Valentine's Day

 An important distinction - learning to love others in a manner they feel loved is an science by itself 

And communicating how you would like to be loved an art 

 “Strangely, it is only as teenagers that we plunge into love as if we were going to die the next day. The older we get, the more we hem and haw; as if time no longer mattered. Isn’t it funny?”

~ Cathy Bonidan, ‘The Lost Manuscript’

Love is divine, universal. It's Valentine’s Day – it’s the day that we set aside every year to celebrate love and connection. 

You know, love is oxygen for the soul. Without it, we won’t survive. In this crazy beautiful world, our evolutionary advantage is that we have the capacity to love one another. 

It’s the force that can bring us the greatest pleasure... or the deepest pain. It can bring a warrior to their knees. And yet, it has more pure magic and ecstasy when the feeling of love is combined with passion.

Valentine’s Day. The holiday dedicated to love, (usually) celebrated on the 14th of February.

Those who assume Valentine’s Day is a commercial invention created to sell flowers, candy, and cards will be surprised to know that this day has ancient roots, with traditions changing from country to country.

It all started in the third century, when a man named Valentine rebelled against Emperor Claudio II’s ban on marriage. Valentine, a clergyman, arranged marriages in secret before being found out, imprisoned, and sentenced to death. While in jail, the romantic Valentine fell in love with the jailer’s daughter, and sent her a letter on the day of his execution (you guessed it — February 14th) signed “from your Valentine.”

That’s the official story, anyway. But toasting to love at this time of year has older Roman roots, specifically the festival of Lupercalia, a celebration of fertility (men and women were paired off in a lottery system!) and the beginning of spring. As Christianity spread, many such Pagan holidays were rebranded as saints’ days — in this case, St. Valentine’s.

Let’s find out more about Valentine’s traditions around the world.

UNITED KINGDOM

In the UK, Valentine’s Day as we know it started to gain traction in the 17th century. Lovers and friends alike would use the holiday as an excuse to swap small gifts or handwritten love notes. This led to the exchange of printed cards in the 19th century, thanks to the development of printing technology. Indeed, the practice became so popular that it spurred the mass production of greeting cards we have today. These days, Valentine’s Day in the United Kingdom is typically celebrated with a romantic dinner, either at home or in a restaurant with a special dedicated menu.

ITALY

Valentine’s Day, known as San Valentino, is a big deal in Italy with a lengthy history. Originally celebrated as a spring festival, it gradually became a day for couples to take long strolls, listen to music, and read poetry together. Young unmarried women had a special Valentine’s Day tradition of waking up before dawn to look out for a future husband — it was believed that the first man she saw would be (or at least resemble) the man she would marry. These days, couples in Italy exchange flowers and chocolates with little romantic messages or quotes concealed in the center, Baci Perugina being the most popular kind. Romantic dinners are also a San Valentino staple.

SPAIN

Exchanging flowers and chocolates and going out for romantic dinners are also par for the course for a Valentine’s Day in Spain. However, certain Spanish regions have their own twist on the festivities of love. In Catalonia, for example, couples celebrate their love on the 23rd of April, “La Diada de Sant Jordi” (Saint George’s Day), which is also Catalonia’s national day. According to tradition, women buy a book for their lovers on this day, and in exchange receive a rose. For this reason, April 23rd is also called “El Día de la Rosa” (The Day of the Rose). In Valencia, love is celebrated on the 9th of October, the day of Saint Dionysius (the patron saint of lovers).

BRAZIL

Since 1948, Brazil has celebrated love on the 12th of June, which is known as “Dia dos Namorados.” Unfortunately, there is no romantic explanation behind this change — this time it is indeed pure marketing. Back in the mid-20th century, a marketing professional was tasked with finding a way to boost sales during the then-slow month of June. He strategically moved the celebration of love from February 14th, where it was dwarfed by Brazil’s famous Carnival, to June 12th, just before St. Anthony’s Day (the “marriage saint” who helps couples getting hitched).

SOUTH KOREA

Delightfully, South Korea has a double celebration of love, with Valentine’s Day on the 14th of February featuring women as the primary gift-givers. On this day, women present men with chocolates. A month later on March 14th, men give their significant others non-chocolate candy or flowers in return. This is known as “White Day.”

PHILIPPINES

People in the Philippines also exchange flowers, cards, and sweets on February 14th, but recently Valentine’s Day has become the day when couple decide to get married or renew their vows.

GHANA

Valentine’s Day in Ghana is also celebrated as “Chocolate Day,” which was started by the Ghanaian government in 2005 to increase tourism. On this day, performances and music events appear alongside special themed menus for the enjoyment of citizens and visitors alike.

SOUTH AFRICA

In South Africa, local traditions amplify the usual exchange of cards and flowers. In some parts of the country, women literally wear their hearts on their sleeves — usually a paper heart bearing the name of their love. According to the tradition, this is how men discover the identities of their secret admirers.

NIGERIA

Nigerians celebrate Valentine’s Day in a very personal way. While the customs of buying chocolates and flowers do exist, traditionally people in Nigeria cook special meals and make their own cards on this day. In Lagos, the streets are decorated with pink and red streamers and heart-shaped signs, and everyone wishes everyone a Happy Valentine’s Day.

How do you celebrate Valentine’s Day?