Traditionally, Valentines Day is celebrated on February 14th, but there is a growing trend of celebrating the holiday earlier or later. While it is still common to spend a romantic night on Valentines Day, some people choose to spend the day at home with their significant other instead. Some countries, such as South Africa, celebrate the holiday all year round, while others, such as the United States and Canada, only celebrate it on Valentine’s Day.
Origins
Despite its modern-day origins, the origins of Valentine’s Day date back thousands of years. Originally, it was a fertility festival. The celebrations included rituals such as sacrificing animals and whipping young maidens. The festival was also a ritual for the Roman god of agriculture, Faunus.
After Christianity was adopted in the Roman Empire, the Lupercalia festival was abolished. The festival was a bloody affair, with women being whipped and men stripping naked. It was also meant to ward off evil spirits.
The festival was eventually replaced by the celebration of St. Valentine of Terni. The legend has it that Valentine fell in love with a blind girl that he healed. He tried to convince Claudius II to embrace Christianity, but he was killed.
Valentine’s Day became a popular holiday in the 1800s. Some say that the romanticism of the holiday was introduced by the poets Geoffrey Chaucer and William Shakespeare.
Valentine’s Day became a holiday in the United States during the mid-1800s. Esther Howland was the daughter of a stationery store owner in Worcester, Massachusetts, and she is often referred to as “The Mother of the American Valentine”. She was one of the first women to produce lace-bordered Valentine’s cards with imagery.
The modern day celebration of Valentine’s Day has its roots in an ancient Roman fertility festival called Lupercalia. This festival was celebrated from February 13-15 every year. The rituals of Lupercalia included lottery pairings, coupling, sacrificing animals, and fertility rites.
Celebration in Canada
- Across Canada, Valentine’s Day is a joyous occasion. It’s a time to show your loved one how much you care. It’s also a time to express your affection by giving them flowers and chocolates.
- The celebration of Valentine’s Day in Canada is similar to that of the US and other countries around the world. There are numerous parties and activities arranged for the occasion, including short plays and songs. These parties promote creativity and encourage imagination.
- Valentine’s Day was first celebrated in the mid-nineteenth century as a celebration of love and romance. Its origin is thought to have come from a pagan fertility festival in Europe, Lupercalia, dedicated to the Roman god of agriculture, Faunus. Later, it became a Christian celebration.
- A number of businesses have special Valentine’s Day menus and are open on the holiday. Valentine’s Day is not a public holiday in Canada, but schools and businesses are open.
- Most couples celebrate Valentine’s Day by having a romantic dinner at home. For those who don’t have the budget for a fancy dinner, an indoor picnic can be a romantic substitute. It’s also a great idea to stock up on some goodies and cook together.
- The top three gifts for Valentine’s Day in Canada are cards, flowers, and candy. The most popular of these is candy. The most expensive gift is jewelry. The third most popular gift is lingerie.
Celebration in Australia
Across the country, Valentine’s Day is celebrated with great pomp and splendour. In Australia, it is a time to celebrate love and strengthen bonds with those we care about.
It is also a time for couples to spend quality time together. Many people choose to celebrate Valentine’s Day by arranging a candle-lit dinner in a beautiful restaurant. Some also propose on this day. In some parts of Australia, businesses will close for the day. In some parts of Australia, people will go on Valentine’s Day staycations, a quiet luxury that allows for time to unwind and get away from the stresses of everyday life.
Valentine’s Day is celebrated in many countries around the world. In Australia, it is celebrated on 14 February. It is also a time when couples exchange gifts and flowers. A survey conducted by Coles found that Australians spend $415 million on Valentine’s Day gifts this year. The survey found that 90% of Australians between the ages of 18 and 24 celebrate Valentine’s Day with great zeal.
During the gold rush period, miners near the Ballarat Mines ordered extravagant Valentines. These Valentines were ornately decorated with flowers and colored shells. These lavish Valentines were valued at thousands of pounds at a time. The miners also distributed sweets and other expensive gifts to their loved ones.
The popularity of Valentine’s Day in Australia has grown considerably during the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. Australians love to celebrate everything in style. In addition to lavish Valentines, Australians also exchange greeting cards, chocolates and flowers.
Celebration in South Africa
Across South Africa, the celebration of Valentine’s Day is a huge affair. Valentine’s Day is a day for couples to get together, to show their love and affection for one another. The day is also a great time to give thoughtful gifts to your loved ones. Here are some of the most interesting Valentine’s Day traditions in South Africa.
One of the most important Valentine’s Day traditions in South Africa is the Lupercalia tradition. Lupercalia is an ancient Roman tradition. It is believed that the rite involved naked men chasing women in the street. In South Africa, the Lupercalia tradition is a modern adaptation of the ancient Roman tradition.
Another popular Valentine’s Day tradition is pinning the name of your crush on your sleeve. Younger women in South Africa often wear the names of their crushes or secret admirers on their sleeve.
In addition to pinning names on sleeve, South Africans also celebrate Valentine’s Day by going on romantic dates, having a nice dinner, and enjoying some chocolates. They also participate in a valentine party, which includes a gift exchange, dancing, and beautiful flower bouquets.
Another popular Valentine’s Day tradition in South Africa is giving Valentine’s Day cards to loved ones. These cards usually contain romantic greeting cards.
It’s also common for men to receive flowers on Valentine’s Day. Women also give men chocolates. The Japanese also have a tradition of presenting men with flowers on Valentine’s Day.
Celebration in South Korea
Originally, Valentine’s Day in Korea was a day of sorrow and loneliness. It is a day for men to confess their love to their crushes, and women to give gifts to their men. However, the holiday has evolved to include a wide range of activities. It is a day when couples in relationships exchange gifts and flowers, and stores promote products that show the relationship between a couple.
- South Korea celebrates Valentine’s Day in three parts. The first part is a day dedicated to couples, the second is a day for singles, and the third is a day for friendship. In each of these three parts, the celebrations are unique.
- The most popular Valentines Day in Korea is the White Day. On this day, men give gifts to women, and women reciprocate. However, there are a few other love days that are not as popular as Valentine’s Day. These include Hug Day, Kiss Day, and Pepero Day.
- The Korean celebration of the Valentine’s Day has evolved to include a wide range of gifts and activities. There are large displays of Valentines Day chocolates in convenience stores, and coffee shop chains may offer a Valentine’s Day-themed menu.
- In Korea, a black bean paste noodle dish, jjajangmyeon, is eaten by singles. This dish has a black sauce, and is usually only eaten in Chinese-Korean restaurants.
- Another day of love in Korea is the Green Day, which is centered around soju (a type of hard alcohol) in a green bottle. It is a day for drinking soju outdoors. It is also a day for couples to sing noraebang together.