From literally wearing their heart on their sleeve to praying to a patron saint of marriage, Valentine’s Day celebrations run the gamut around the world.
Here in the U.S., it’s candy, flowers and sometimes a marriage proposal that takes place on Feb. 14. But the day isn’t always celebrated in February and it’s not only sweets and roses that make the day special for others.
For example, in Wales, the Welsh celebrate St. Dwynwen’s Day on Jan. 25. She is considered the patron saint of lovers. On this day it’s customary for young men to carve ornate wooden spoons and offer them as a gift to the one they love. In Africa, young women write the name of their crush on a paper heart and pin it to their sleeve — literally wearing their heart on their sleeve. Chocolate is big in Japan on Valentine’s Day, but you have to know what kind of chocolate to give and it’s the women who do the giving. There’s “Giri” and “Honmei” chocolate. Giri is store-bought and is given to platonic male friends, colleagues or teachers. Honmei (which translates to “favorite”) is usually handmade and when given to a man, he can safely assume that he is her one and only true love.