Valentine’s Day

"Within you, I lose myself.
Without you, I find myself wanting to be lost again."

Celebrated on February 14 every year, Valentine’s Day is celebrated as the festival of love. Lovers cherish this day to express their feelings to their dearly-loved ones along with flowers, gifts, cards and chocolates. The day for lovers is celebrated all over the world including Europe, Asia, Africa and America. The exchange of chocolates and flowers is traditional on Valentine's Day in America. Flowers, cards and gifts businesses make brisk trade on the occasion.

People in some countries celebrate this day differently. In some North American elementary schools, students give a Valentine card or a small gift to everyone in the class. The greeting cards exchanged between students mention what they appreciate about each other. In Slovenia, a proverb says that "St Valentine brings the keys of roots," so on February 14, plants and flowers start to grow.

This day has been celebrated in Europe since long. There is literary record conveying that the day was celebrated by people in some countries of the continent. The day was associated with romantic love in the circle of Geoffrey Chaucer in High Middle Ages, when the tradition of courtly love flourished. The day was closely associated with the mutual exchange of love notes in the form of "Valentines". Valentine's Day and romance has found mention in Chaucer's Parliament of Foules. This day is also mentioned by Ophelia in Hamlet: "Tomorrow is Saint Valentine's Day."

On this day, it is believed that people earlier offered their loved ones handwritten notes expressing their feelings for them. And since 19th century, handwritten notes have given way to printed greeting cards. Since the mid-19th century, greeting card-makers all over the world have a field day on this special day. In the second half of the 20th century, the practice of exchanging cards was extended to all manner of gifts in the US, usually from a man to a woman. Such gifts typically include roses and chocolates. In the 1980s, the diamond industry started to promote the day as an occasion for presenting jewelry as a gift to loved ones.

Now on Valentine's Day, people send greeting cards widely. US Greeting Card Association estimates that about one billion cards are sent each year worldwide, making the day the second largest card-sending holiday of the year behind Christmas. The association estimates that women buy approximately 85 per cent of the Valentine Cards.

Republic Day

India celebrates January 26th every year as the Republic Day with zeal and pride all across the nation. Hoisting of the tri-colour and colorful parades at all administrative units such as the capital cities and district headquarters mark the celebration on this day. The major ceremonies are held in New Delhi and the state capitals. On this day in 1950, the India’s constitution came into force and it became a sovereign, democratic and republic state.

In the country’s capital New Delhi, main celebrations are organized in the form of a majestic parade showcasing the country's military might and cultural diversity. The parade covers an eight-km route, starting from the Rashtrapati Bhavan through the picturesque Rajpath down to India Gate before winding up at the historic Red Fort.

The parade consists of mechanised, mounted and marching contingents of the Army, Air Force, Navy, Paramilitary forces and Police. After the march past, models of lethal fighter jets, missiles and battle tanks are displayed. Then the cultural extravaganza consisting of floats are presented by various States. The cultural exhibits depict scenes of activities of people in different States and the music and songs of that particular State accompany each display. Each display brings out the diversity and richness of the Indian culture and the whole show lends a festive air to the occasion.

The events of the day begin with the Prime Minister laying a wreath at the Amar Jawan Jyoti at India Gate in memory of the martyrs and soldiers who laid down their lives for the country. He then drives up to the central enclosure and awaits the arrival of the President and the Chief Guest of the occasion who is generally a Head of another country.

On his arrival, the President meets the dignitaries present there and unfurls the national flag. After this, the national anthem is played with a 21-gun salute to the national flag. Then, in a brief investiture ceremony, the President presents India's top gallantry awards, the Param Veer Chakra, the Veer Chakra and the Maha Veer Chakra to outstanding soldiers from the defence services.

After that, four helicopters fly past the parade area showering rose petals on the audience. Each chopper carries a flag - the first being the National flag and the other three, the flags of the Army, the Navy, and the Indian Air Force. The march past begins immediately after the fly past.

Children also take part in the celebrations a big way in their respective schools all over the country. Three days after the Republic Day parade, a moving ceremony known as "Beating Retreat" is held at the Vijay Chowk in New Delhi. This ceremony marks the formal end of the Republic Day celebrations.