The holiday of St. Valentine’s Day is observed in a variety of unique ways around the globe. Let’s take a look at the many ways in which individuals from other nations celebrate their culture and heritage.
Australia
In the early days of Australia, the most over-the-top valentines were distinguished by a satin pillow that served as their signature. They were embellished with a few flowers and shells here and there. The majority of them had a Bird of Paradise feather strung around their necks. It was a really stylish look, but it came at a high price.
United States of America
The greeting cards have been the focal point of the festivities that have taken place in the United States of America. The cards used to be hand-colored, stunning, and distinctive in their drawings. They were produced using lace paper and bejewelled with beads, seashells, cones, and other items. Children in the United States traditionally exchange Valentine’s Day cards with one another and celebrate the holiday with a get-together.
Britain
Valentine’s Day is closely associated with a number of romantic poems that are associated with Saint Valentine in the United Kingdom. It is accompanied by the exchange of greeting cards, flowers, and chocolates. When the youngsters sing the designated songs, they are rewarded with gifts such as fruit or money. People in certain regions prepare Valentine’s Day buns by stuffing them with plums or raisins.
France
In France, there was an instance of a standard that was “drawn for.” In this activity, single people would cry out to one another from the windows of their homes that faced each other, and then they would form pairs with the individual whose name was called. Should she fail to enchant him, the guy has said that he would dump his valentine. At the very end, the ladies would verbally assault their ungrateful boyfriends while burning images of them. On the other hand, the government of France has abandoned this practise. As a modern-day Valentine’s Day present, fashionable French greeting cards known as cartes d’amities are given to one another. These cards carry sentiments of love and are written in French.
Germany
Flowers have evolved into the standard token of esteem that the young man is expected to offer to the woman he loves who lives in Germany. Tokens of affection imbued with endearing phrases are another kind of present. On the other hand, you may get one of them on any day of the year and not only on Valentine’s Day. Once upon a time, marriage certificates were also seen of as being valentines. These days, however, they are symbolic papers that feature lovely poetry.
Italy
Once upon a time, the day of Saint Valentine was celebrated in Italy as a spring festival. In the evenings, the younger generation would congregate in the gardens to perform music and recite poetry. This custom was progressively abandoned as more time passed, and it is not included in the festivities any more.
Turin
On Valentine’s Day, it was traditional for couples in Turin to publicise their engagements to their friends and family. Many days in advance of the advent of this day, the stores would be decked up in festive décor and stocked to the brim with a wide variety of presents and accessories.
Japan
The Japanese women are of the opinion that store-bought sweets such as chocolates and cakes do not adequately represent their genuine feelings for one another. As a result, people make the sweets in the comfort of their own homes.
Spain
In Spain, it is customary for courting partners to give presents and bouquets of flowers to one another during the course of their courtship. It’s possible that various parts of the globe have somewhat different customs for commemorating Valentine’s Day, but no matter where you are, the most important thing is to show your loved ones how much you care on this special day.
Commercialization Of Valentine’s Day
As February approaches, many establishments choose a vibrant hue of red as their primary colour. This is due to the fact that there will be a great deal of merchandise available for purchase that has a clear connection to the Valentine’s Day holiday. During the Valentine’s Day season, there will be a large selection of greeting cards, chocolates, flowers, and a multitude of other things that are linked with the holiday. This holiday is loved by the retailers since it often results in a significant cash bonanza for these establishments. There will always be traditionalists who hold the view that the commercialization of Valentine’s Day is repugnant, despite the fact that retailers enjoy the influx of cash that the holiday of Valentine’s Day brings in. Now, while this may be true, the stores enjoy the cash that the holiday of Valentine’s Day brings in. But does the commercialization genuinely bring about negative consequences, or does it also bring about some positives?
When it comes to the commercialization of Valentine’s Day, there is a quite intriguing issue that has to be asked, and that question is whether or not the commercialization of a holiday is actually all that awful. This is a topic that needs to be asked. Now, this may seem like a weird topic to ask since the majority of people have been conditioned to think that the commercialization of anything is a bad thing for such a long time that it has been hardwired into their beliefs. This remark, although not entirely accurate, has an element of reality since, in many cases, the real history, traditions, and goals of the holiday are replaced by commercialism. People have a tendency to gloss over one particular facet of the commercialization of holidays, and that facet is the fact that there are a number of significant positives associated with commercialization that provide a number of valuable aspects. However, this facet of the commercialization of holidays is something that people frequently overlook.
However, the practise of turning Valentine’s Day into a commercial holiday is not a recent development. In point of fact, the commercialization of Valentine’s Day began long before there was even a single festival specifically designated for celebrating romantic love. Esther Howland, a lady who lived in the early 1800s, is credited with being the first person to conceptualise the idea of a Valentine’s Day card. This was a full century before to the introduction of Valentine’s Day as an official holiday, which took place on February 14th. It is unknown how much money she made off of her idea, but it is unlikely that she made billions of dollars, despite the fact that this is the amount of money that greeting card companies have made over the years thanks to the enormous amount of money that has been made off of the sales of these cards over the years.
Now, it’s possible that some people may believe that this kind of commercialization is the kind that takes advantage of the occasion for commercial benefit and takes away from the genuine spirit of the celebration. Now, this is a fairly cynical attitude to all of the awareness and interest that the Valentine’s Day business affords thanks to its increasing level of commercialization. In point of fact, keeping a variety of different objects and products related with Valentine’s Day available and publicly exhibiting these items in public ensures that the holiday continues to exist and does not get relegated to the category of holidays that have been forgotten. In addition, the holiday has grown more welcoming to a wider range of people as a result of the commercialization of the event. It used to be a holiday that was celebrated only in the Catholic tradition, but now it has evolved into a holiday that is honoured by people of all faiths and backgrounds, which is, in the long run, a positive development.
Even while there is the potential for some issues to arise as a result of excessive marketing, the fact that the holiday takes place within a society based on free markets means that commercialization is unavoidable. That, on the other hand, does not necessarily point to a negative outcome.
