By Alisa Madison
February 14th today, many of us will shower our loved ones with cards, chocolates, flowers, a romantic overpriced dinner or maybe even expensive jewelry. The celebration of love as we know it in America, developed in 1861 when candy maker Richard Cadbury came up with the brilliant idea of selling chocolates in heart-shaped packages. Valentine’s Day has since evolved into one of the biggest consumer spending days of the year.
Americans are expected to spend over $20.7 billion on Valentine’s Day for 2019. This means that the average person is expected to spend about $160 on the holiday this year on classic items such as flowers, candy and jewelry. The National Retail Federation reported that 55% of Americans celebrating the holiday in 2018, spent an average of $143.56 for a total of $19.6 billion, which was up from the $18.2 billion spent in 2017.
While buying gifts for the people we love is a great way to show our appreciation, it is not the only way. Here are some fun and unusual traditions from around the world.
You are unlikely to find Welsh citizens exchanging boxes of chocolates on February 14th. The country’s residents associate the day of romance with Saint Dwynwen, the patron saint of lovers, and celebrate it, slightly earlier, on January 25. The tradition, which has been around since the 17th century, entails exchanging wooden love spoons that incorporate traditional symbols like hearts for love, horseshoes for good luck, and wheels to indicate support. The cutlery, which is now a popular choice of gift even for weddings, anniversaries, and births, is of course purely ornamental and not practical for daily use.
Valentine’s Day in Japan is observed by women giving men one of two types of chocolates: “Giri-choco” (obligation chocolate), while “Honmei-choco” is designed for friends, associates, and bosses, and is usually homemade. Men a month later on White Day, show their appreciation and affection, with gifts that range from flowers to chocolates and even jewelry, depending on the relationship. In addition to being white, the gifts are also traditionally worth three times the value of what the men received. It is therefore not surprising that other Asian countries like South Korea, Vietnam, China, and Hong Kong have also adopted this fun tradition.
The Danish began to celebrate Valentine’s Day, in the 1990s, and have added their own twist to the holiday. Instead of exchanging roses and candies, friends and sweethearts give each other white flowers, called snowdrops. Men also give women an anonymous gaekkebrev, a “joking letter,” that contains a funny poem or rhyme. If the recipient can guess the name of the sender, she is rewarded with an Easter egg later in the year.
As a new tradition from all of us at the MOUNTAINREPORTER.COM on this VALENTINES DAY we are sending you digitally this Valentine’s Day wish.
