<3 Saint Valentine’s Day <3

Happy Valentine’s everybody!!!

“Feliz Dia dos Namorados” -Portuguese

“Joyeuse Saint-Valentin” -French

”Gelukkige Valentijns Dag”- Dutch

How was everyone’s Valentine’s day? Today I decided to write a quick blog about Valentine’s. Well today I saw many status on Facebook saying something like “Everyone calls it Valentines day, I call it Tuesday”! haha well for me, it was kind of the same. I couldn’t do anything because I’ve got exams tomorrow. However, I got many chocolates from friends and nice messages from my family and an awesome gift from my boyfriend:)

So, every year, I celebrate Valentin’s day with my boyfriend or friends. This year fortunately for me I spent with my boyfriend (although we spent all the time in the computer lab and study room :() but, I have never ask myself how other countries celebrate this day, or  do they celebrate the same?  So, I decided to learn about how each country celebrates it as Valentine’s Day.  Based on the article, Valentine’s Day Around the World  I choose what I found “interesting” way of celebrating Valentines.

Britain

As a Western country, Britain’s couples celebrate 14th of February by giving flowers, cards and chocolates. What I found interesting in Britain is that, English children are accustomed to sing special songs of love proper to the occasion, and in return they receive gifts of candy, fruit or money.

Denmark 

In Denmark, there is basically three ways of celebrating Valentine’s day. The most traditional way of celebrating this day is to give “love” cards.  Another representative of this day are flowers. People in Denmark have the habit to send pressed white flowers called snowdrops to their most beloved people. The last traditional way of celebrating it is by  sending  cards named gaekkebrev (humorous letter), and the sender write a rhyme but do not sign his name but with points, one for each letter of his name. If she guesses who sent it, the guy rewards her with an Easter egg at this event!!:)

Japan

As you all know, Valentine’s Day is a celebration in which the lovers, boyfriends, husbands or friends express their feelings to each other. This happens in most Western countries, but in Japan is different. Women  chocolates to men who they consider future boyfriends, husbands, friends or colleagues working. There are several types present, chocolate:

•  Honmei choco (本命 チョコ – real chocolate)

Girls give Honmei choolates to their boyfriends, partners, the person who she really likes. Some girls buy expensive chocolates like the famous Godiva, the Pierre Marcolini, Jean-Paul Hevin and these other brands that are branded or prepare a homemade gift.

• Giri choco (義理 チョコ – chocolate of obligation)

Does not really mean “obligation” but is a chocolte given to rriends, parents, siblings or co-workers. Girls usually get rather cheaper chocolate compare to Honmei choco.

• Volume choco (友 チョコ – friendly chocolate)

This chocolate is given to friends at school. I remember when I was in junior high school that  always there was a guys who did not receive anything, and I guess more than one student will come home with a heart broken … He did not receive nothing on this day, is something that sticks in the memory for some time I guess.

I could feel when I was in high school and junior high school that guys don’t care too much about the brand of the chocolate, but care about how many chocolate they get. On the other hand, I think that Japanese girls a more realistic because they give chocolates thinking about the gift they will receive or wish to receive (or ask) on White Day which is celebrated in March 14th where guys give gifts to girls in return.

Valentine’s is celebrate in someways kind of the same, but each country has its traditional way of celebrating it. It was pretty fun to know how each country defers from others. Well, if anyone know another country that celebrates Valentine’s in an interesting way, please share it with us 🙂
Thank you for reading:)