Top 10 Strangest Valentine's Day Customs Worldwide
♦ 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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People all over the world commemorate February 14 as the day to show love and affection for those they care about. When sending flowers as a token of their affection, some people prefer to give gifts, while others prefer to send flowers.
This day is celebrated in almost every country in the world, and each has customs regarding how lovers should express their love to one another. Many couples have special occasions where they write poems to each other or give each other homemade chocolates.
How did Valentine’s Day Begin?
The true origins of Valentine's Day are a mystery to most people.
It might have originated from the ancient Roman fertility festival known as Lupercalia.
Alternatively, it may have been named for one of the numerous Christian martyrs with Valentine-like names. According to other myths, the holiday was inspired by a letter that a killed priest wrote 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 |
The Welsh may choose to spend their money on practical gifts rather than on teddy bears and roses. If you are dating a man or woman from Wales, don't be surprised or confused if you receive a wooden spoon for Valentine's Day.
It's a centuries-old tradition that is believed to have started in the sixteenth century when sailors sailed and carved gifts for their loved ones.
Young men instead decide to present their sweethearts with exquisitely carved wooden "love spoons." Because it takes work and personalization, a lot of people still believe that the gesture is more meaningful than buying pre-packaged flowers or other corny gifts.
The Welsh also believe that, contrary to what the rest of the world celebrates on Valentine's Day, love is celebrated on January 25th in remembrance of St. Dwynwen, their patron saint of lovers.
3. South Africa: Wearing shirt to show love
How much do you know about lupercalia in South Africa? Although it's unusual, it's also a wonderful way to express your love for your partner. Rather than presenting customary expressions of love such as bouquets, truffles, or hampers, the couples choose to wear t-shirts with their beloveds' names on them.
A date or even marriage could be the guy's idea of a happy ending. That's a great way to start a new love relationship on Valentine's Day. During the day, many people like to visit restaurants, and many of these establishments have mood-setting floral arrangements and heart-shaped decorations.
4. Finland: Valentine is friendship’s day
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| Finland: Valentine is friendship’s day. Photo Pinterest |
A true friend is said to be worth two lovers. Given this, why should you even bother giving your loved ones gifts? In Finland, people enjoy Valentine's Day not just with their partners but also with their closest friends and relatives.
It's one of the cutest ways, in my opinion, to convey your feelings for the people you care about most. They send chocolates and gift baskets to their closest friends in honor of this special day.
5. France: Love Lottery
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| France: Love lottery. Photo Cle France |
When it comes to realizing that love is frequently a game of chance, the French are the best. Une loterie d'amour, which is surprisingly unromantic for the land of love, saw eligible singles line up in houses facing one another and call out through the windows until they were paired off. The unmarried women gathered around a massive bonfire, burning photos of the men who had rejected them and cursing the sky. What else, I'm not sure, would call for such an emphatic "Sacre bleu!" in return?
Thankfully, as the practice got more and more chaotic, the French government officially outlawed it. Stated differently, we comprehend. Stock up on cheese, croissants, chocolate, and champagne at your neighborhood grocery store for a non-flammable Valentine's Day celebration. This is really lovely.
| 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
The Norwegian tradition known as "joke letters," or "gaekkebrev," which dates back to the 18th century, is actually far more sentimental than it seems. Secret poems are composed, the paper is sliced into intricate designs, and a small white snowdrop flower is pressed inside. The "joke" is that there is no signature on the letter. Aspiring poets sign their names with dots, rather than writing each letter individually.
If the lady correctly identifies her admirer, she will receive an Easter egg during Easter. If not, it will be her who offers him the 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
In the Philippines, Valentine's Day might be your opportunity to tie the knot in front of your closest friends, acquaintances, neighbors, coworkers, and the waiter at your favorite restaurant.
Numerous couples get hitched all at once on Valentine's Day, with some estimates putting the number as high as a few thousand. As a public service, governments frequently sponsor these events, giving low-income couples the chance to finally tie the knot.
8. Denmark: Roses are not red, they are white on Valentine
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| Photo dreamstime |
Traditionally, Danish couples celebrate Valentine's Day with preserved white flowers called "snowdrops" in place of red roses and heart-shaped chocolate boxes. It's possible that this kind of flower stands for innocence and hope.
Sending greeting cards is also customary in Denmark, but with a distinctive twist: the card is see-through and features a picture of the sender giving a gift to their significant other.
Men also give women "joking letters" (gaekkebrev) on February 14. Written on intricately cut paper, these letters are amusing poems or rhymes that are signed with a single anonymous dot. At the end of the year, the female recipient will receive an Easter egg as a reward if she is able to identify the sender.
Are you sick of the same old gifts for Valentine's Day? Below are some gift suggestions that range from the absurdly sweet to the downright bizarre.
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 dating scene in Korea and Japan are very similar. Women everywhere shower their significant others with chocolates on February 14 to express their love. However, the recipient's relationship status can have a significant impact on the chocolate's quality and variety.
Honmei-choco, or "true feeling" chocolates, are gifts that women personally deliver to husbands, boyfriends, and suitors as a symbol of their unwavering love. This is how Japanese people express their love and the reasons behind why their loved ones should make the effort.
On the other hand, giri-choco, also known as the "obligation chocolate," is a less expensive kind of chocolate that is still given as holiday presents to friends and coworkers and can be found at any convenience store.
What about the unfortunate, the lonely, and the unlikeable people? Do not be alarmed! Japanese women are renowned for giving gifts, so you won't have to spend the holiday alone. You can expect to receive a box of Cho-giri choco, the ultra-obligation chocolate reserved for the least popular male coworkers.
The Japanese observe White Day on March 14. Honmei-choco requires giving gifts to one's loved ones, like jewelry, perfume, or even underwear, in exchange. All that is needed is for their present to be at least twice as valuable as the chocolates they received.
10. Slovenia: Looking for birds
In Slovenia, the first holiday commemorating the arrival of spring coincides with Valentine's Day.
In the spring and summer, when the flowers bloom and the birds sing, women on Gregorjevo are encouraged to go outside and look to the sky for answers.
It's said that the first bird they see will reveal all the information they require to choose their future spouse.
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