Valentine’s Day is a holiday ingrained in American culture. It’s a day of “I love you”s and pink bouquets, where young couples walk hand in hand with no purpose but to be with the other. But a holiday based around love is not just found here; Valentine’s Day has many variations all over the world.
Europe
Europe is full of diverse ways to celebrate Valentine’s Day, from wine-drinking to exchanging wooden spoons. Some even celebrate it on different days. The Czech Republic celebrates Valentine’s Day on May 1 and Wales celebrates it on January 25.
Paris is known as the city of love, so it’s no question that France takes the holiday seriously. According to Richland Library, Valentine’s cards started in France with the Duke of Orleans sending a love letter to his wife from jail.
Saint-Valentin is even the name of a town in Loire Valley, France. They have the Lovers’ Garden, the Willow of Hearts and the Tree of Eternal Hearts, where lovers swear to be forever faithful. The village hosts a three-day celebration full of weddings and other events.
In Italy, a tradition for unmarried women is to wake up before sunrise because allegedly, the first man they see will become their husband. Today many put padlocks on bridges and railings to cement their love. The famed city of Verona, known as the setting for Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet,” has its celebration, “Verona in Love,” to mark Valentine’s Day.
Asia
On Valentine’s Day, Japan pushes women to gift the men in their lives with chocolates. There are two types: giri choco, for platonic relationships, and honmei choco, for romantic relationships. One month later on White Day, men are expected to return the gift with marshmallows. Today there is a third category of chocolate: jibun choco, or “myself chocolate.”
Korea essentially celebrates Valentine’s the same way, with White Day following. However, there is also a third day known as Black Day, where singles who did not receive gifts gather with other single friends to enjoy jjajangmyeon or black bean noodles. It is not as heavily advertised or widespread as Valentine’s Day and White Day.
In China, Qixi Festival is the equivalent of Valentine’s Day. It is celebrated on the seventh day of the seventh month of the lunar calendar and centers around The Cowherd and the Weaver Girl, a pair of star-crossed lovers who meet once a year across a bridge of magpies.
Africa
Africa celebrates Valentine’s Day similarly to Western countries. In South Africa, people try to find out their secret admirers and girls pin the name’s of their lovers onto their sleeve, which is a Lupercalian tradition.
Ghana changes the holiday to National Chocolate Day. It is “the world’s largest producer of cocoa” and promotes their chocolate for tourism. There are all sorts of chocolate-related activities on the day. By celebrating chocolate instead, Ghana puts an emphasis on gift-giving with the sweet treat.
Latin America
Latin America has many unique traditions for Valentine’s Day. For example, in Colombia, a game called amigo secreto o amigo invisible is played. Among a group of friends, coworkers and such, everyone randomly gets assigned a friend and must give them little gifts leading up to Valentine’s Day.
In Perú, the flower of love is orchids rather than roses. Meanwhile, Argentina celebrates Valentine’s Day twice. They celebrate the same Valentine’s Day as the U.S., but in July, they celebrate the Semana de la Dulzura or Sweet Week, where sweets are exchanged for kisses.
Brazil celebrates romance on a completely different day: Dia dos Namorados or Lovers Day on June 12. It is celebrated for a different saint, St. Anthony, who blessed young couples with healthy marriages.
Love is a universal experience, whether platonic, familial or romantic. Almost every country has a time for it, whether Valentine’s Day or something different. After Valentine’s Day, you can learn about all the different ways it is celebrated, whether with cards, chocolates or orchids.
