Valentine Traditions Around the World

In Austria it has become customary for a young man to present his loved one with a bunch of flowers for Valentine's Day.

In Australia during the gold rush, miners who were flushed with new found wealth paid high prices for elaborate valentines. The most extravagant of valentines were made of a satin cushion, perfumed, ornately designed with flowers, colored shells and a taxidermied humming bird or bird of paradise. 

In Britain some unmarried women get up before sunrise on Valentine's Day. They stand by the window watching for a man to pass. They believe that the first man they see, or someone who looks like him, will marry them within a year.

In Denmark people press white flowers called snowdrops and send them to their friends. Danish men send a type of valentine called a gaekkebrev (joking letter). The sender writes a rhyme but does not sign his name. Instead, he signs the valentine with dots, one dot for each letter of his name. If the woman who gets it guesses his name, he rewards her with an Easter egg on Easter. 

In 18th century England unmarried women would pin bay leaves to their pillow on Valentine’s Day in the hope of dreaming of their future husband. Others baked valentine buns with caraway seeds, plums or raisins. 

In France young unmarried people as well as older unmarried people would go into houses facing each other and start calling out across from one window to another, pairing off with the one they have chosen. If the young man didn't fancy his valentine he would desert her and as a result afterwards a bonfire would be lit where the young ladies would burn images of the young man and would yell out abuse as she burnt the image of the young man.

In Germany women plant onions in pots, giving each a man’s name and placing them near the fireplace. The first sprouting onion is the husband-to-be. 

In Japan downtown Tokyo department stores sell elegantly wrapped chocolates, but the candy buyers are all women. In Japan women are expected to give men chocolates. On Feb. 14, office ladies, known as OLs in Japanese, buy giri chocos — obligation chocolates — for their bosses.  If a woman is interested in someone, she lets him know by giving honmei chocolates "true feeling gifts," which bear romantic messages. 

In Italy Valentine's Day is celebrated as a Spring Festival and his held in the open air. The young would gather in leafy glades or ornamental gardens, where they would listen to music and hear poetry read, then they would stroll off with their valentine together into the gardens. In Turin it was once customary for an engaged couple to announce their engagement on this day. For a while before the day shops would be decorated and filled with all sorts of bon-bons.  In Rome  St Valentine's Day in known as Lupercalia - a very romantic and pleasure-loving occasion.

In Mexico the holiday is know as El Día de San Valentín, the day of love and friendship. Balloon vendors sell colorful, heart-shaped declarations of love, reading: Te Amo (I love you), Para mi amor (for my love), or Felicidades (congratulations). Chocolates and red roses are given to friends and family, as well as to lovers and spouses. 

In Scotland Valentine’s Day is celebrated with a festival where equal numbers of single men and women write their names on pieces of paper, roll them up and place them in a men’s hat and women’s hat. Then each person takes the name of a person of the opposite sex. The man is obliged to stick with the valentine who has chosen him. A Scottish valentine superstition (also found in Italy and England ), says that an unmarried woman will marry the first man she sees on that day — or at least somebody who looks like him. 

In Spain it is customary for courting couples to exchange gifts and for husbands to send their wives a bunch of roses.

In the United States and Canada men and women exchange gifts of flowers, candies and other finery such as jewelry, perfume and sexy clothing along with elaborate valentine cards bearing romantic messages. 

In Wales wooden love spoons are carved and given as gifts on Feb. 14. Hearts, keys and keyholes are favorite decorations on the spoons, meaning: "You unlock my heart."  

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