What Love Means Throughout the World
Check out these Valentine’s Day customs in various cultures across the globe.
So, you wanted a trip to Paris for Valentine’s Day but your honey didn’t get the hint? That’s OK. We’re bringing the world to you today. Take a five-minute trip around the globe with these cheeky Valentine’s Day customs.
France
The idea of love seems inextricably tied to the country of France, and for good reason. Single men and women used to partake in a Valentine’s Day custom—now officially banned—called “une loterie d’amour,” or “drawing for love.” Singles would go into houses facing opposite each other and pair off with a member of the opposite sex by hollering across the street at him or her. If the male found the female unattractive and decided not to meet up with her, she would attend a bonfire, where she would cast pictures of ex-lovers into the flames while cursing men. To no surprise, the French government outlawed this tradition, due to the intense nature of the custom. A better-kept tradition to come from France was the sending of Valentine’s Day cards. It is thought that the first valentine was sent by the Duke of Orleans to his wife while he was detained in a tower in London following the 1415 Battle of Agincourt.
Say “I love you” in French: Je t’aime.
Italy
Much like historic France, Italy has also offered the prospect of finding true love on Valentine’s Day. It was said the first man a girl saw on the morning of Valentine’s Day was her true love and they would be married within the year. Eager to find their forever mates, women looking to marry would rush to their windows at sunrise on Valentine’s Day morning and wait for a man to walk by. Today, Italians view Valentine’s Day as a Western holiday and celebrate it with significant others. Some in Italy refer to Valentine’s Day as “Il Giorno Della Festa Degli Innamorati,” or “Day of the Party of the Enchanted.” Lovers go out to eat and exchange flowers and candy, with an emphasis on chocolate.
Say “I love you” in Italian: Ti amo.
China
The Chinese Valentine’s Day, otherwise known as Qi Qiao Jie, takes place the seventh eve of the seventh month of the year. According to a tale handed down for nearly two millennia, a poor cowherd, Niu Lang, fell in love with the Queen of Heaven’s seventh daughter, Zhi Nu, and they married. The queen eventually noticed Zhi Nu’s absence and brought her back to heaven, but when Niu Lang attempted to follow her, the queen separated them by creating the Milky Way. Zhi Nu is said to live on the star Vega and Niu Lang is said to live on the star Altair, which cross only once a year on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month. This allows for the two lovers to meet, and is celebrated in China by young women making offerings to Zhi Nu, praying to acquire skills that make them better suited to become wives. Many people sit outside and stargaze on the holiday as well.
Say “I love you” in Chinese: Wo ah ní.
Japan
The Japanese have spread the love by including not one, but two days dedicated to romancing your partner. Women originally viewed Valentine’s Day as a day to express their feelings to a significant other, but the day has turned into a one when women present gifts to their significant others, chocolates being the most popular. Traditionally, there are three types of chocolates a woman can give: giri choco (obligatory chocolate), honmei choco (if she is serious about a man) and tomo choco (for her girlfriends). There is a similar day for men to return the favor of flowers and chocolate. It is known as White Day, which takes place a month later, March 14. If a Japanese man is lucky enough to receive chocolates from a woman, he returns the favor with even more expensive chocolate, often white chocolate, along with other gifts.
Say “I love you” in Japanese: Watashi wa, anata o aishiteimasu.
Denmark
What started as an American custom is now a beloved holiday in Denmark. The sweetest tradition Danish people partake in is sending white flowers, or “snowdrops,” to their friends and their significant others, as well as lover’s cards. These cards used to be transparent with a picture of a lover presenting his beloved with a gift, but through the ages, they have come to be any greeting card you may exchange on Valentine’s Day. Young couples partake in something known as “gaekkebrev,” a common practice of writing a rhyme for your lover. Not only are these poems romantic and humorous, but they are also signed with dots or with an alias instead of a name, and if the girl can guess who sent her the poem, she is rewarded with an Easter egg.
Say “I love you” in Danish: Jeg elsker dig.
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