It’s Valentine’s Day. Love is in the air. Sure, we’ve all done the classic conversation hearts exchange, but what else is there to Valentine’s Day?
The first Valentine’s Day was celebrated on Feb. 14, 496 A.D. The holiday holds roots in the Roman traditions of Lupercalia and honors the Christian feast day of the martyr Saint Valentine. Saint Valentine was imprisoned for ministering to persecuted Christians in the third century. According to tradition, he restored sight to the blind daughter of his jailer, to whom he wrote a valentine before his execution. Legend also says that Saint Valentine officiated the weddings of many marriages that were forbidden by the Roman emperor.
Nowadays, Valentine’s Day is an annual festival celebrating friendship, admiration and, best of all, love. However, Feb. 14 isn’t just a day for cutesy couples. Many view Valentine’s Day as a time to show extra kindness by doing something nice for someone else. It is a day of gratitude, warmth and togetherness.
More than 50% of people around the world celebrate Valentine’s Day. The countries that celebrate Valentine’s Day the most are the U.S., South Africa, Chile, India, Mexico, Turkey, Poland and China. In the U.S., couples display their fondness by buying greeting cards, candy hearts and extravagant gifts. In fact, enough candy hearts are made in a year for everyone in the world to have one.
In South Korea and Japan, women buy men chocolates and treats. In the U.K., couples go on dinner dates. In Finland, the custom is to celebrate “Friend’s Day” instead of Valentine’s Day. In Peru, instead of roses, people exchange orchids, a native flower. In the Philippines, Valentine’s Day is known to be the most common wedding anniversary. Valentine’s Day is also celebrated in Canada, Australia, Argentina and, of course, France, home to the City of Love.
From candlelit meals to chocolate boxes to red, pink and white-themed everything, people all over the world have many ways to celebrate Valentine’s Day. In the past, people celebrated Valentine’s Day by sending roses to their sweethearts, dancing and exchanging candy. Now, people show appreciation for others by making crafts or homemade cards for friends, sharing a romantic meal, writing love letters for someone special or giving valentines to loved ones. Others celebrate by writing poems of admiration, reading romance novels or eating fancy romantic dinners.
There are also Galentine’s parties, where girlfriends get together and do fun activities such as love song karaoke, romance movie marathons, baking sweet treats, playing games or going out. So this Valentine’s Day, make sure to take the time to show appreciation for a loved one through heartwarming acts, big or small.
