendy

I don't think it's very important to celebrate it but there's a lot of talk about it in mass media and a lot of advertising too.

I totally agree with you Friendy. Here is the poll from www.e1.ru
"Чем вы собираетесь заняться в День святого Валентина?
Буду всем признаваться в любви (9.2%)
Займусь покупками валентинок, потом устрою романтический вечер (11.0%)
Буду ухаживать целый день за любимым человеком (15.2%)
Проведу его как обычный рабочий день (54.0%)
А кто такой Святой Валентин? (10.6%)"
The Internet is used mostly by the young people so 64,6% of the young people don't celebrate Valetine's Day.

IMO, most people in Russia see it as an ugly bastardization of an obscure Western tradition. I personally find it too much on the сюсю письпись side to pay it any attention.

Originally Posted by VendingMachine

IMO, most people in Russia see it as an ugly bastardization of an obscure Western tradition.

That is exactly what it is. I remember a time when it was obscure in the west too. It is only relatively recently that it has become so krass and commercialized.

Originally Posted by VendingMachine

IMO, most people in Russia see it as an ugly bastardization of an obscure Western tradition. I personally find it too much on the сюсю письпись side to pay it any attention.

Its not a Western but an American tradition. I refused to take note of this day all my life.

I think you

Actually the History of Valentines Day goes back to the early Christian Church in the Roman Empire. There are varying versions, but all of them feature a Christian Priest named Valentine who was martyred by Rome. Supposedly, Emperor Claudius II decided that single men made better soldiers and outlawed marriage for all young men. Saint Valentine continued to marry couples anyway. For that he was jailed and eventually murdered. Valentine was canonized by the church and is now considered the Patron Saint of Lovers.

But today Valentines Day in the U.S.A. is all about commercialism. And I mention the U.S.A. because that's where Valentines Day began, introduced commercially in the 1800s. Most young Americans consider it with scorn, while also hoping for a little notice from someone special. (Over a hundred years of advertising will get to anyone.)

I think you're all going a little to indepth with this. And Valentines day is not a bad thing. It's not some big holiday that everyone takes off of work for or anything. It's just a fun day where kids trade valentines in schools, you get the fun little heart candies that have different phrases on them, and It's just a day you go out and do something speacial for whoever your with.

Originally Posted by Shokoladni Grom

And Valentines day is not a bad thing.

I think the Japan Emperor's birthday is not a bad thing too but nobody interesting in it outside Japan. And nobody says that Valentine is a bad thing. It's just an alien thing for a lot of countries.

Somehow the reply to my question got lost in my mailbox, so I read it too late, but looking at your answers it was not that important anyway. And soon Womens day is coming, so mayb we can start a new thread about that.

> It's not some big holiday

Yeah, just next year forget to give your girl a present and see how not big it is!

I have the double whammy (а как это будет по-русски?!) of having my wife's birthday fall on Valentine's day.