EFL Lesson Plan –History of Valentine’s day

"We are most alive when we're in love" - John Updike

Exercise 1.
Watch the video and put the names in order as they're mentioned
1. Esther Holland 2. A priest 3. Pope 4. Geoffrey Chaucer 5. Pagan fertility festival

Exercise 2.
Match the people or events with other information form the table.
Example 0 : People give each other gifts and flowers on 14th February

0. People gifts and flowers 14th February

1. A priest a. official Valentine's day I. sacrifice and feasting
2. Pope b. Roman Gods II. The Mother of the American Valentine
3. Pagan fertility festival c. send the first Valentine's greeting III. mating period
4. Geoffrey Chaucer d. a poem IV. to honour the priest
5. Esther Holland e. send hand written cards V. a woman

Write sentences:
1
2
3
4
5

Exercise 3.
Read the text and fill in the gaps with the correct words. Make sure you change the verb forms when
necessary.
fall conduct influence associate popularity birds
execute rituals blindness honour hold

According to a Christian legend, there was a priest, who ................... marriages that were against the orders of
the Roman emperor. As a consequence he was .................... However, before that he'd ................... in love a
woman whom he'd cured from .................... The last contact he'd ever made with her was a love letter signed '
From your Valentine'. This message is said to be the first ever Valentine's greeting.

A Christian Pope made the 14 th February an official St Valentine's day in the ................... of the priest of the
same name.

There was a pagan fertility festival ................... between 13th and 15th February that honoured Roman Gods and
its founders through various ................... such as sacrifice and feasting.

It was not until Middle Ages when the day was ................... with romance and love. Geoffrey Chaucer, an
English poet, presented this aspect in his poem, in which we can find the connection of the beginning of the
mating period of ................... with love.

In 1800 Valentine's day started growing in ................... and soon everyone was sending hand written notes to
each other. Esther Holland, ................... by the British cards tradition, was the first to design a Valentine's card,
no wonder she was named the Mother of the American Valentine's.

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