Norway
Roughly translated as ‘ joke letters ’, Gaekkebrev – a Norwegian tradition originating in the 18th century – is way more romantic than it sounds . Secret admirers write poems to their love , before cutting intricate patterns into the paper and pressing small white snowdrop flowers inside . The ‘ joke ’ is that no one signs the letters with their name , and instead budding poets sign off with a dot for each letter of their name . If the recipient correctly guesses who their admirer is , they receive an Easter egg from them at Easter . Random , but cute .
South Africa
Working on the accurate theory that an anonymously signed card might not do the trick , in South Africa the locals wear their hearts on their sleeves – literally . In the spirit of the ancient Roman festival Lupercalia , which translates as ‘ fertility ’ and is widely thought to be the predecessor to Valentine ’ s Day , star-crossed lovers pin the name of their crush on their sleeve for the day . Thankfully , this is a much tamer version of the original festival where goats were sacrificed and men would run through the streets wearing the skins before whipping women to bless them with fertility . Charming .
Bulgaria
Valentine ’ s Day - or San Trifon Zartan as it ’ s known in Bulgaria - means ‘ day of winemakers ’ and young and old couples celebrate their love throughout the country with a glass of two of highly quaffable local wine .
Philippines
Some people dream of all eyes being on them on their wedding day . Not in the Philippines , however – on February 14 every year , this archipelagic country in Southeast Asia celebrates the chance to get married alongside your best friends , neighbours , colleagues , the butcher , the baker , and the candlestick maker . Yes , on Valentine ’ s Day , hundreds ( often thousands ) of couples gather to get married en masse in public places . Adding an extra sprinkle of love , the celebrations are sponsored by the government as a public service , which allows underprivileged couples the opportunity to tie the knot affordably .
Valencia
The port city of Valencia on Spain ’ s southeastern coast avoids February all together , opting instead to mark the day of love on October 9 . Known as the feast of Saint Dionysus , the festival is celebrated by making ‘ macadora ’, a cute marzipan model of anything from a simple love heart to a teddy with a bow around its tummy . The figurines are traditionally made by men to gift to the apple of their eye and the whole day is marked with colourful street parties .
Japan
As with many things , Japan does Valentine ’ s Day differently , putting its own unique spin on love … Although it ’ s celebrated on February 14 , it ’ s more of a gift exchange than an exchange of sweet nothings and it ’ s the girls who run the show with women buying presents and chocolates for their lovers . The recipient can either accept the gift and therefore the chance of finding love or can reject the amorous advances and return the gift , but not until March 14 , which is called ‘ white day ’.
Czech Republic
Giving a respectful nod to that intense teenage obsession kind of love that ’ s often dismissed as folly , but that we all remember as clear as day , in the Czech Republic , Valentine ’ s Day is really popular with the younger generations . Marked on May Day , young couples go on a pilgrimage to the statue of the Czech romantic poet , Karel Hynek Mácha , and kiss under the blooming cherry trees for good luck .
Slovenia
In Slovenia , St Valentine is one of the patron saints of spring and it ’ s believed that on February 14 , plants start to regenerate as this day marks the first day of working in the fields for the New Year . Another popular belief is that birds propose to each other on this day , which is just gorgeous isn ’ t it ? Apparently , in order to witness a bird declaring his or her undying love to another bird and suggesting they live happily ever after together , one must walk barefoot through fields that are often still frozen .
Wales
The Welsh equivalent of Valentine ’ s Day is celebrated on January 25 and is called St Dwynwen ' s Day . St Dwynwen is the Welsh patron saint of lovers , who lived during the 5th century and legend has it that she was one of the prettiest of Welsh King Brychan Brycheiniog ' s 24 daughters . On the day , lovers give beautifully handcrafted wooden spoons to each other , which is wonderful … although we ’ re still reeling from the fact that Brychan Brycheiniog had 24 daughters .
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