Read about Valentine's Day traditions & customs that are followed around the world.

Valentine's Traditions Around The World

Whether you are single, attached, or desperately looking to get hooked, February 14th could be your day! It's true, Valentine's Day is a day devoted to love, a day dedicated to cupid, hearts, red roses and love birds. Nevertheless, it would be a tad bit trite to tag Valentine's Day as a day meant for the love-struck duos alone. Love is a global phenomenon, which is why we have the entire world rejoicing on V-day. Thanks to Saint Valentine, the beatific martyr who sacrificed his life to upkeep the honor of love, today people, irrespective of race, religion, caste or creed, come together and celebrate this day with amazing zeal and plenty of fanfare. Never mind whether you are single or seeing someone, Valentine's Day is the day to commemorate love, in all its forms. People all over the world use this day to express their endless love to their sweethearts, beaus, spouses and their special ones. Over the years, the trend of Valentine's Day celebrations has taken over the entire world in a big way. People go all the way to lavish their loved ones with gifts, cards, flowers and chocolates on this day. The celebrations, however, varies from one nation to another. Nevertheless, the essence of Valentine's Day remains the same everywhere. Trail this write-up to know more about different Valentine's Day traditions around the world.

Although the trend of celebrating 14 February as Valentine's Day is an old one, V-day first came to be commemorated in Great Britain only in the seventeenth century. Soon after, the trend of exchanging small tokens of love and handwritten notes became big. Towards the end of the eighteenth century, handwritten letters were replaced by ready-made greeting cards, a trend that very much remains in vogue up to this day.
Valentine's Day isn't just celebrated in U.K. alone. In fact, nations like Canada, America, Mexico, France, Germany, Japan and Australia celebrate this day with great pomp and show.
During the Middle Ages, it was a popular belief that the first man a girl saw on Valentine's Day would be her future spouse. Not only this, it was also believed that if you saw a squirrel on V-day, you would be married to a tightwad, while if you saw a goldfinch, you would have the good fortune of marrying a millionaire.
Although Valentine's Day is celebrated by exchanging gifts, cards and flowers, in Japanese tradition, it is only the women who bestow gifts on their guys on this day. Japanese women express their love by presenting ‘hon-mei' or chocolates to their sweethearts, beaus or spouses, as a token of their extreme affection.
In Italy, however, unlike other parts of the world, Valentine's Day is exclusively meant for lovers alone, who pamper each other with gifts, lavish dinners, getaways and more.
Valentine's Day in Spain is a lavish affair. The Spaniards celebrate this day by sending red roses and showering their beloved with gifts.

Valentine's Day traditions might vary from nation to nation. However, the essence and joy of this day remains the same everywhere.

Valentine's In Australia
Love, the four letter magical word that gets our head spinning and heart racing, is one feeling that binds people together, irrespective of all differences. It is the king of all emotions, the most wonderful sentiment known to man.

Valentine's Traditions In UK
Valentine's Day is celebrated in the memory of Saint Valentine, the Christian martyr who gave his life in the honor of love. King Claudius decapitated Saint Valentine in 269 A.D. for performing illegal marriages of Roman soldiers,