Love Is in the Air|爱在春意正浓时

Around the world, love is celebrated in different ways.

Love is in the air for the whole month of February because of Valentine's Day. Every year, different customs mark this day. In England and Italy, some women rise before daybreak on February 14 and stand at their windows in anticipation. These hopeful women believe that the first man to pass by will be their future husband. In Japan, the event is celebrated on two separate days. On February 14, a young woman will give chocolates to the man she adores. Then, on March 14, known as White Day, the men will return the favor by giving gifts to their admirers.

After the love is won, what happens next? Once the courting is over, couples usually get married, with different nationalities having interesting wedding rituals. For example, in Colombia, all of the unmarried men at weddings put one of their shoes under the bride's wedding gown. The groom then chooses one shoe, and Colombians say the owner of this shoe will be the next one to marry. At Greek weddings, guests smash plates into pieces as a symbol of good luck. An African tradition that has made its way to other shores is for the bride and groom to jump over a broom at the end of the wedding ceremony. This is a symbolic leap into their new life together.

Whether you already have a special someone or are on the lookout for one, February can still be an enjoyable opportunity to eat heart-shaped candy and hope for a year full of love.

爱在春意正浓时

世界各地庆祝爱情的方式五花八门、各不相同。

　　由于情人节，整个 2 月空气中都弥漫着一股爱的气息。每一年，不同的习俗都会庆祝这个日子。在英国和意大利，有些女性会在 2 月 14 日黎明前起床，满怀期待站在窗前。这些怀抱希望的女性相信，第一位经过窗前的男子将会是她们未来的丈夫。在日本，情人节分别在 2 个日子庆祝。

在 2 月 14 日，年轻女孩会送巧克力给自己仰慕的男生。接着，在 3 月 14 日，也就是白色情人节当天，这些男孩则回送礼物给仰慕者，以回报女方的青睐。

　　赢得爱情之后的下一步呢？一旦追求的过程结束，接下来通常就是步入礼堂，而不同民族的新人都各有很有趣的婚礼习俗。举例来说，在哥伦比亚，婚礼中所有单身男子都会将自己的一只鞋放在新娘的礼服下。新郎倌会从中挑出一只鞋，而哥伦比亚人说这只鞋的主人将会是下一个步入礼堂的人。在希腊婚礼中，客人会砸碎盘子作为好运的象征。非洲有个传统还传到其他国家，就是让新郎新娘在婚礼的尾声跳过一把扫帚，象征一起迈向新生活。

　　不管你现在有没有伴侣，或正在寻找另一半，2月都是个让你尽情品尝心形糖果、期待一整年充满爱的好机会。

关于情人节的由来众说纷纭，较广为流传的版本如下：

公元 3世纪，罗马帝国皇帝克劳多斯在首都罗马宣布废弃所有婚姻的承诺，当时是出于战争的考虑，下令全国男子都要从军。一名叫华伦泰（Sanctus Valentinus）的神父没有遵照这个旨意，而继续为相恋的男女举行婚礼。事情被告发后，华伦泰神父被逮捕，最后在公元 270 年 2 月 14 日这天被送上了绞架被绞死。14 世纪以后，人们就开始纪念这个日子，并订定为情人节。

另外的版本传说华伦泰是最早的基督徒之一，那个时代，作为一名基督徒便意味着危险和死亡。为掩护其他殉教者，华伦泰被抓，关进了监牢。在那里，他治愈了典狱长女儿失明的双眼且与她陷入爱河。当时的暴君听到此奇迹时，感到非常害怕，于是将华伦泰斩首示众。据说，在行刑的那一天早晨，华伦泰写了一封情意绵绵的告别信给典狱长的女儿，落款是 From your Valentine（你的华伦泰笔），此后，Valentine也具有『情人』之意。