5 Strange Valentine’s Day Traditions Around the World

Julia | 01 - 21 - 2024
Valentine’s Day

Valentine’s Day is a romantic festival to celebrate love, friendship, and admiration between people. This day is celebrated every year on February 14 all over the world. Do you know what countries celebrate Valentine’s Day and countries that don’t celebrate Valentine’s Day around the world? There are 16 countries that celebrate Valentine’s Day and 7 countries that have banned Valentine’s Day. And here we have gathered up the top 5 countries, whose Valentine’s Day traditions are unique and different. Read on to discover the 5 most loved Valentine’s Day traditions around the world.

United Kingdom

Valentine’s Day is the most romantic holiday in the United Kingdom. In England, the most valuable gift on Valentine’s Day is actually making sweets and pastries with their own hands. The tradition of baking a heart-shaped cake is famous among British people. The people of Britain don’t give expensive gifts, instead, they give chocolates, cards, and teddy bears. Gifting flowers is a separate custom in the United Kingdom. Flowers are a must-have gift on Valentine’s Day and the color of the flower and the number of the flower has a different meaning.

Totally How Many Countries Celebrate Valentine's Day?
  • A. 14
  • B. 16
  • C. 18
  • D. 20

Brazil 

In Brazil, Valentine’s Day is known as Dia dos Namorados celebrated on June 12 and not on February 14. Brazilians don’t celebrate Valentine’s Day on February 14 because of saint valentine, who is famous in Brazil as they believe he blesses young couples and people with a prosperous marriage. And Saint Anthony’s day falls on June 13. During this occasion, couples follow the same Valentine’s Day tradition by exchanging gifts, chocolates, flowers, and spending time with their loved ones.

China

In China, there are totally six different types of Valentine’s Day. Among them, the traditional Chinese Valentine’s Day known as Double Seventh Day or Qixi festival is the most popular festival among young couples celebrated on August 15. On this day the young couples make homemade chocolates for their loved ones with deep love and care. The long-lived tradition of Valentine’s Day in China has now totally changed where people started celebrating it by sharing gifts, flowers, and chocolates instead of doing traditional customs.

Wales 

Rather than celebrating Valentine’s Day on February 14, the people of Wales celebrate it on January 25th. The custom they follow is totally different from Valentine’s Day celebrations around the world. One of the traditional welsh gifts on Valentine’s Day is the love spoon. The welsh men gift their loved ones with the intricate wooden spoon as a token of love by carving different patterns and symbols in that love spoon.

Italy 

The Italian Valentine’s Day tradition is almost nothing when compared to Valentine’s Day traditions in the USA. Valentine’s Day was basically celebrated as a spring festival in Italy. Romantic couples spend their Valentine’s Day by sitting under trees, beautiful parks, and spending time outdoors. And the most important custom in Italy is padlocking their names on a bridge or railing and throwing the key away. One of the most loved Valentine’s Day gifts in Italians is Baci Perugina, small chocolate filled with hazelnut and wrapped with a love note in 4-5 languages.

Read Next