Valentines day is only 10 days of weeks away and soon Essex’s finest restaurants will be filled with love hearts enjoying a romantic evening. But, have you ever stopped to consider what sort of romantic traditions other people follow around the world?
Whether you still consider Valentine’s Day an opportunity to celebrate your loved one or you are convinced that this holiday has become a commercialised event, there are unique Valentine’s Day traditions from around the world that will bring back the charm of this most romantic of days. Here are 7 ways to celebrate the 14th of February that you might not know about!
South Korea
The celebrations of Valentine’s Day in this Asian country can be quite a complicated affair! It all starts on the 14th of February when, traditionally, women gift their partner and friends with a present.
Usually, this consists of a box of chocolate to show their affection. The nicer the package and the product is, the greater the love displayed! This can make February 14th quite an expensive day for ladies.
A month later on the 14th of March it is the turn of men to get a present for their loved ones. By the nationally recognised Rule of Three, they have to spend three times as much as what had been spent on their gift!
Bulgaria
Bulgaria’s V-Day celebrations are utterly unique! In fact, by visiting at this time of the year, you will notice that everything seems like a classic valentine’s day in other countries: hearts, flowers, and teddy bears decorate storefronts, houses, and televisions add alike.
However, if you look more attentively, you will notice that this holiday coincides with the much more Bulgarian Winemaker’s Day! Some of the best customs of this day include pruning the vines.
Then the village gets together for a banquette in which the locally produced wine is unmissable. Here, collectively, the village crowns the best winemaker of the year!
Estonia
In Estonia, Valentine’s Day is called Sobrapaev, which can be translated as “Friendship Day.” It is indeed a celebration of love, but not limited to your partner.
On this day, all kinds of love are honoured: for parents, siblings, daughters and sons, friends, family, and partners alike. On this day, flowers and gift cards are exchanged, and there is always a local festival happening near you!
Philippines
The Philippines takes Valentine’s Day to a whole other level! V-Day here is indeed a celebration of love for your partners but, instead of gifting each other with chocolate boxes and flowers, lovers get married!
It is not uncommon to see one of these mass-weddings celebrations taking place in each town. For the couples that did not manage to get married on this day, this is also the day of proposals.
Denmark and Norway
These Nordic countries have unique traditions all their own. Here, on Valentine’s Day, men send little rhyming notes of short poems to their partner or lover.
These notes, also called Gaekkebrev, are sent anonymously, but with a hint about the name of the sender. If the girl guesses the name, the men will send her an Easter egg on Easter that year; if she fails, she owes him one!
Ghana
If you are a chocolate lover, book a flight to Ghana today! Here Valentine’s Day is the sweetest and most delicious holiday of the year: Chocolate Day!
Being one of the largest cocoa producers in the world, Ghana makes the best use of its mouthwatering product. Here in February, everything is chocolate-themed: drinks, menus, dishes, and exhibitions.
Wales
Wales boasts one of the oldest Valentine’s Day traditions in the world, which started in the 16th century. Here the celebrations of love happen on January 25th, and they are called the Day of San Dwynwen.
On this day, lovers exchange handcrafted, detailed, and utterly beautiful wooden spoons as a symbol of their everlasting love.
Regardless of how you are planning on doing it, celebrating your love for your partner, friends, and family makes Valentine’s a unique holiday.
How are you going to spend Valentine’s Day this year? Let us know by leaving a comment below!
