Top 10 Weirdest Valentine's Day Traditions Around The World
♦ The Best Valentine’s Songs for 12 Zodiac Signs, According to Astrology
♦ How to Celebrate Valentine's Day 2023 Base on 12 Zodiac Signs
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| Top 10 Weirdest Valentine's Day Traditions Around The World. Photo KnowInsiders |
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On February 14, people throughout celebrate the day dedicated to expressing their affection for loved ones. Some people prefer sending presents, while others prefer sending flowers as a token of their affection.
Almost every nation on Earth observes this day, and each has its own traditions for how lovers should show their affection for one another. A lot of couples have rituals, including penning poems to one other or giving homemade chocolates.
How did Valentine’s Day Begin?
Nobody is really certain of Valentine's Day's real history.
It can be a derivative of the ancient fertility celebration Lupercalia, which was celebrated in Rome.
Or it might have been called after one of the many Valentine-named Christian martyrs. Other myths claim that the holiday originated from a letter written by a slain priest to the jailer's daughter, signed "From your Valentine."
| The first ever Valentines Day was in 496! Previously there was a Roman festival called Lupercalia which was in the middle of February. During this festival, the boys would select a girls name out of a box. They would stay with whoever they picked during the festival. Sometimes they would even get married. Later on, it was decided by the church that they wanted to change this festival into a Christian celebration. This was the start of Valentines Day. |
Top 10 Weirdest Valentine's Day Traditions Around The World
1. Argentina: Love me for a week
Because so many programs emphasize Latinas and Latinos and their culture and traditions, people instinctively associate them with being passionate about everything.
It is true that Argentinians spend an entire week celebrating Valentine's Day instead of just one day! Argentinians celebrate various deeds of love during "Sweetness Week" over a week in July.
Between the 13th and the 20th, couples trade kisses for candy, and the week-long festivities are concluded with a friendship day.
READ MORE: How to Celebrate Valentine's Day 2023 Base on 12 Zodiac Signs
2. Wales: Spooning for Valentine
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| Don't be surprised and confused if you receive a wooden spoon on Valentine’s Day in Wales. Photo Getty |
Instead of buying roses and teddy bears, the Welsh might spend their money on useful gifts. Don't be shocked or perplexed if you get a wooden spoon for Valentine's Day if you're dating a man or woman from Wales.
It is a centuries-old custom that is thought to have been inspired and begun by sailors who hand-carved presents for their loved ones while at sea in the 16th century.
Instead, young men choose to give their sweethearts finely carved wooden "love spoons." Many people still hold the opinion that the gesture is more heartfelt than purchasing pre-packaged flowers or other cliché presents because it requires effort and personalization.
The Welsh also think that love is honored on the 25th of January in honor of St. Dwynwen, their patron saint of lovers, rather than on Valentine's Day, when the rest of the world does.
3. South Africa: Wearing shirt to show love
To what extent are you familiar with South African Lupercalia? It's definitely out of the ordinary, but it's also a great way to show your love for your mate. Instead of giving traditional tokens of affection like flowers, chocolates, or gift baskets, the lovers instead wear shirts bearing the names of their sweethearts.
A happy ending for the guy could involve a date or possibly marriage. That's a wonderful way to kick off Valentine's Day with a new love interest. Restaurants are also popular daytime destinations, and many of these eateries have floral arrangements and heart-shaped decorations to set the mood.
4. Finland: Valentine is friendship’s day
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| Finland: Valentine is friendship’s day. Photo Pinterest |
They say that a true friend is worth two lovers. That being the case, why should you bother sending presents to your loved ones? People in Finland not only celebrate Valentine's Day with their significant others, but also with their closest friends and family members.
I think it's one of the most endearing ways to express your feelings for the people you hold near and dear. On this special day, they honor their closest friends by sending them chocolate and gift baskets.
5. France: Love Lottery
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| France: Love lottery. Photo Cle France |
The French are the experts when it comes to understanding that love is often a game of chance. Unexpectedly unromantic for the land of love, une loterie d'amour involved eligible singles lining up in houses facing each other and calling through the windows until they were paired off. The single women gathered around a huge bonfire and cursed the sky while burning pictures of the men who had rejected them. I don't know what else would merit such a vehement "Sacre bleu!" as a response.
Thankfully, the French government outright banned the practice after it became increasingly disorderly. In other words, we understand. The best way to celebrate Valentine's Day without setting anything on fire is to visit your local grocery store and stock up on cheese, croissants, chocolate, and champagne. This is beautiful.
| The first Valentine's Day celebration occurred in Paris. The first known official celebration of Saint Valentine’s Day took place in Paris on February 14, 1400, which is when King Charles VI of France established La cour amoureuse, or the High Court of Love. The court, entirely run by women, met to deal with marriage contracts, divorces, infidelity, and domestic violence. |
6. Norway: Secret poems
Gaekkebrev, a Norwegian custom dating back to the 18th century and roughly translated as "joke letters," is actually much more romantic than it sounds. Poems are written in secret, then elaborate patterns are cut into the paper, and a tiny white Snowdrop flower is pressed inside. The "joke" is the letter's lack of a signature. Instead of signing their names, aspiring poets use dots to represent each letter.
During Easter, the lady will receive an Easter egg if she correctly identifies her admirer. If not, she'll be the one to give him an egg.
| The oldest love poem was said to have been 4,000 years ago! The oldest love poem was written around 4,000 years ago. It is called ‘The Love Song for Shu-Sin’ and was written by a Sumerian. Sumerians came up with one of the first writing forms. They lived where Iraq is today. The poem was carved into a clay tablet. |
7. Philippines: Public wedding
There is a possibility that Valentine's Day in the Philippines will be your chance to tie the knot in front of your closest friends, acquaintances, neighbors, coworkers, and favorite restaurant's waiter.
Numerous couples get hitched all at once on Valentine's Day, with some estimates putting the number as high as a few thousand. Governments frequently underwrite these events as a public service, granting the opportunity for low-income couples to finally tie the knot.
8. Denmark: Roses are not red, they are white on Valentine
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| Photo dreamstime |
For Valentine's Day, Danish couples exchange preserved white flowers known as "snowdrops" rather than the traditional red roses and heart-shaped boxes of chocolate. It's possible that this type of flower represents optimism and innocence.
In Denmark, sending greeting cards is also common practice, but with a unique twist: a see-through card featuring a photo of the card's giver presenting a gift to his sweetheart.
On February 14th, men also give women "joking letters" called gaekkebrev. These letters are humorous poems or rhymes written on elaborately cut paper and signed only with anonymous dots. If the female recipient can identify the sender, she will be rewarded with an Easter egg at the end of the year.
Tired of the same old Valentine's Day presents? Gift ideas that range from the ridiculously sweet to the completely bonkers are provided below.
READ MORE: Top 500+ Loving Words to Write in A Valentine’s Day Card
| Roses are the flowers of love. Speaking of cupid and his roses, can you guess the favorite flower of Venus, the Roman goddess? According to legend, it's the red rose, of course. The bud stands for strong romantic feelings, so it's no surprise that roses make up the most popular Valentine's Day bouquets. |
9. Japan: Everyone gets chocolate
The Japanese dating scene is not dissimilar to the Korean one. On February 14, women all over the world lavish their significant others with chocolates to show their affection. However, the quality and variety of chocolate given can vary greatly depending on the recipient's relationship status.
Gifts of honmei-choco ('true feeling' chocolates) are hand-delivered to the homes of husbands, boyfriends, and suitors as tokens of a woman's undying affection. This is how Japanese people show their loved ones how much they mean to them and why they should put in the effort.
Conversely, giri-choco, also referred to as the "obligation chocolate," is a cheaper variety of chocolate that can be purchased at any convenience store and is still given as holiday gifts to colleagues and acquaintances.
What about the lonely, the unfortunate, and the unlikable? Fear not! In order to ensure that you don't spend the holiday feeling lonely, Japanese women are known for giving gifts. Cho-giri choco is the ultra-obligation chocolate saved for the most unpopular of male coworkers, and you can look forward to receiving a box of it.
On March 14th, the Japanese observe White Day. In return for receiving honmei-choco, one must shower one's loved ones with gifts such as fragrance, jewelry, or even lingerie. The only requirement is that the value of their present be at least twice as much as the chocolates they were given.
10. Slovenia: Looking for birds
Valentine's Day in Slovenia falls on the same day as the first holiday celebrating the arrival of spring.
Women on Gregorjevo are encouraged to go outside and look to the sky for answers during the spring and summer months, when the flowers are in bloom and the birds are singing.
It is said that the first bird that they see will tell them everything they need to know about their future husband.
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