Seven Souls Affecting the Thinking of Westerners

Author: Beijing Continental Bridge Culture and Media
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-08-01
Features: Various grand festivals reflect the unique culture of Westerners and embody the soul of Western civilization. Different ethnic groups have different festivals. This book showcases the historical development and evolution of Valentine's Day, Easter, April Fools' Day, Mother's Day, Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas—festivals that have endured the longest, had the greatest influence, and are most beloved by Westerners. Through these celebrations, you can fully appreciate diverse beliefs, ethics, morals, and arts that preserve the soul of Western civilization.
February 14th is a complex and fascinating festival. Valentine's Day is not a public holiday. On this day, people who love someone or wish to receive love can send them romantic greeting cards. These cards are called "Valentine's Day cards." They are colorful, often decorated with hearts, flowers, or birds, and printed with humorous or sentimental poems. The basic message in these poems is always "Be my Valentine," "Be my sweet heart," and so on. Valentine's Day cards are usually anonymous, though some may include a note like "Guess who?" The recipient has to guess who sent the card. This creates interesting speculation, which is part of the fun of Valentine's Day cards. People can also use a heart-shaped box filled with chocolates to convey love or tie a bouquet of flowers with ribbons to express their feelings. Regardless of the method, the essence is the same—asking the beloved if they will be your Valentine.
One of the symbols of Valentine's Day is Cupid, the god of love in Greek and Roman mythology. Cupid is often depicted on cards as a naked, winged baby holding a bow and arrow, poised to shoot. When he shoots an arrow at someone's heart, that person falls in love quickly. Sometimes, one arrow can strike multiple hearts, intertwining them. After the father of gods, Zeus, ordered the fire god Hephaestus to marry the goddess of love, Aphrodite, the goddess gave birth to a child named Cupid. Cupid was a handsome boy with wings and carried a bow and arrows. The arrows he shot were magical and incredibly powerful. His arrows had two types: golden and leaden. If a man was struck by a golden arrow, he would fall in love with every woman he saw; if a woman was struck by a golden arrow, she would fall in love with every man she saw. However, if a man or woman was struck by a leaden arrow, the effect was the opposite.
Cupid was very mischievous and loved to shoot arrows for fun, often mismatching couples, which led to a large number of divorces in the world. It seems that without Cupid's pranks, there might not be so many divorces. Sometimes, he would fly around blindly with his eyes covered, shooting arrows randomly. As a result, marriages became even more chaotic. It is said that the blindfold he wore was called "Love is Blind," but he didn't always wear it—only when he pleased. He could wear it whenever he wanted or take it off whenever he pleased.
P2-3