How Valentine’s Day is celebrated around the world: traditions in different countries
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Every February, people are divided into those who look forward to Valentine’s Day and those who look forward to February 15th. For some, this is a reason to think – why am I alone? Others are looking for the “pluses” of their loneliness. Some believe that this holiday was invented by companies that produce greeting cards, while others, on the contrary, are sure: this day is for reminding one more time about your feelings. It seems to some that it is possible to give gifts and confess love on other days, and there are those who get married precisely on Valentine’s Day. There are as many opinions surrounding this holiday as there are traditions to follow on Valentine’s Day. “Ukrainian Pravda. Life” found out how February 14 is celebrated in different countries. France Children do not exchange holiday cards here, and they do not give gifts to colleagues or friends. In France, February 14 is dedicated only to adults and people in love. French couples give each other chocolates, flowers, jewelry, and rarely alcohol. The evening on Valentine’s Day traditionally ends with a romantic dinner. On February 14, some Parisian museums and parks hold special events, and many restaurants offer a festive menu for Valentine’s Day. For those who want to make the evening special, there are many cabarets in Paris that organize special shows on the occasion of the holiday. Slovakia A “love bank” was created here for Valentine’s Day. It was placed in the museum dedicated to the world’s longest love poem – in Marina’s House in the city of Banska Shtiavnytsia. Maria Pishlova, the lover of the Slovak romantic poet Andrii Sladkovich, lived in the premises. In 1846, the man dedicated to her the poem “Marina”, which has 2910 lines. On Valentine’s Day, February 14, lovers come here and can “save” their love forever by leaving photos, love letters, rings or movie tickets from the first date. Especially for this storage contains 100 thousand tiny drawers. There is also a “love meter” in the museum, which supposedly measures the strength of a couple’s love. Lovers hold hands or kiss, while the other hand holds a special pen that measures the level of feelings in their bodies. As a result, the couple receives their poem from Marina. Photo: Marína House India The Indian government has urged people to abandon Valentine’s Day traditions and dedicate the day to cows. February 14 has been declared the Day of Hugging Cows – people are encouraged to pick up and hug animals. The country’s government made such a proposal, adding that hugging a cow “will bring emotional wealth” and “increase individual and collective happiness.” Thus, they want to minimize the influence of “Western civilization”, which, according to government officials, has increased, despite the ancient traditions of India. Cows are sacred in Hinduism, which is practiced by most of India’s population. These animals are considered sacred throughout the country. Before that, on February 14, Hindu nationalists took to the streets of cities to oppose the holiday of love. An active campaign to ban this Valentine’s Day is also underway in social networks, the users of which are active young people. In 2015, a far-right Hindu political party threatened to force the marriage of people who express their feelings publicly. According to the punishment, the impromptu wedding should be followed by a public celebration. Denmark Here there is a tradition called Gækkebreve, which in translation means “a letter with a snowdrop”. It is usually a romantic poem written on hand-cut paper, where the sender’s name is encrypted with dots. Photo: Isabellas Traditionally, a snowball is added to the letter. The addressee must decode the letters of the name to find out his secret admirer, and if he succeeds, the sender must remind him of himself on Easter Sunday – give him an Easter egg. Indonesia Here, Valentine’s Day is believed to encourage young people to have casual sex, so authorities in Indonesia’s Muslim-majority regions have banned it. At the same time, the country is home to significant Christian and Hindu minorities, and more than 220 million Muslims practice a moderate form of Islam. Therefore, in the capital of the country Jakarta and other cities where Valentine’s Day has become popular, on February 14 you can see festive paraphernalia. Japan and South Korea In the countries of East Asia, February 14 is the main men’s holiday. On this day, women present various chocolate figurines to male colleagues and friends. And for the closest ones, they make them themselves. Giri choco and honmei choco, for example, are the most popular gifts in Japan. The first is given to colleagues and friends, and the second to a loved one. It is believed that the closer the relationship, the more chocolate should be in the gift. Photo: Getty Images Exactly one month later, these countries celebrate “White Day”, when men are supposed to greet women. According to tradition, the gift should contain white chocolate, because this color is associated with purity and innocence. Another month later, on April 14, Korea celebrates “Black Day”. It is dedicated to all those who did not receive a single gift during the previous two holidays. Singles get together and eat “black noodles”. China The holiday of February 14 has not been heard here, because the Chinese have their own Valentine’s Day. It is called the “Night of Sevens” and is celebrated on the 7th day of the 7th month of the year according to the Chinese calendar. This day is associated with the romantic legend of Nolan and Jin – their love was not blessed and the lovers were exiled to opposite banks of the river. But once a year a flock of birds formed a bridge and Nolan and Jin did meet. However, this is not the only holiday for lovers – Valentine’s Day is also celebrated on May 5, or, as the Chinese say, “520”. In translation, it sounds like “I love you”. Both of these days are not official holidays in China, but they are absolutely unique in the world. Photo: Getty Images Norway Norway has firmly incorporated Valentine’s Day into its annual calendar. It has become a big event for Norwegians, especially for the younger generation, who on the eve of the holiday are happy to buy roses, order meals, and some are even preparing to propose to their partner. There is an ancient belief that it was on this day that birds mated to give birth to offspring. And so now, if a Norwegian sees a pair of winged on Valentine’s Day, he is convinced that he has found true love. Saudi Arabia Valentine’s Day has been celebrated here since 2016. In addition, manifestations of love in public places were punished by law, and the holiday and the sale of holiday paraphernalia were prohibited. Rumor has it that there was even a black market for red roses in the country. Today, on Valentine’s Day, you can see flower shops, holiday cards, balls with hearts and other gifts on the streets of cities. Photo: Getty Images Sweden In Sweden, Valentine’s Day is called “alla hjärtans dag”, which means “the day of all hearts”. Locals love sweets, and on February 14, twice as much: Swedes exchange cakes, candies and jelly hearts. Read also: 9 mistakes of couples in love before going to bed
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