Chocolate gifting became a Valentine’s Day staple thanks to Richard Cadbury’s invention of the heart-shaped chocolate box in the 1800s. Today, chocolates are one of the top gifts exchanged on Valentine’s Day, with everything from fancy truffles to giant chocolate bars making their way into hearts and hands. Valentine’s Day did not come to be celebrated as a day of romance until about the 14th century. Why the history of Valentine's Day is so complicated Learn how St. Valentine, an ancient Roman festival, and the poet Geoffrey Chaucer all contribute to the history of Valentine's Day. Every year on Feb. 14, Americans celebrate Valentine's Day. The February holiday is set aside to let that special someone know how much they're cared about through gifts, flowers, greeting cards But not everyone has the same Valentine’s Day traditions—some countries even celebrate love on a date other than February 14. Although Valentine’s Day is highly commercialized in some places, for many people it’s still a day of simple gestures of love and friendship. Read on for a tour of Valentine’s Day traditions around the world! Unsurprisingly, more people get married on Valentine’s Day in the Philippines than on any other date. Brazil It’s time to fly to the other side of the world, where Brazilians celebrate Dia dos Namorados on June 12th, then pay their respects to St Anthony, the patron saint of marriage, the next day. The history of Valentine's Day—and the story of its patron saint—is shrouded in mystery. We do know that February has long been celebrated as a month of romance, and that St. Valentine’s Day Although Valentine’s Day is one of the new Denmark festivals, the country also celebrates the day of love and romance on 14th Feb with a twist. In Denmark, Valentine’s Day is not limited to roses and chocolates. Friends and lovers exchange handmade cards with pressed white flowers that are called snowdrops. Valentines Day Traditions and Customs. Romantic festival of St Valentine's Day is celebrated with enthusiasm and fond regard in several countries around the world. Most commonly observed Valentine's Day tradition and custom is expressing one's love with an exchange of cards, flowers and gifts. Valentine's Day, also called Saint Valentine's Day or the Feast of Saint Valentine, [1] is celebrated annually on February 14. [2] It originated as a Christian feast day honoring a martyr named Valentine , and through later folk traditions it has also become a significant cultural, religious and commercial celebration of romance and love in Chocolates and roses are common ways to mark Valentine's Day, but there are other, lesser-known traditions to commemorate the holiday. By: Sara Kettler Updated: February 14, 2024 | Original As is the case elsewhere, plenty of French people see St Valentine's Day as a commercial event, one designed to part them from their money with the temptation of flowers or chocolate. It is indeed a good time for business, but the holiday remains less commercial than, say, in the United States. Pope Gelasius declared Feb. 14 as St. Valentine’s Day in 496 AD, and the rest is this history. New strain in Calif. Get the USA TODAY app Start the day smarter ☀️ 🐍Year of the Snake 25 Fun And Romantic Things To Do On Valentine’s Day. Valentine’s Day deserves something personal and magical, not just another night out. If you’re wondering how to make the day unforgettable for you and your spouse, I’ve got some ideas on things to do on Valentine’s Day that will feel intimate, fun, and easy to pull off. 9. Booklets were created to help people write Valentines. If you needed help finding the right words to send to your loved ones in the 19th century, you could purchase a Valentine's Writer. With Valentine's Day approaching, you may not have all day to plan (or enjoy) an elaborate celebration, but there are plenty of low-effort, super-fun things to do on Valentine's Day that'll make the day special for you and your favorite people. Explore some V-Day ideas to get inspiration for your celebration. Celebrating Valentine’s Day is for the birds. Or maybe, it would be better to say that celebrating Valentine’s Day is from the birds.. At least one explanation of why the Feast of St. Valentine is considered a day for love and romance has to do with what the Catholic Encyclopedia called “a conventional belief generally received in England and France during the Middle Ages, that on Feb Natalia Ganelin/Getty Images. Before the 14th century, St. Valentine's Day was primarily about honoring a Christian martyr. The English poet Geoffrey Chaucer is credited with connecting St. Valentine's Day to the idea of romance. St. Valentine, a name that is synonymous with love and romance across the globe, lived at a time when the Roman Empire was at its zenith. He is often best remembered for the act of marrying couples in secret defiance of the Roman Emperor's bans. However, the truth about St. Valentine is far more complex, woven from a mixture of historical fragments, religious tradition, and folklore. This has Valentine's Day is a holiday dedicated to celebrating love. While it is typical for people to exchange affectionate gifts or treat each other to special outings, there are many different ways to celebrate this holiday. Enjoy February 14th Vietnam-Style – What do people do on Valentine’s Day? To celebrate St. Valentine’s in Vietnam, young couples and would-be suitors do things like give gifts of flowers and chocolates and go out on dinner-and-a-movie dates. However, the entire holiday is more exaggerated than in the West, including some notable differences to do with:
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