Friday, 10 February 2017

Valentine’s Day Traditions from Around the World

Have you been in a grocery store or a card shop in the last couple of weeks? There are hearts everywhere. Pink hearts. Red hearts. Even purple hearts. Not to mention the chocolate overload. No thanks! (I’m still recovering from Christmas!)
It's a little over the top in my opinion. Sure, I’ll pass out Valentine’s Day cards at school, and I’ll buy Mom and Grandma roses because it’s tradition (and Dad helps out with the cost), but for the most part, it will be just like any other day for me. (Unless Grandma makes her special heart-shaped sugar cookies—those are hearts I can get behind! Or heart-shaped pizza. Yum. I love pizza!) Ahem. I digress.
Anyway, for a school project, I started doing some research on different Valentine’s traditions from around the world—because learning about various cultures this past month and a half has been AMAZING. And I discovered some cool stuff. Like, did you know that the Danish celebrate Valentine’s Day by giving friends pressed white flowers called snowdrops? I was thinking that might be a cool idea for my friend Sophie.
In South Africa, women pin the names of their crushes on their sleeves, allowing everyone to learn about their secret admirers. Uh, I think I’ll avoid that tradition. Gulp. 
Valentine’s Day isn’t even celebrated on February 14 in China, Brazil, or Wales (they have other special days), and in England, girls leave bay leaves on their pillows (yes, the kind used for cooking!) to bring dreams of their future husbands. And apparently, Valentine’s Day is the most popular day to get married in the Philippines. Huh.
It’s so fascinating to see how Valentine’s Day is celebrated around the world. Do you have any traditions? 
Have a great weekend!
~ Chase Superman Duffy

No comments:

Post a Comment