Every year, millions of kids give cards and candy to their classmates or secret crush.

每年的這個時候，數(shù)以百萬計的孩子都會給同學或暗戀對象送卡片和糖果。

But why?

但大家為什么要這樣做呢？

Who invented Valentine's Day, and when did it start?

情人節(jié)是誰發(fā)明的，又是什么時候開始的？

Let's find out on today's episode of Colossal Questions.

讓我們一起進入今日的《巨象問題》。

As you probably know, Valentine's Day, also known as Saint Valentine's Day, is a holiday held every year on February 14th to celebrate our loved ones, give them cards, candy, and other gifts to show them how we feel.

大家或許知道，瓦倫丁日，也被稱為情人節(jié)，是每年2月14日舉行的一個節(jié)日，通過給深愛之人以卡片、糖果和其他禮物以展示愛慕之情。

Who is Saint Valentine?

圣·瓦倫丁是誰？

And why was this lovely holiday named after him?

為什么這個可愛的節(jié)日以他的名字命名？

It's hard to say.

個中原因難以言明。

For starters, there are several different saints named Valentine.

首先，有許多的圣徒名字都叫瓦倫丁。

Experts can't say for sure which one is the man behind the holiday, but some believe it's named after Saint Valentine of Rome, who died in 269 A. D. after defying the Emperor.

專家們無法確定情人節(jié)身后的那位是誰，但有些人認為節(jié)日是以羅馬的圣·瓦倫丁命名的。

Claudius II decided that single men make better soldiers than guys with wives and families, so he outlawed marriage for young men of fighting age.

克勞迪斯二世認為單身男人對比有妻子和家庭的男人來說會成為更好的士兵，因此他宣布戰(zhàn)斗年齡的年輕人結(jié)婚為非法。

Saint Valentine defied the Emperor's orders and continued performing marriage ceremonies for young, love-struck couples in secret until he was discovered and put to death.

圣·瓦倫丁違抗皇帝的命令，繼續(xù)秘密地為年輕的熱戀情侶舉行婚禮，直到事情敗露他被處死。

Okay, so the history of how the holiday got its name is murky to say the least, but what about its date?

有關(guān)這個節(jié)日命名的歷史可以說是模糊不清的，那它的日期呢？

Why does Valentine's Day fall on February 14th?

為什么情人節(jié)是在2月14日？

Most experts believe it was picked to keep the tradition of an old Roman festival called Lupercalia.

大多數(shù)專家認為，這是為了保持古老的羅馬節(jié)日“盧珀卡利亞”的傳統(tǒng)。

It was a day-long holiday dedicated to love and fertility held on the 15th of February each year.

這是一個為期一天的節(jié)日，于每年的二月十五日舉行，專門討論愛情和生育問題。

As Christianity spread across the Roman Empire, Lupercalia was outlawed and replaced with a church-approved version held the day before known as Saint Valentine's Day that took its place.

隨著基督教在羅馬帝國境內(nèi)的傳播，“盧珀卡利亞”節(jié)被取締，取而代之的是在其前一日進行慶祝的教堂所批準的節(jié)日版本，被稱為圣·瓦倫丁節(jié)。

By the Middle Ages, lovers began giving valentine's to each other.

到了中世紀，情侶們開始互相贈送情人節(jié)禮物。

The oldest-known valentine was written in 1415 by Charles, Duke of Orleans to his wife while he was locked up in the Tower of London after being captured in battle.

1415年，奧爾良公爵查爾斯在戰(zhàn)場上被俘后關(guān)在倫敦塔里，給他的妻子寫了一封最古老的情人節(jié)信件。

A woman named Esther Howland, known today as the mother of the American valentine, invented the first mass-produced version, which was decorated with lace, colored paper, ribbons, and other things we're still using to make them.

今天被稱為是美國情人節(jié)之母的埃絲特·豪蘭女士，發(fā)明了第一個批量生產(chǎn)的情人節(jié)賀卡，上面裝飾著蕾絲花邊、彩紙、絲帶和其他時至今日我們?nèi)栽谑褂玫难b飾。

Today, almost 150 million Valentine's Day cards are sent every year, and that number is only growing.

如今，每年都有將近1.5億張情人節(jié)賀卡寄出，而且這個數(shù)字仍在增長。

So this year, if you've got a special someone on your mind, do what people have done for thousands of years.

今年，如果你的腦海里有了一位重要的人，那就去做人們幾千年來所做的事情吧。

Work up the nerve to write them a valentine.

鼓起勇氣給他們寫情人節(jié)賀卡。