Unlike other places in the world, June is Valentine's month in the country.
Why?
The 14th of February, in many parts of the world, is Valentine's Day. However, in Brazil, Valentine's Day is always celebrated on June 12. Understand the reasons that make the country celebrate the day of love on a date so different from other countries.
Day of a saint
Just like the story of Saint Valentine, the 12th of June was also chosen because of a saint, only in this case it refers to Santo Antônio who is known throughout the country as the "Saint Matchmaker".
This saint is known for interceding on behalf of people who want to find the love of their life or, to resolve situations of conflict with the loved one. In addition, Santo Antônio is also the patron saint of the poor, lost things and miracles, serving as an example of selflessness and compassion for all his faithful.
Who was Santo Antônio?
Santo Antônio de Pádua was a Franciscan who preached between Portugal, Italy and France, and who died at the age of 36 in a region of Padua, Italy, on June 13, 1231, origin of June 12th and the celebration of Valentine's Day in Brazil.
The saint gained the reputation of being a matchmaker because, the story is told that a young girl, distressed by not having the dowry money (an old practice in which the woman had to pay a certain amount to the family of the future husband in order to get married), she knelt at the feet of an image of Santo Antônio and asked him with great faith to help her solve this problem. A while later, gold coins appeared and the young woman was able to perform her wedding. From there, many other stories and legends emerged around the saint who always helps his faithful who seek to achieve a relationship.
A business date
In addition to the date of June 12 being chosen because of Santo Antônio, the "Saint Matchmaker", it is a fact that the date was also thought to be a commercial strategy. In 1949, publicist João Dória developed a campaign to boost sales in the month of June, which was a notably bad month commercially, as it had no commemorative date.
With the slogan "Não é só de beijo que vive o amor" (Love is not just kissing), the date was so successful that it remained fixed in the Brazilian calendar, becoming the official day of celebration of love, union and celebration among couples across the country. Commercially, the strategy was also very positive, as Valentine's Day in Brazil is the third most profitable commemorative date, behind only Christmas and Mother's Day.
And your opinion? Did you celebrate Valentine's Day? Did you already know the history of Santo Antônio?
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