Love is a global phenomenon and Valentine’s Day is most celebrated around the world that is being enjoyed by millions of us every year as a way to express our love with gifts, chocolates, flowers and cards. It is observed that any countries where Christianity is a major denomination celebrate it the most but now it’s getting popular in rational and conservative countries of Africa and Asia to some extent but still in some Asian countries like Bangladesh, Nepal and India, people are not allowed to celebrate this day while Saudi Arabia has completely banned Valentine’s day where officials called it a sin that encourages immoral relations between unmarried people. Modern developed world celebrates Valentine’s Day in most romantic ways where shops, restaurants and even streets are decorated with hearts and other symbols of love while many people exchange cards, candy, gifts or flowers with their special “valentine.” This day is considered as best days for lovers to celebrate the sweetness of love by expressing emotions, marriage proposal, dating, and giving presents to their sweetheart Customs associated with the lover’s day and the ways of celebration differ from place to place and from country to country. To know more about how Valentine’s Day is celebrated around the world, here’s a selection:
Australia
Aussies celebrate their V-day with much pomp and warmth. The country has tradition of lavish Valentine’s Day cards that traces back its origin to the gold rush in the Ballarat Mine in Victoria. About 90 % of the people in the age group of 18-24 celebrate the day by presenting cards and flowers to loved ones.
America
Valentine’s Day is not a public holiday but it is an extremely special day in which feelings of love and appreciation extend beyond couples. People not only express love to sweethearts and spouses, but also to teachers, parents and friends. The children also give candy and small Valentine’s Day cards to their classmates. Dinner and dance parties are commonly arranged all over the country to catch the true feeling of the day. Many couples enjoy private parties at homes or restaurants and exchange gifts and flowers, a box of candy, or some other present to one another. Greetings are exchanged via E-cards and online valentine day gift shopping sites are getting popular in United States.
United Kingdom
In the UK it’s the most romantic day of the year in which some people goes beyond ordinary celebration of exchanging flowers and chocolates and try something different like helicopter flight, a balloon ride, the chance to test-drive a Ferrari, an all-day session at a health club. Valentine’s cards are often sent anonymously in the UK, so the recipients find out they have secret admirers. Different regions of the nation celebrate their own customs to honor this day, although the sending of cards and gifts of flowers and chocolates is standard form of greeting throughout the entire country. All over Britain, children sing favorite romantic tracks or love ballads related to the occasion and are rewarded with gifts like candy, fruit or money
Denmark
Most greeting involved transparent lover cards which reflected the picture of a love when expose to light. Another Danish Valentine’s Day custom is to send pressed white flowers called Snowdrops to friends. Celebration via live concerts and flower displays are also part of this special day. People book party halls and restaurants for the celebration with their Valentine.
France
Paris, “The city of love” is practically the world capital of Valentine’s Day, as couples from around the globe come here to celebrate this day. Storekeepers adorn their shop fronts with hearts, roses and Cupid’s angels to lure people. Valentine’s Day custom called ‘drawing for’ in which Unmarried individuals, both young and not so young, would go into houses facing each other and begin calling out across from one window to another, pairing-off with the chosen partner.
Germany
Most Germans celebrates this day with their sweethearts and presents flowers in customary ways. You can find here little twist to customary greeting. A pig, symbol of luck and sometime lust, that offering flowers or others lying down on chocolate hearts is also given to their beloved.
Italy
To celebrate Valentine’s day, Italians give each other flowers, plan romantic dinners and present each other with chocolates. It was originally celebrated as a Spring Festival, held in the open air, where young people would gather in tree arbors or ornamental gardens to listen to music and the reading of poetry. Romantic dinners and exchanging gifts is part of celebrating wonder of love. Tradition of giving chocolate to lover is also common with believes that the bigger the chocolate, the stronger the love you will have. Valentine’s day is seen here earmarked solely for lovers, and hence, family members and friends do not exchange gifts.
Japan
In Japan, Valentine’s Day is celebrated on two different dates, February 14 and March 14. On the first date, the female gives a gift to the male and on the second date known as White Day, the male has to return the gift he received on February 14. On February 14th, girls give dark chocolate to the boys they like. On March 14th, boys give cookies or white chocolate to the girls they like. Gifting chocolates is a popular way across the country to celebrate Valentine day but it’s also normal for women to give chocolates to any man close to them, such as co-workers and male friends, whom they don’t actually love. Girls give the traditional “Giri Choco” to their male friends, colleagues or even bosses with no romantic association and boys must return the gift with chocolates and more.
Korea
Korea has undergone a high degree of westernization in recent years. As in Japan, Korean females give chocolates and candies to males on Valentine’s day as a sign of affection and the favor is returned the same way by the men on March 14, which is called to as “White Day”. Many stores set up large displays of chocolate and chocolate candies to catch attraction of people on this day.
Scotland
For Valentine’s Day in Scotland, people give or send cards to their loved ones with special Valentine messages. These cards are popularly known as “Valentines” and are often sent anonymously. According to another Scottish custom, the first young man or woman came across by chance on the street or elsewhere will become that individual’s valentine. Gifts in Scotland are frequently given by both parties in the form of a love-token and true-love-knot.
Spain
Spain is deemed as one of the most romantic country of the world. Spanish leave no stone unturned to make their partner feel special and pampered in this way, on Valentine’s Day as well. Huge blossoms of bright colorful flowers, heart shaped chocolates and other gifts of love are presented to their beloved. It is customary for courting couples to exchange gifts on Valentine’s Day and for husbands to send their wives bouquets of roses. In Spain only people in love get and give presents. Friends or family don’t exchange notes or presents.
Taiwan
Taiwan, world famous for its flowers, has the most romantic celebration in the world. Here the men are likely to give bouquets of flowers to their beloved one. The color and number of flowers is also very important since it gives particular message. Many men buy extravagant bouquets of roses and other flowers for their sweethearts on Valentine’s day.
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