AROUND THE WORLD – February 2020
Valentine’s Day, which is on Feb. 14, is named a er a Christian martyr from the fifth century, but this holiday has roots that go all the way back to Roman times and a holiday called Lupercalia. Lupercus is the equivalent of the Greek god Pan. Lupercus was the god of the shepherds. Every Feb. 15, Romans held a festival in his honor. They believed the festival would keep away evil spirits and bring health and fertility to the people. e festival o en included romantic activities. Today, we exchange cards, candy and flowers to show our loved ones that we care about them on this most romantic of days. President’s Day is the third Monday in February. It started in 1885 to honor President George Washington. For a long time, President’s Day was on Feb. 22, Washington’s actual birthday. In 1971, a piece of legislation called the Uniform Monday Holiday Act changed this. is act was an attempt to create more three-day weekends for the American people. Now, President’s Day is considered a day to honor all American presidents past and present.