does not sign the letter using his name.
Instead, he
Valentine's Day Traditions
Around the World
Americans celebrate Valentine’s Day each year on
February 14. Images of hearts are everywhere, as are
red roses and boxes of chocolates to give to that
special person. You could say that “love is in the air.”
Many other countries celebrate Valentine’s Day, too,
each in their own way. Here is a look at four countries’
Valentine’s Day traditions.
JAPAN
A woman buys Valentine's Day
chocolates at a store in Tokyo
Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2012. (AP
Photo/Shizuo Kambayashi)
For Japanese people, Valentine’s Day is all about
chocolate! On February 14, women in Japan give out
two kinds of chocolate. One is called Giri-choco. The
other is Honmei-choco.
Giri-choco is not very costly. Women give these
chocolates to friends and male coworkers. And in
schools, female students prepare bags of Giri-choco
on February 14 to pass out to friends.
Women make homemade Honmei-choco to give to
someone special. They may offer Honmei as a way to
express their love to that person.
One month after Valentine’s Day, Japan celebrates
White Day on March 14. Men who received chocolates
on February 14 return the favor with white-colored
treats for women. Japan celebrated the first White
Day in 1978. Candy manufacturers pushed the
creation of the holiday as a way to sell more of their
sweets.
Several other Asian countries also celebrate White
Day, including Vietnam and South Korea.
DENMARK
Valentine’s Day is a new holiday in Denmark. Young
people in the country began celebrating it in the early
1990s. While Americans give red roses, young Danes
celebrate Valentine’s Day with white flowers called
“snowdrops.” They give the flowers to both friends
and lovers.
One of the biggest Danish Valentine’s Day traditions is
the exchange of a lover’s card. In the past, these cards
showed a photograph of the card-giver offering a gift
to their lover. Today, though, any kind of card
exchanged on Valentine’s Day is called a lover’s card.
Also on February 14, Danish men often give women
something called a “gaekkebrev.” In English, this
translates to a “joke letter.” They are often written as a
poem on specially created cut paper. But the writer
uses dots – one for each letter in his name. According
to tradition, if the woman correctly guesses who sent
her the joke letter, she gets an Easter egg that same
year.
BRAZIL
In Brazil, the country’s huge Carnival Celebration
overshadows Valentine’s Day. So Brazilians mark a
similar day later in the year, on June 12. The holiday is
called Dia dos Namorados, or Lovers’ Day. Brazilians
celebrate with gifts of cards, flowers and chocolates, in
the same way as Americans. But instead of celebrating
Saint Valentine, they celebrate Saint Anthony.
The following day, June 13, is Saint Anthony’s Day. The
Portuguese Catholic priest was known for helping
couples in their relationships. For that reason, Saint
Anthony is considered the marriage and matchmaking
saint.
PHILIPPINES
Filipino couples kiss during a
mass wedding ahead of
Sunday's Valentine's Day
celebration in Manila,
Philippines, Feb. 12, 2016 (AP
Photo/Bullit Marquez)
The Philippines celebrates
Valentine’s Day in a big way – with large group
weddings. In fact, in recent years, February 14 has
become one of the most common
wedding anniversaries in the country.
Hundreds, or even thousands, of Filipino couples
gather in one place to say “I do” during a public
ceremony. Local government officials may lead
the mass weddings. The ceremonies are often free,
and include flowers, a wedding cake and sometimes
even wedding rings.
Does your country celebrate Valentine's Day or a day
like it? Let us know in the comments section.
I'm Caty Weaver.
And I'm Ashley Thompson
Rei Goto wrote this report for VOA Learning English.
Ashley Thompson was the editor.
WORDS IN THIS STORY
romantic – adj. of, relating to, or involving love
between two people.
dot - n. a small round mark.
overshadow - v. to cause (something or someone) to
seem less important or impressive when compared to
something or someone else.
saint – n. one of God’s chosen and usually Christian
people mass – adj. involving, affecting, or designed for
many people.