In the early 90s, St. Valentine's Day, otherwise known as Valentine's Day, became widespread in Russia. However, many Orthodox people have a firm position that this day is absolutely alien to both Russian culture and the worldview of an Orthodox person.
The first mention of Valentine's Day as a European holiday dates back to around the 13th century. In the United States, Valentine's Day appears only at the end of the 18th century, and in some Asian countries - in the 20th century.
Currently, in America and Europe, Valentine's Day acquires the meaning of a tolerant and sometimes even encouraging attitude not only to natural family love unions, but also to same-sex love, expressed in the legalization of same-sex marriages. Such an idea of love is completely alien to the consciousness of an Orthodox person, for whom the concept of a family, as a marriage exclusively between a man and a woman, and marital fidelity have a significant meaning.
Recently, celebrations of Valentine's Day in Russia have become increasingly large. So, in many schools celebrations are held in honor of Valentine's Day, at which the harmful influence of the modern meaning of the holiday is not explained to children at all, which consists in introducing into the mind of a person a tolerance for versatile and sometimes unnatural love for a person. Consistent with the usual norms of morality and Christian ethics, every Orthodox person should realize that the celebrations of Valentine's Day are alien both to the Russian church tradition and to the general idea of love and fidelity found in lawful conjugal union.
Celebrating Valentine's Day at the present time has nothing to do with the Orthodox calendar tradition. The Orthodox calendar has its own special holiday dedicated to the day of family, love and fidelity - the day of remembrance of the holy noble princes Peter and Fevronia, which is celebrated on July 8th. It is this day that is currently considered Valentine's Day for Orthodox people.
