Valentine’s Day, which occurs on Feb. 14, is a day for couples to celebrate their romance in a variety of ways, traditionally with chocolate, flowers, or some sort of gift; most people go on dates or do something romantic with their partner to demonstrate their love. However, just as people celebrate other holidays in a variety of ways, all around the world, people celebrate Valentine’s Day in different ways. Wanderlust.uk gives a list of some of the weirdest Valentine’s Day traditions from around the world.
In South Korea, Valentine’s Day isn’t just Feb. 14. It’s the 14th of every month, with February and March being the most expensive. On Feb. 14, women give chocolate to men, but instead of returning the favor that same day, they don’t give anything until White Day on March 14. A month later is Black Day, a day where all single people get together and eat black noodles with their friends.
Norway’s tradition involves poems. The secret admirer gives their love interest a poem called a gaekkebrev, with the only clue to their identity being a dot that represents their name. If the person figures it out, they get an Easter Egg on Easter, however, if they don’t they must give an egg to their admirer.
Estonia doesn’t celebrate Valentine’s Day. Instead, they have Sōbrapäev, or Friend’s Day. Instead of giving gifts or chocolate to their significant other, they exchange cards and gifts amongst friends and say “Happy Friend’s Day!”
Welsh people celebrate on Jan. 25 and instead of chocolates or flowers, they give love spoons. It began as a tradition where men would carve wooden spoons for the women they loved. Often, the spoons would have hidden meanings or clues in them and were symbolic. For instance, some men would include beads to represent the number of future children they wanted.
Germans show their love for their significant other with a gingerbread biscuit. The giant biscuits can be draped around the shoulders of the intended recipient. Speaking of food, Iraqi Kurds show their love with love feasts, where they decorate red apples to represent the original love story – Adam and Eve. However, instead of the apple representing the end of biblical paradise, it instead represents happiness and prosperity.
In the Philippines, the government gives those who can’t afford a wedding the chance to tie the knot. On Valentine’s Day, mass weddings take place across the country, with everything provided by the government, even the rings.
Valentine’s Day may seem cheesy to some here in the U.S., but around the world, Valentine’s Day holds another significance; providing the holiday with a whole new meaning.
Jeri Hensley
Managing Editor