Mad's World

Viral Video: 18-month-old Jamie Myska-Buddell showing amazing Table Tennis/Ping Pong Skills

2012-02-04T03:40:00.000-08:00

Before you watch this video; you might think you're pretty good at table tennis, but that's just because you haven't met baby Jamie yet.

18-month-old Jamie Myska-Buddell playing Table Tennis

Just check out the amazing Ping Pong/Table Tennis skills of few months old baby Jamie Myska-Buddell. 18-month-old Jamie Myska-Buddell features in a two-minute video returning balls bounced across the table by his dad.

Video Gone Viral: Three-year-old Sofia Walker faces wild lion bravely at Wellington zoo, New Zealand

2012-01-10T11:56:00.000-08:00

AMAZING !!! Wild lion launches a wild attack at a little 3-year-old girl Sofia Walker through the zoo viewing glass.

The lions’ enclosure is very large and gives the lions plenty of playing area and privacy. The animals are all taken good care of to a 5 star zoo quality.

Three-year-old Sofia Walker faces wild ilon bravely at Wellington zoo, New Zealand

What made me share this video is the spontaneous and brave reaction of the little girl. She continued to stare despite on a wild response by the beast.

Three-year-old Sofia Walker didn't even flinch as the male beast struck the glass with his paws repeatedly.

Captured on camera by her parents, the youngster seemed to be completely unfazed by Malik's actions.

She bravely stood her ground as the grumpy lion showed her what he thought of her interrupting his breakfast at Wellington Zoo in New Zealand.

Sofia appeared completely unworried as eight-year-old Malik attacked.

"I was brave," Sofia said of her encounter with Malik, whose food was nearby in his enclosure.

"Maybe it felt threatened that Sofia might try and take it, or that he would prefer to eat her," said her father Julian.

Sofia turns four next month and wants to return to the zoo.

Watch video below:

World Record Holder 'Stewie': The Celebrity Cat Faces Cancer

2012-01-10T11:34:00.000-08:00

World Record Holder 'Stewie': The Celebrity Cat Faces Cancer

The Guinness world record holder domesticated cat unfortunately got a cancerous growth behind its right eye, Reno-based owners revealed last week. The celebrity cat ‘Stewie’, the world’s longest domesticated cat with more than 4 feet length, was diagnosed with a cancer after a scan last week.

According to details; the 7-year-old ‘Stewie’ had an inflamed eye on Christmas morning and his owners Robin Hendrickson and Erik Brandsness took him to an Animal Emergency Center where it was determined he had either an abscess or a tumor. The abscess was operated and scans revealed a bulge behind Stewie’s eye that reached into his sinus cavity.

The 48.5-inch Maine Coon cat came under spot light in 2010 when the Guinness Book of World Records certified him as the longest domesticated cat, beating the previous record holder by half an inch.

Continue reading below:

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First Picture of Hybrid Shark Discovered in Australia -- Predators adapting to cope with climate change

2012-01-03T23:42:00.000-08:00

SYDNEY, Australia (Jan. 03) – The phenomenon of ‘interbreeding of two different species of sharks’ could easily be described as never-seen-before kind of occurrence. The scientists from Australia made their discovery public on Tuesday which might help them to cope with warmer waters.

A photo released today shows a hybrid black tip shark containing both common and Australian black tip DNA in Australian waters. Scientists said that they had discovered the world's first hybrid sharks in Australian waters, a potential sign the predators were adapting to cope with climate change. The mating of the local Australian black-tip shark with its global counterpart, the common black-tip, was an unprecedented discovery with implications for the entire shark world.

Jess Morgan, the head of research, said the interbreeding of the local Australian black-tip shark with its global counterpart, the common black-tip, was an extraordinary finding with implications for the whole shark family.

“This is evolution in action,” Morgan, from the University of Queensland, told AFP. “It’s very surprising because no one’s ever seen shark hybrids before, this is not a common occurrence by any stretch of the imagination,” he added further.

According to details reveled by research team; the breakthrough came under light during cataloguing work off Australia’s east coast when the team discovered that genetic findings showed certain sharks to be one species while physically they looked to be another.

Continue reading this interesting article below:

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Amazing VIDEO: Driver escaped miraculously after slipping on Russian snowy road

2011-12-23T06:30:00.000-08:00

A video footage has buzzed on the web showing a driver's face-off with certain death after almost crashing into a jack-knifing truck on a snowy road in Russia. The heart-stopping moment was captured on a video recorder installed in the car coming from opposite side.

Watch video below:

Watch Video: Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow -- "Let it Snow" - Only on Google Chrome and Firefox

2011-12-21T18:58:00.000-08:00

The Google Let it Snow feature have recently gone viral and thousands of people have searched for the “let it snow” search term that will allow you to see the feature. The Let it snow song originally written by Sammy Cahn and composed by Jule Styne 66 years ago in 1945 probably never had so many people searching for the song at the same time.

"Let it Snow" - Only on Google Chrome and Firefox

Google have also added a created a button that will allow you to clear your screen once it is frozen up completely. To clear your screen simply click on the “Blue Defrost Button” on the top right side of your screen and the snow effect will disappear.

As far as we can tell the “Let it Snow Google” Surprise is not working in Internet Explorer 9. If you cannot see the “Google Let it Snow feature” you can watch it in Google Chrome or in Firefox. Both the Google Chrome and the Firefox browsers support the Let it Snow feature.

But if you have only Microsoft's Internet Explorer then watch it here below ... Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow .....

India's Jyoti Amge: The Shortest Living Woman -- Pictures and Official Guinness World Records Video

2011-12-18T01:09:00.000-08:00

NAGPUR, India (Dec. 18) – The Guinness Book of World Records Friday named India’s Jyoti Amge as the world’s shortest living woman taking the title from American Bridgette Jordan. Jyoti Amge is just 62.8 centimeters (24.7 inches) tall, 6.2 cm shorter than 22-year old Jordan, who has held the title since September 2011.

India's Jyoti Amge: The Shortest Living Woman (Guinness World Record)

Jyoti Amge, a student from Nagpur, celebrated her 18th birthday on Friday in her native city. Amge said, “It is wonderful to celebrate my 18th birthday with a new world record, it’s like an added birthday present.” She has just passed her Class 10 exam and intends to take up acting full time.

Representatives from Guinness World Records measured her at a ceremony attended by about 30 relatives and friends in Nagpur.

Rob Molloy, official adjudicator for Guinness World Records told: “She’s 62.8 centimetres. She was measured three times over the last 24 hours as height can vary slightly according to the time of day. Doctors measured her in our presence at three different times, both standing up and lying down. We took an average.”

India's Jyoti Amge: The Shortest Living Woman (Guinness World Record)

Watch below the official video from Guinness World Records measuring and giving Jyoti Amge the plaque:

Joke of the Day -- Coca Cola Salesman's Marketing Strategy in Saudi Arabia

2011-12-15T08:09:00.000-08:00

A distressed and disappointed salesperson of Coca Cola came back from Saudi Arabia after a failed campaign to report to the headquarters.

A friend of him asked, “Why weren’t you successful with Saudis?”

The salesperson already upset with the situation replied, “When I Got posted there in Saudi Arabia, I was confident to make good grounds to achieve the sales target.”

“Then what did actually went wrong”, his friend asked curiously.

“The first and major problem for me was the language, as I didn’t know how to speak or interact in Arabic”, salesperson continued his tragic story. “Therefore, I planned to convey the message through a picture story, easily understandable for the Saudis.”

“That was really an ideal plan in the situation you were in”, his friend appreciated. “But what was the actual plan and I’m surprised why it didn’t work”, he was still confused.

Poster 1..............................................Poster 2..........................................Poster3

Salesperson said, “The whole plan comprised of three posters. The first one showing that a man was lying in the hot desert sand totally exhausted and fainting. The second one the man was shown as drinking Coca Cola and the third poster showing the man refreshed and energized after drinking Coca Cola.”

“That was really nice and workable idea, that certainly should have worked” his friend wanted him to finish quickly.

“The hell it should have!” said the salesperson. “No one told me they read from right to left!”

Amazing VIDEO: Sea Creature, Octopus, Crawled Out of Water in Search of Food

2011-11-23T23:44:00.000-08:00

Check out this video of an octopus literally crawling out of the water and dragging itself across dry land in pursuit of a meal.

Octopus walks on land, out of water

A family with a camera was lucky enough to be on the scene and captured the whole thing on video:

The video has generated almost 1.8 million views since it has been uploaded back in June 2011.

Amazing VIDEO: Charlie Bit Harry's Finger and Earned £100,000 for Their Father - Howard Davies-Carr

2011-11-15T09:29:00.000-08:00

Harry and Charlie

LONDON (Nov. 15) – No one on this planet, who knows ABC of internet, will be unaware of YouTube – the leading video sharing website.

According to media reports; a 56-seconds video uploaded by a British family has recently earned whopping £100,000 pound sterling. It seems unbelievable but it’s true. YouTube often divides, among the users, the income generated from advertising running alongside videos.

An in this case; the 42-year-old Howard Davies-Carr received 100,000 GBP who uploaded a video – Charlie bit my finger again! - of his two kids, Charlie and Harry. The video has been viewed by more that 387 million times since it was uploaded four year back.

Watch the video below and enjoy!

Academic Session 2011-12: GC University Faisalabad (GCUF) Issued Merit List for Admissions

2011-10-08T14:33:00.000-07:00

FAISALABAD: Government College University Faisalabad (GCUF) has issued merit lists for admission to its various programs under academic session 2011-12.

GCUF Issued Merit Lists for Admissions for Academic Session 2011-12

According to a spokesman of the GCUF, among these programs include MA Arabic, BBA Banking and Finance, BS Bioinformatics, MSc Botany, BS Chemistry, MSc Chemistry, BS Commerce, M.Com, BS-CS, BS-IT, BS-SE, BS Economics, BS English, BS Environmental Sciences, BS Geography, MSc Geography, BS Home Economics, MA Home Economics, MBA Industrial Management, MA Islamic Studies, BS Mathematics, MSc Mathematics, MSc Pakistan Studies, Pharm-D, MSc Physics, MPA Public Administration, MA Punjabi, MSc Sociology, BS Statistics, MSc Statistics, MA Urdu, BS Zoology and MSc Zoology.

More information in this regard can be obtained form university website www.gcuf.edu.pk, he added.

NASA Satellite Falls on a Car -- 'Just for Laugh' VIDEO

2011-09-25T20:16:00.000-07:00

Today morning when I started searching updates about the fallen NASA satellite; I came across this video and can't stop myself from laughing. It’s FUNNNNY!

Everything, doesn’t matter how serious it is, can be used to entertain people in this world. The script is awesome and the expressions on the faces of people are just unbelievable.

Last but not the least the entry of NASA officials, men in black, in a big van is really dramatic to add the extra fun in this little drama.

Just watch below and enjoy!

Why You Need Your Ex Back -- Real World Tips to Win Back Your Ex

2011-09-08T10:03:00.000-07:00

The end of a relationship can be very painful for both the partners involved. Unfortunately, this is a common occurrence and most people will experience at least one breakup during the course of their lives. In some cases, the split may not be mutual and one member of the couple will want a reconciliation. The following paragraphs offer a how to get your ex back guide.

Get Your Ex Back

Before trying to reconcile with your ex partner, ask yourself why you want them back. You need to be absolutely clear in your own mind that this is what you really want before pursuing them.

After the breakup, do not be tempted to continually text and ring your ex. Do not suddenly appear in places you know they will be. Give that person the opportunity to miss you, and your company. This will give you time to consider what went wrong with the relationship.

Did you take that person for granted, or did they take you for granted. Did you ignore their complaints about the relationship, or, did they ignore yours. If the relationship were to be rekindled, how would you change, how would you want them to change.

Try also to remember why that person first felt attracted to you, what they loved about you. Also ask yourself what you loved about them, what attracted you to them. When you have the answers to these questions, particularly, the ones about how you felt, where you might have gone wrong, it is time to arrange a meeting. Or, write a letter.

If writing a letter, highlight the areas in the relationship which you think you could have handled better, show that you have learnt from mistakes. Do not try to second guess your ex, ask them their opinion. Make the letter a two way process of communication, which they can respond to. If you meet with them, try to convey what you would have put in the letter.

Using a how to get your ex back guide may involve asking some probing questions of yourself. The ability to communicate well and unpick relationship problems is paramount.

Chand Raat Mubarak -- Tonight is Expected to be Chand Raat

2011-08-30T04:34:00.000-07:00

For Muslims across the globe, Eid-ul-Fitr, or Meethi (Sweet) Eid as it is known in Pakistan and India, is one of the favourite celebrations of the Muslim calendar.

1st Shawwal: Muslims Mark the End of Holy Ramadan and Celebrate Eid-ul-Fitr

Eid-ul-Fitr, is a Muslim holiday that marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan, the Islamic month of fasting. Eid is an Arabic word meaning “festivity”, while Fitr means “charity” and so the holiday symbolises the breaking of the fasting period. It is celebrated starting on the first day of the Islamic month of Shawwal.

New Dresses, Matching Shoes, Mehndi (Henna), Bangles (Churiyan) All Are Part of Eid and Chand Raat Festivities

Festival before Eid-ul-Fitr – Chand Raat:

'Chand Raat' is considered to be the eve of Eid Moon or the night of the sighting of the new moon. The term Chand Raat refers to the evening on which first lunar crescent of the month of Shawwal is sighted. Chand Raat (pre-Eid night) is celebrated as a very special occasion by Muslims all over the world.

Chand Raat: A Festival Night Before Eid-ul-Fitr

Chand Raat (pre-Eid night) is a multicultural Islamic celebration/event. Chand Raat which means 'night of the moon ' in the Urdu language marks the end of Ramadan and the start of month of Shawwal and Eid-ul-Fitr falls on 1st of Shawwal (10th month of Islamic/lunar calendar).

To Read More ........ Click Below:

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Eid-ul-Fitr 2011 (1432 AH): Happy Eid to All -- Short Video Documentary About Eid al-Fitr

2011-08-30T02:40:00.000-07:00

Eid ul-Fitr is one of the most significant festivals among the Muslims. It marks the end of the month of Ramazan also known as Ramadan, the month of fasting. In Arabic language Eid means festivity. Eid ul-Fitr means Festival of Breaking the Fast. This festival falls on the first day of the month of Shawwal, which is the tenth month according to the Islamic Calendar.

Eid ul-Fitr 2011 (1432 AH)

Eid ul Fitr is a unique festival. It has no connection with any historical event nor is it related to the changes of seasons or cycles of agriculture. It is not a festival related in any way to worldly affairs. Its significance is purely spiritual. It is the day when the Muslims thank Allah (SWT) for having given them the will, the strength and the endurance to observe fast and obey His commandment during the holy month of Ramadan.

Hazrat Anas (ra), a companion of prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) reported that when the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) migrated from Makkah to Madinah, the people of Madinah used to have two festivals. On those two days they had carnivals and festivity. Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) asked the Ansaar (the Muslims of Madinah) about it. They replied that before Islam they used to have carnivals on those two joyous days. The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) told them: 'Instead of those two days, Allah has appointed two other days which are better, the days of Eid-al-Fitr and Eid-al-Adha.' (Hadith)

Watch a short documentary video below:

Alvida Ramadan Kareem - Eid-ul-Fitr (Meethi/Choti Eid) will be celebrated tomorrow in Pakistan

2011-08-29T18:30:00.000-07:00

For Muslims across the globe, Eid-ul-Fitr, or Meethi (Sweet) Eid as it is known in Pakistan and India, is one of the favourite celebrations of the Muslim calendar.

Happy Eid to All ..

If not impossible then it is very rare that majority of the Muslims across the globe celebrating Eid ul-Fitr on the same day and this rarity is just about to happen this year.

Reportedly, astronomical data hints that there is a possibility for sighting the new moon of Shawwal, 1432 AH in Pakistan on the evening of August 30, stated Pakistan Meteorological Office.

On the other hand; the Islamic Crescent Observation Project (ICOP) is expecting that Eid-ul-Fitr this year will be celebrated in most of the Muslim countries on August 31 (Wednesday), a UAE-based newspaper reported. Although ICOP excluded few Muslim countries from this assumption based on the starting of Ramadan in these countries on August 1, including some countries in the Middle East, north and central Asia and northern Africa; but even then most of the Muslims will be celebrating Eid ul-Fitr on the same day, Wednesday (August 31).

To continue reading .......... the link is given below:

Welcome to My World

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2011-07-30T03:17:00.001-07:00

Faisalabad Board (BISE, Faisalabad) Likely to Announce Matric (Class 9th/Class 10th) Results Tomorrow (Thursday/July 21, 2011)

2011-07-19T23:48:00.000-07:00

Faisalabad Board Matric Result for the Year 2010-11 Expected Tomorrow (Thursday/July 21, 2011)

Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education (BISE, Faisalabad), Faisalabad is likely to announce the annual results of Matric (Class 9 and Class 10) tomorrow (Thursday.July 21, 2011).

Earlier it was rumoured that the results of 9th class will be delayed up to August 4, 2011; but later on the authorities in the Faisalabad Board (BISE, Faisalabad) decided to release the result of class 9 and class 10 at the same time.

HSSC results of Faisalabad Board will be available online tomorrow at 10:00 am in the morning on the links provided after the jump.

Result page can ask only your roll number to be entered and it gives your all detailed data of your result. When you will click the given link below; the website of Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education (BISE, Faisalabad), Faisalabad will be opened as shown below:

Matric Result of Faisalabad Board (BISE, Faisalabad) will be online tomorrow (Thursday/July 21 2011)

Click for Matric Results of Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education (BISE, Faisalabad), Faisalabad

Check out the details regarding Other boards:

Shandur Festival 2011 - - Began Today at the World’s Highest Polo Ground

2011-07-07T10:26:00.000-07:00

Shandur Fesival 2011 Began Today

The annual Shandur polo festival kicked off today which has attracted large number of tourists after many years of tourism slump due to security concerns in the whole region.

Syed Mehdi Shah, Chief Minister of Gilgit-Baltistan, inaugurated the event while Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani would be chief guest at the concluding session.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Barrister Masood Kausar, Information Minister Mian Iftikhar Hussain and Sports Minister Syed Aqil Shah besides other ministers and lawmakers would also attend the event.

Chief Minister Ameer Haider Khan Hoti on behalf of TCKP and people of the province had already invited the newly-wed royal couple, Prince William and Princess Kate Middleton, to watch the final of the polo tournament.

Continue Reading .................. Welcome to My World

Picture/Photo Gallery: Amazing Hand Painting (Handimals) by Guido Daniele

2011-06-30T04:38:00.001-07:00

Amazing Hand Painting (Handimals) by Guido Daniele

The Hand Paintings in the gallery below, dubbed "Handimals", are created by exceptionally talented Italian artist, Guido Daniele.

Guido Daniele was born in Soverato (CZ - Italy) and now lives and works in Milan.

From 1964 to 1968 he attended Brera artistic High School. He graduated from Brera School of Arts (major in sculpturing) in 1972.

He lived in India since 1972 to 1974 where he attended the Tankas school in Dharamsala.

Guido Daniele first got the idea of painting on human hands after an advertising agency hired him to do some body paintings of animals. After researching how best to paint animals onto hands he created his first ‘‘handimal’’, that of the cheetah, shown above. Daniele notes that the hardest part is watching his creations being washed down the drain at the end of the painting day.

In 1990 he added a new artistic experience to his previous ones: using the body painting technique. He creates and paints models’ bodies for different situations such as advertising pictures and commercials, fashion events and exhibitions. His personal artistic research has recently led him to the combination of the two traditional portrait techniques, which are photography and oil painting, laid on photographic support in the same way as Jan Saudek.

See The Gallery Below:

Amazing Hand Painting (Handimals) by Guido Daniele

For more exclusive masterpieces of Guido Daniele >>>>>>. CLICK HERE.

Shandur Polo Festival, Chitral - - History and Background of the Game of Kings

2011-06-03T07:26:00.001-07:00

Polo - - The King of Games and The Game of Kings

Polo in Pakistan:

The sport of free style polo had its beginnings in Baltistan Northern Area of Pakistan. Baltistan's princely kingdoms adopted the sport and made it their own, with their natural proclivity for riding. Kingdoms kept special stables for polo ponies, and their teams included among the very best in the world. Very often, the players were the rulers and members of their families, though their armies also encouraged the sport. In fact, if the sport has a presence in the country today, it is because the former royal families have continued to provide encouragement for it.

Polo continues, as it has done for so long, to represent the pinnacle of sport, and reaffirms the special bond between horse and rider. The feelings of many of its players are epitomized by a famous verse inscribed on a stone tablet next to a polo ground in Gilgit, Pakistan: "Let others play at other things. The king of games is still the game of kings."

History of Polo:

Polo is possibly the oldest recorded team sport in known history, with the first matches being played in Persia over 2500 years ago. Initially thought to have been created by competing tribes of Central Asia, it was quickly taken up as a training method for the King’s elite cavalry. These matches could resemble a battle with up to 100 men to a side.

As mounted armies swept back and forth across this part of the world, conquering and re-conquering, polo was adopted as the most noble of pastimes by the Kings and Emperors, Shahs and Sultans, Khans and Caliphs of the ancient Persians, Arabs, Mughals, Mongols and Chinese. It was for this reason it became known across the lands as "the game of kings".

British officers themselves re-invented the game in 1862 after seeing a horsemanship exhibition in Manipur, India. The sport was introduced into England in 1869, and seven years later sportsman James Gordon Bennett imported it to the United States. After 1886, English and American teams occasionally met for the International Polo Challenge Cup. Polo was on several Olympic games schedules, but was last an Olympic sport in 1936.

Continue Reading >>>>> HERE

BA/BSc Annual Exam 2011 Date Sheet Announced by University of Punjab, Lahore

2011-03-10T23:38:00.000-08:00

BA/BSc Annual Exam 2011 date sheet announced


LAHORE : (Tuesday, March 08, 2011): Punjab University Examinations Department has issued the written and practical examination date sheet of BA/BSc Annual Examination 2011. According to the details, written exam will commence from April 7 and conclude on May 2 while practical exam will commence from May 9 and conclude on June 21, 2011. For direct view of BA/BSc Annual Exam 2011 date sheet on your PC use the link below: University of Punjab Download BA/BSc Annual Exam 2011 date sheet Download Datesheet Download BA/BSc Annual Exam 2011 date sheet (Practicals) Click here for Datesheet of Practical

Valentine's Day Special: Ten Best Quotes to Make Her Believe "You LOve Her"

2011-02-11T02:28:00.000-08:00

Tearing your hair out looking for classy Valentine's Day mobile text messages to send to the hot girl next door without sounding needy?

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner; so we need something special to share. Here are some of the most passionate lines from classic authors that will get her weak in the knees.

A list of historical love quotes:

1. Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same - Emily Bronte

2. If you live to be a hundred, I want to live to be a hundred minus one day so

I never have to live without you - A A Milne

3. But soft! What light through yonder window breaks? It is the east and Juliet is the sun – Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet

4. He was my North, my South, my East and West, My working week and my Sunday rest, My noon, my midnight, my talk, my song; I thought that love would last for ever: I was wrong - W.H. Auden

5. You know you're in love when you don't want to fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams - Dr. Seuss

6. When you fall in love, it is a temporary madness. It erupts like an earthquake, and then it subsides. And when it subsides, you have to make a decision. You have to work out whether your roots are become so entwined together that it is inconceivable that you should ever part - Captain Corelli's Mandolin

7. Grow old along with me! The best is yet to be - Robert Browning

8. For you see, each day I love you more. Today more than yesterday and less than tomorrow - Rosemonde Gerard

9. But to see her was to love her, love but her, and love her forever - Robert Burns

10. I hope before long to press you in my arms and shall shower on you a million burning kisses as under the Equator - Napoleon Bonaparte's 1796 dispatch to wife Josephine.

Valentine's Day 2011 - - The Reality of Valentine's Day in Historical, Traditional and Religious Terms

2011-02-01T03:40:00.000-08:00

Valentine's Day - - History, Traditions and Religious Views

What is Valentine's Day??

Valentine's Day is a celebration of romantic love occurring annually on February 14.

Although it is associated by legend with a Catholic saint named Valentine, Valentine's Day is not a religious holiday and never really has been. Valentine's Day has historical roots mainly in Greco-Roman pagan fertility festivals and the medieval notion that birds pair off to mate on February 14.

The custom of exchanging cards and other tokens of love on February 14 began to develop in England and France in the 14th and 15th centuries and became especially popular in the United States in the 19th and 20th centuries. Over the last decade or so, Valentine's Day observance has even spread to the Far East, India, and the Middle East.

History of Valentine's Day

The association of the middle of February with love and fertility dates to ancient times. In ancient Athens, the period between mid-January and mid-February was the month of Gamelion, which was dedicated to the sacred marriage of Zeus and Hera.

In ancient Rome, February 15 was Lupercalia, the festival of Lupercus (or Faunus), the god of fertility. As part of the purification ritual, the priests of Lupercus would sacrifice goats and a dog to the god, and after drinking wine, they would run through the streets of Rome striking anyone they met with pieces of the goat skin. Young women would come forth voluntarily for the occasion, believing that being touched by the goat skin would render them fertile. Young men would also draw names from an urn, choosing their "blind date" for the coming year. In 494 AD the Christian church under Pope Gelasius I appropriated the some aspects of the rite as the Feast of the Purification.

In Christianity, at least three different saints named Valentine or Valentinus, all of them martyrs, are mentioned in the early lives of the saints under the date of February 14. Two of the Valentines lived in Italy in the third century: one as a priest at Rome, the other as bishop of Terni. They are both said to have been martyred in Rome and buried on the Flaminian Way. A third St. Valentine was martyred in North Africa and very little else is known of him.

Several legends have developed around one or more of these Valentines, two of which are especially popular. According to one account, Emperor Claudius II outlawed marriage for all young men because he believed unmarried men made better soldiers. Valentine defied Claudius and continued to perform marriages for young couples and was put to death by the emperor for it. A related legend has Valentine writing letters from prison to his beloved, signing them "From your Valentine."

However, the connection between St. Valentine and romantic love is not mentioned in any early histories and is regarded by historians as purely a matter of legend. The feast of St. Valentine was first declared to be on February 14 by Pope Gelasius I around 498. It is said the pope created the day to counter the practice held on Lupercalia, but this is not attested in any sources from that era.

The first recorded association of St. Valentine's Day with romantic love was in the 14th century in England and France, where it was believed that February 14 was the day on which birds paired off to mate. Thus we read in Geoffrey Chaucer's (c. 1343-1400) Parliament of Fowls, believed to be the first Valentine's Day poem:

For this was on saint Valentine's day,
When every fowl comes there to choose his mate.

It became common during that era for lovers to exchange notes on Valentine's Day and to call each other their "Valentines." The first Valentine card was sent by Charles, duke of Orleans, to his wife in 1415 when he was a prisoner in the Tower of London. Valentine's Day love notes were often given anonymously. It is probable that many of the legends about St. Valentine developed during this period (see above). By the 1700s, verses like "Roses are red, violets are blue" became popular. By the 1850s, romantics in France began embellishing their valentine cards with gilt paper, ribbons and lace.

Valentine's Day was probably imported into North America in the 19th century with settlers from Britain. In the United States, the first mass-produced valentines of embossed paper lace were produced and sold shortly after 1847 by Esther A. Howland (1828 - 1904) of Worcester, Massachusetts. Her father operated a large book and stationery store, and she took her inspiration from an English valentine she had received.

In the 19th century, relics of St. Valentine were donated by Pope Gregory XVI to the Whitefriar Street Carmelite Church in Dublin, Ireland, which has become a popular place of pilgrimage on February 14.

But in 1969, as part of a larger effort to pare down the number of saint days of legendary origin, the Church removed St. Valentine's Day as an official holiday from its calendar.

Read rest of the article >>>>>>>>>>> Here

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Mad's World

Viral Video: 18-month-old Jamie Myska-Buddell showing amazing Table Tennis/Ping Pong Skills

Video Gone Viral: Three-year-old Sofia Walker faces wild lion bravely at Wellington zoo, New Zealand

World Record Holder 'Stewie': The Celebrity Cat Faces Cancer

First Picture of Hybrid Shark Discovered in Australia -- Predators adapting to cope with climate change

Amazing VIDEO: Driver escaped miraculously after slipping on Russian snowy road

Watch Video: Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow -- "Let it Snow" - Only on Google Chrome and Firefox

Top 5 Viral Videos of 2011 -- Includes Ted Williams, Sergio Flores, Sophia Grace Brownlee, Jorge and Alexa Narvaez, Rebecca Black

India's Jyoti Amge: The Shortest Living Woman -- Pictures and Official Guinness World Records Video

Joke of the Day -- Coca Cola Salesman's Marketing Strategy in Saudi Arabia

Amazing VIDEO: Sea Creature, Octopus, Crawled Out of Water in Search of Food

Amazing VIDEO: Charlie Bit Harry's Finger and Earned £100,000 for Their Father - Howard Davies-Carr

Academic Session 2011-12: GC University Faisalabad (GCUF) Issued Merit List for Admissions

NASA Satellite Falls on a Car -- 'Just for Laugh' VIDEO

Why You Need Your Ex Back -- Real World Tips to Win Back Your Ex

Chand Raat Mubarak -- Tonight is Expected to be Chand Raat

Eid-ul-Fitr 2011 (1432 AH): Happy Eid to All -- Short Video Documentary About Eid al-Fitr

Alvida Ramadan Kareem - Eid-ul-Fitr (Meethi/Choti Eid) will be celebrated tomorrow in Pakistan

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Faisalabad Board (BISE, Faisalabad) Likely to Announce Matric (Class 9th/Class 10th) Results Tomorrow (Thursday/July 21, 2011)

Check out the details regarding Other boards:

Shandur Festival 2011 - - Began Today at the World’s Highest Polo Ground

Picture/Photo Gallery: Amazing Hand Painting (Handimals) by Guido Daniele

Shandur Polo Festival, Chitral - - History and Background of the Game of Kings

Polo - - The King of Games and The Game of Kings

BA/BSc Annual Exam 2011 Date Sheet Announced by University of Punjab, Lahore

Valentine's Day Special: Ten Best Quotes to Make Her Believe "You LOve Her"

Valentine's Day 2011 - - The Reality of Valentine's Day in Historical, Traditional and Religious Terms

Valentine's Day - - History, Traditions and Religious Views

What is Valentine's Day??

History of Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day Celebration in Pakistan - - Become a Tradition More Than An Event in Pakistan