From Saudia Arabia (where the holiday is banned) to Japan (where only women give chocolate gifts) to the U.K. (where cards are sent anonymously), the traditions can vary significantly. Here are a few examples:
Japan
Japan’s tradition actually stems from a mistranslation in the 1950s, when chocolate companies began encouraging people to celebrate Valentine’s Day there. An incorrect translation from one company gave Japanese consumers the idea that it was customary for women to give chocolate to men on the holiday. And that has become the tradition! Now the chocolate companies in Japan sell more than half of their annual sales during the week before Valentine’s Day. Men are supposed to return gifts to women on a day called “White Day” (March 14), a Japanese creation.
Italy
In Italy, Valentine’s Day was originally celebrated as the Spring Festival, where people (usually young people) gathered outside in gardens and tree arbors to enjoy poetry readings and music before taking a stroll with their beloved. Today, Italians prefer having romantic dinners and exchanging gifts. Chocolate is a favorite gift, and the bigger the chocolate, as the belief goes, the stronger the love you will have.
Saudi Arabia
Valentine’s Day is actually BANNED in Saudi Arabia. In 2008, Saudi officials told florists and gift shops to remove all red items until after Valentine’s Day, calling the celebration a sin as it “encourages immoral relations between unmarried men and women.”
France
It’s often claimed that the first Valentine’s Day card originated in France when Charles, Duke of Orleans, sent love letters to his wife while imprisoned in the Tower of London in 1415. Today, card giving is not as popular as it used to be. Instead, the French celebrate with delicious cuisine, making restaurants popular and busy. February 14 in France is also considered the best time for a marriage proposal.
United Kingdom
In the United Kingdom, it’s tradition to send Valentine’s Days cards anonymously, a custom dating back to Victorian times. Different parts of the country have their own unique traditions as well: in Norfolk, a mysterious Jack Valentine knocks on people’s doors and vanishes, leaving sweets for children. In Wales, Valentine’s Day comes just a few weeks after St Dwynwen’s (January 25), named after the Welsh patron saint of lovers.
Estonia
Valentine’s Day celebrations in Estonia have their own twist: February 14 is called “Friend’s Day,” so single people don’t feel left out. Gifts are typically given between friends and family members. Single people also get the chance to take a ride on a special “love bus” where they can meet others looking for love. This doesn’t mean there’s no romance for couples -- shops, restaurants and even streets are decorated with hearts and other symbols of love.
China
In China, the Valentine's Day festival is quite different than elsewhere in the world. The Chinese Valentine's Day falls on the 7th day of the 7th lunar month in the Chinese Calendar, so the day is also called ‘Festival of the Double Sevens' or Qi Xi - ‘The Night of Sevens'. Other popular names are ‘Seven Sister's Festival' and ‘Daughter's Festival'. There are specific and colorful rituals for the day, in addition to the usual exchange of flowers, cards and chocolates as tokens of love between lovers. Following the tradition, lovers visit the Temple of Matchmaker on the Chinese Valentine's Day and pray for their love and happiness and their possible marriage. Singles also visit to ask for luck in love.
India
Valentine's Day is a recent custom in India but has caught on quickly. Though some see it as a western import and hesitate to celebrate, a growing number of people participate in the day. Especially to the Indian youth, February 14 signifies love - a day when people express their affection for others. Just as several other countries, people in India also celebrate the day by exchanging cards and gifts.
0 comments:
Post a Comment