Valentines Day Around the World
Most people know what holiday falls on February 14: Valentine’s Day! In America, this means the exchanging of heart shaped chocolate, cards, and the sharing of love. It is a holiday known for its red and pink streamers and balloons. This is not the case for every country. Here are a few that celebrate Valentine’s Day in a unique way.
Denmark
In Denmark, the men give the women fun, rhyming, love notes. Instead of putting a name they draw dots representing the amount of letters in the sender’s name. If the girl guesses the correct boy, the boy owes her an Easter Egg at Easter. If the girl guesses the boy incorrectly than she owes him an easter egg.
France
Many people know that France is known for its romantic nature. From the Valentine’s cards to the chocolates, France has it all. What not many realize is that Valentine’s Day use to be celebrated in a much different fashion. Women would call out the window to the man she loved who was located in a house across the street from the one she was in. If the man shared her affection, they would pair off and celebrate Valentine’s Day in a romantic and fun way. Women who were rejected got together and warmed their broken hearts over a bonfire. Women fed the bonfire with all the things that reminded them of the boy who had rejected them, while gossiping with their friends. Clearly, this would get a bit out of hand, so the government had to ban the tradition from France.
Wales
In Wales, February 14th is not the special holiday of love. In fact, it isn’t a holiday at all. Instead, on January 25th, they celebrate their own version of Valentines Day. Instead of the romantic roses and love cards, they send wooden spoons. Welsh men carve wooden spoons and give them to their wives, girlfriends, or crush to signify their love. This tradition is sprung from the belief that Welsh soldiers carved wooden spoons to bring back to their loved ones after war.
Japan
Japan contradicts the popular stereotype of men giving women the chocolate and roses. Honmei-choco is the chocolate that women give to the men. The women have come up with many superstitious as to how the chocolate should be made. One of these being that if you bought it pre-made and gave it to your loved one, then it wasn’t a sign of true love. In Japan, they also celebrate love again on March 14, or known as White Day. This contributes to the traditional thought of Valentine’s Day. On this day, the men shower the women with chocolates and white things, hence the name “White Day”.
Many places do many different kinds of things, but most of them celebrate love and happiness in one form or another. Whether you are in France burning effigies, or are in the US writing love notes, Valentine’s Day is a day to be remembered.
