Italy
The tradition of Valentine's Day in Italy was originally celebrated as a spring festival. Another special Italian custom on this day is that unmarried couples would wake up before dawn to greet their future husbands. Today, Valentine's Day in Italy has become a holiday dedicated to couples in love. Italians exchange gifts, roses and chocolates to express their feelings. Romantic candlelight dinners are also an indispensable part of this holiday.
Italians exchange gifts, roses and chocolates to show their affection.
France
It is believed that the first Valentine's card was created in France, when Charles, Duke of Orleans, sent love letters to his wife from prison. Today, the village of Valentine in France has become an ideal destination for couples in love on Valentine's Day.
From February 12 to 14, Valentine village is immersed in a romantic atmosphere. Yards and trees are decorated with love cards and bright roses. Valentine decoration customs in Valentine village are considered one of the most unique in the world.
Valentine village is immersed in a romantic atmosphere.
Korea
In Korea, couples celebrate Valentine's Day on the 14th of every month, a custom that may seem quite unique to many parts of the world. In fact, this is how Koreans celebrate love every day.
They also celebrate "Rose Day" in May, "Kiss Day" in June, and "Hug Day" in December. In particular, single people celebrate "Black Valentine's Day" in April by enjoying black noodles. This is truly a completely different Valentine's Day tradition from what we know around the world.
Singles celebrate "Black Valentine's Day" in April by enjoying black noodles.
Spain
Valentine's Day in Valencia, Spain, falls on October 9, known as the Feast of Saint Dionysus. This festival is celebrated in most parts of Spain through the creation of small marzipan figurines, called "macadoras." These figurines are usually created by men to give to their female companions. The festival also includes colorful parades through the streets of Spanish villages.
A prominent tradition on St. Dionysus Day is the giving of a packet of Macadoras to ladies as a symbol of love and appreciation.
Japan
In Japan, on February 14 (also known as Valentine's Day), women often give gifts to the men they care about, usually flowers, gifts, or chocolate. In addition to giving gifts to their lovers, they also give chocolate to male colleagues and other close boyfriends. This type of chocolate is called "giri choko" (literally translated as "courtesy chocolate"), to show affection.
Giri Choko is a simple, square shape that symbolizes close friendship.
Japanese women are usually very shy, February 14 is an opportunity for them to express their love. They believe that making chocolate by hand instead of buying it from a store shows the true meaning and true feelings.
Wales, UK
In Wales, Valentine's Day is celebrated in a very strange and unique way. Instead of February 14th like most other countries, the day for love here takes place on January 25th, known as "San Dwynwen's Day".
On this day, couples exchange beautifully crafted wooden spoons as a symbol of their love. This custom has been around for over 400 years, dating back to the 16th century.
In Wales, couples exchange beautifully crafted wooden spoons on Valentine's Day.
Romania
The country celebrates Valentine’s Day on February 24, when young couples get engaged. It is a combination of Valentine’s Day and a spring celebration. On this day, young men and women often go into the woods to pick colorful flowers, while other couples often participate in a ritual of washing their faces with snow, which is considered a sign of good luck and freshness.
Romania celebrates Valentine's Day on February 24, an occasion for young couples to get engaged.
