Saint Valentine`s Day in Sicily

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Unfortunately, there is nothing typical in Sicily for Saint Valentine`s Day. People have dinner in a restaurant with their partner, they give each other presents and they send cards. Typical presents are flowers and chocolate.

Each year, for Saint Valentine`s Day, the media reminds all the Italians that "Valentino" was the Bishop of the city of Terni, close to Rome. He lived during the Roman Empire's persecution against Christians. The legend says that he celebrated a marriage between a Christian and a Pagan, and in general he always helped lovers, and for these reasons today his day is lovers' day. Another legend says that he gave flowers to lovers walking in his garden.

The day is the 14th February, because, the legend says, on this day he went to Heaven. Another more reasonable reason is that Saint Valentine`s Day took the place of a Roman feast: the "Lupercali", a ceremony for the fecundity of animals, earth and men, just before the beginning of Spring.