Happy Valentine’s Day! Today I thought we’d talk about how some other countries around the world celebrate this day of love.
Brazilians celebrate their version of Valentine’s Day, called “Lovers’ Day” on June 12. It’s the day before Saint Anthony’s day, known there as the marriage saint. On this day, many single women perform rituals to find a husband or boyfriend. These can include prayers on the eve of Lovers’ Day or hiding a love letter in a pot of basil to give to a prospective suitor.
Valentine’s Day was introduced in Japan in the 1950s by a chocolate company that hoped to capitalize on the Western tradition. But early advertisements showed women giving chocolates to men, and the tradition stuck. Today, women in offices traditionally give chocolates to their coworkers, and a month later on March 14, men are expected to return the favor with white chocolate.
In the Phillippines, Valentine’s Day is a big day for marriages. It’s the most popular day for weddings, with many areas offering mass ceremonies for free. In one city in 2019, the mayor married 500 couples at once!
In the UK, the holiday isn’t quite as popular as in the U.S. The Welsh version of Valentine’s Day is called Saint Dwynwen’s Day, which is celebrated on January 25. On this day, is tradition to exchange wooden love spoons, which are carved to symbolize the gifter’s love.
Here in the U.S., people are expected to spend around $23.9 billion on Valentine’s Day gifts this year.
Learn more here.