Valentine's Day is associated with love, and is also known as "La Festa Degli Innamorati" in Italy. It is a day dedicated solely to lovers and sweethearts. Young Italian sweethearts express their love for each other all year by attaching padlocks or "lucchetti" to bridges and railings and throwing away the key, a more recent tradition.
History
Valentine's Day began as a holiday on February 14 in the Roman Empire to honour the Queen of the Roman gods and goddesses. Juno was also known as the deity Queen of Women and Marriage among the ancient Romans.
Locks of Love or Lucchetti dell'Amore
After the release of the best-selling novel "Ho voglio di te" (I want you) by Italian author Federico Moccia, the habit of fastening padlocks to bridges, railings, and lamp posts began in Italy a little more than four years ago. The popular film of the same name, starring Riccardo Scamarcio and Laura Chiatti, followed.
Young lovers bind a chain and a padlock around a lamppost on the north side of Rome's Ponte Milvio, engrave their names on it, lock it, and dump the key into the Tiber River below, according to the narrative. The action implies that the couple will be together indefinitely.
People also give each other flowers, chocolates, gifts and plan romantic evenings or dinners.
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