How the World Celebrates Valentine’s Day

Valentine’s Day is one of the most celebrated occasions in the world. It’s the season of beautiful bouquets, chocolates and special gifts. On this day, people go all out to express their love and affection for their special someone, family, friends and everyone close to their hearts. Compared to other days, it is on this occasion that same day flower delivery service is at an all-time high.

With all that craze, it’s easy to tell that the day of hearts truly is an interesting event.

Ever wondered how Valentine’s Day is celebrated in other parts of the world?

Apart from the usual flowers and gifts, other countries commemorate the day of love in their own special ways. With only about a month to go, let’s get a glimpse at different Valentine’s Day celebrations around the world.

FRANCE

To start off, France. The country has earned the reputation of being the most romantic place in the world. After all, it has Paris, the City of Love, it’s basically the world capital of Valentine’s Day. Many couples from all over the world feel that France is the best place to spend quality time with each other.

On Valentine’s Day, lovers exchange cards and love letters – an age old tradition claimed to have originated from France. According to history, the Duke of Orleans wrote the very first Valentine’s card signing his poem as “Your Valentine.”

ITALY

Italians are noted for their classiness. It’s only right that they celebrate love day in classic style. In Italy, Valentine’s Day is celebrated with no less than a spring festival. Couples come together to celebrate the sweet occasion by enjoying live music, listening to poetry and exchanging gifts.

The Italians have an old tradition and according to such tradition, the first man a woman sees on Valentine’s Day will become her husband and they will marry within a year.

GERMANY

Valentine celebrations are quite popular among locals in Germany but not as highly commercialised as in other countries. On this special day, lovers exchange heart-shaped gifts, flowers and chocolates. What makes their celebration more interesting is the exchange of an unusual gift – a pig. For the locals, the pig symbolises luck and lust. It can be given in various forms like pictures, miniature statues and even chocolate. In addition, Germans bake ginger cookies shaped like hearts containing romantic messages.

UNITED STATES

The day of hearts is an extremely popular occasion in the United States that it’s even celebrated as a holiday. People buy flowers online and in flower shops in the US. An estimated 190 million cards are sent every year on Valentine’s Day and that’s excluding the millions of cards that school children exchange.

For Americans, this special day is not only a time to express love but also gratitude. They spend time to thank parents, friends, teachers and anyone dear to them. Some people host intimate dinners and parties. Children, most especially, celebrate the day with much enthusiasm creating handmade gifts and cards.

AUSTRALIA

In the Land Down Under, Valentine’s Day is a highly celebrated occasion. In fact, the country has a history of grand celebrations on this romantic occasion. During the gold rush period in Australia, miners gained a lot of money from the Ballarat Mines and because of their wealth, they could afford to send extravagant Valentine’s gifts.

Just like most parts of the world, V-Day is all about giving cards, special gifts and beautifully-arranged flowers in Australia. Australians, young and old, celebrate the day with gestures of love and affection and bonding with family, loved ones, friends, neighbours and colleagues.

UNITED KINGDOM

Valentines celebrations in the United Kingdom vary from region to region. Apart from the traditional giving flowers and gifts, children all over the country sing special songs and they are rewarded with money, candy or fruits. The baking of Valentine buns is another popular tradition observed in some areas. These special buns have plums, raisins and caraway seeds. The composition of verses is also a notable Valentine’s Day tradition in Britain. Before the love month arrives, magazines and leading papers publish verses and sonnets in commemoration of the special day.

BRAZIL

Brazil is known for its huge parties. Their world-famous Carnival runs the entire month of February and March which means Valentine’s Day will coincide with the festivities. Brazilians have a local equivalent to the day of love, “dia dos enamorados” which translates to “lover’s day”, and it is celebrated on the 12th of June. They celebrate the occasion by exchanging flowers, chocolates, cards and other gifts. Their cities and towns also hold musical performances for couples and families. In addition, they celebrate Saint Anthony’s Day to commemorate the patron saint of marriage.

JAPAN

The Land of the Rising Sun celebrates Valentine’s Day on two different dates – February 14 and March 14. The ladies give gifts to the men on the 14th of February while the men give gifts to the ladies on the 14th of March which is also known as White Day. The fun part of their celebration is that the males have to return the presents they received which basically means the women get to choose their own gifts.

Chocolate is the most popular Valentines gift in Japan. It’s obligatory for the girls to give the infamous traditional “Giri Choko” which are chocolates without any romantic association. On the other hand, the “Honmei Choko” which means “true feeling chocolate” are given to loved ones.

KOREA

Similar to the Japanese, Koreans celebrate Valentine’s Day on two dates – the 14th of February and March. Women give gifts in February and the men return the favour in March. Apart from this tradition, Korea celebrates Valentine’s Day just like the western world.

Single on hearts day? Not a problem! Korea observes Black Day on the 14th of April. On this day, the singles and unattached gather together and eat jajangmyeon noodles (black noodles) to wallow in their being single. But being single on V-Day should not be much of a problem nowadays. There are many things singles can do on Valentine’s Day to make it fun and memorable all the same.

VIETNAM

Vietnam celebrates hearts day just like the rest of the world. Besides the usual gift-giving, couples celebrate the day by wearing the same colour and style of clothes.

TAIWAN

The people of Taiwan celebrate Valentine’s Day twice. Aside from the traditional February 14, they also celebrate V-Day on July 7 of the lunar calendar. According to an ancient folktale, both dates are important. On both dates, the men buy bouquets for their ladies.

Based on Taiwanese tradition, the number and colour of the roses given have meanings. A single red rose means “only love,” eleven roses is for “a favourite,” ninety-nine roses signify “forever” and 108 roses mean “marry me.”

Getting ready for Valentine’s Day? You might want to start looking for gift options online now. Buying gifts online is an easy, fast and convenient way to shop for presents you can give to loved ones.

At zFlowers.com, we have a fantastic selection of gift items in store. Feel free to browse our catalogue and find the most suitable items.