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The Legend of St. Valentine Where did Valentine’s Day originate from? The history of the holiday—and the story of its patron saint—is shrouded in mystery. We do know that February has long been celebrated as a month of romance and that St. Valentine’s Day, as we know it today, contains vestiges of both Christian and ancient Roman traditions. But who was Saint Valentine, and how did he become associated with this ancient rite? Photo: Getty Images The Catholic Church recognizes at least three different saints named Valentine or Valentinus, all of whom were martyred. One legend contends that Valentine was a priest who served during the third century in Rome. When Emperor Claudius II decided that single men made better soldiers than those with wives and families, he outlawed marriage for young men. Valentine, realizing the injustice of the decree, defied Claudius and continued to perform marriages for young lovers in secret. When Valentine’s actions were discovered, Claudius...

Products are made from bamboo of the Van Kieu ethnic group in Chenh Venh village, Huong Phung commune, Huong Hoa district. Source: Quang Tri newspaper The Association of Smallholder Forest Certification Groups of Quang Tri (SFCG) and the Medical Committee Netherlands-Vietnam (MCNV) jointly held a closing workshop for the project “Promoting sustainable partnerships between CSOs and enterprises for sustainable forestry management in the context of climate change” (PROSPER project). PROSPER project was co-funded by the European Union (EU) and MCNV with total value of EUR 800,000 (USD 898,000), February 2020 – February 2023 period, aiming to promote sustainable partnership between CSOs and enterprises for sustainable forest management in the context of climate change. In Vietnam, sustainable forest management (SFM) and forest certification ( FSC) are two among five areas of the global and national Action Plan of Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation (R...

Nga made a stunning performance in the semi-final night and received the “Mother of the Universe” sub-title which recognised her contribution to charity projects, especially those fighting against domestic violence. The woman hailing from Ho Chi Minh City stands at 1.68 metres tall. She is a famous businesswoman in the jewelry and gemstone field and has made many contributions to charity activities that benefit society. She was crowned Mrs Universe Vietnam 2022 and went on to represent the country to compete in the international beauty pageant. Mrs Universe was first held in 2007, with the beauty contest becoming one of the biggest pageants for married women, attracting many contestants worldwide. The pageant aims to promote friendship and international understanding among contestants throughout the globe. Mrs Universe 2022 got underway in Bulgaria from January 30 to February 5, drawing 100 contestants from across the world. This year marks the first time that Vietnam has sen...

A session of the UNESCO Intergovernmental Committee of the 2005 Convention for the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions on February 10, 2023. Photo: VNA Vietnam has been elected vice chair of the 24-member UNESCO Intergovernmental Committee of the 2005 Convention for the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions, representing the Asia-Pacific region, as part of the committee’s 16th session, VOV reported Saturday. Taking place in Paris from February 7-10, the 16th session saw the participation of nearly 400 delegates and observers from all member nations and nearly 100 other countries, international and cultural organizations. Ambassador Le Thi Hong Van, head of the Permanent Delegation of Vietnam to UNESCO, emphasized that taking on this post for the second time continues to demonstrate Vietnam’s increasing position and prestige in the international arena; and the international community’s support for and trust in the ...

The Mo Muong folk performance ritual, which is closely related to the daily life of the Muong ethnic group in the mountainous northwest districts of Ba Vi, Thach That, and Quoc Oai in Hanoi, has been recognized as a national intangible cultural heritage by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. The uniqueness of Mo Muong Ritual  A  Thay Mo , or shaman is practicing the Mo Muong Ritual. Photo: Quan doi Nhan dan Newspaper According to Vietnamese folklore researcher Dang Hoanh Loan, Mo Muong Ritual is considered a precious cultural heritage of the Muong ethnic group that is in danger of being lost. “This art form is usually performed by Thay Mo , or shamans, who play an important role in the spiritual life of the Muong ethnic group in northern Vietnam,” he explained. “It is believed that Muong people will be protected and blessed by their ancestors through Mo Muong rites on important occasions such as childbirth ceremonies, building a house, or fune...

The Central Committee of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union on Saturday cooperated with the Party Committee and the People’s Committee of Hoa Binh Province in northern Vietnam to launch the Tet tree planting movement. At the launching ceremony, Huy informed that young people nationwide would plant 1.9 million trees on the day. In Hoa Binh alone, young people planted 30,000 trees. This is the first step to realize the target of planting 100 million trees in 2022 – 27, heading toward the prime minister’s plan to cultivate 100 million trees. Huy also asked each young person to plant, take care of, and protect at least a tree in their workplaces, schools, and residences. He required the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union at all levels to come up with solutions to apply technology and digital transformation to counting and managing trees. Speaking at the ceremony, chairman of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee Do Van Chien said the ...