Hearts, cherubs, abundant bows and red, lots of red. Yes, no one can miss the fact that Valentine's Day, the feast of love, is coming up once more. Some love it, others hate this period. Since romance is now everywhere, we at VIAGE want to take a look at the down-to-earth side of the party.
Historically, there appears to be little reason to call February 14 Valentine's Day and associate it with love. Various stories are connected to the day. Read along.
Priest Valentine
In the 3rd century AD, Emperor Claudius II had a Christian cleric called Valentine executed on February 14, 269. According to tradition, there was an imperial law at that time forbidding soldiers to marry. It was believed that singles were more prepared to die on the battlefield. Our Valentine, however, was said to have secretly married soldiers, which cost him dearly.
In other words, the executed Valentine was a priest known for his good deeds for the sick, the elderly and the poor. The same man who healed the blind foster daughter of Asterius, governor of Rome. Asterius was so grateful to him for this that he converted to Christianity and immediately released all Christian captives. A thorn in the side of Emperor Claudius II who found nothing else than to have the good man beheaded as a 'reward'.
Fruitful feast
There are also sources that say that Valentine's Day is a derivative of the Roman Lupercalia celebration. From the very beginning of Rome, this festival took place between February 13 and 15 in honor of Lupercus, the god of shepherds, and Lupa, the she-wolf who raised Romulus and Remus. Ritual slaughter, young men running around naked, women willingly given a playful whiplash, and unmarried men being tied for a day to an unmarried woman whose name they drew from a bowl, were all rituals that went with it. All this in the name of purification and fertility. In the 5th century AD, the Christian church banned the celebration and replaced it with a much more chaste version: Valentine's Day.
Love for everyone
In these stories, love transcends exclusivity between couples. It is more about connection between people, about loving togetherness. That is a message that VIAGE fully agrees with. We like to celebrate them in our unique setting where gastronomy and entertainment go hand in hand. We omit the traditional 'candlelight dinner'. During the long weekend, from Friday 11 February to Monday 14 February, we invite everyone who wants to get away from the daily grind without an excess of romance. For this we created a special three-course gourmet menu with truffles, scallops and chocolate at a democratic price. In our bars you can finish with the tastiest cocktails. And of course our different games challenge you to try your luck. Whether or not you are lucky in love, VIAGE offers you everything for an ideal outing!
Reserve your night out here.
