Posted on : 06th January 2011
Love is a universal phenomenon. It is no wonder then that an occasion like Valentines day is celebrated around the world with a lot of enthusiastic fervor. People start planning for that perfect celebration days or even weeks in advance. The nature of festivities differ as per the variations in cultural influences. Here is a brief outlook on Valentines day celebration across Europe and USA.

Valentines Day in USA
Valentines day is an occasion that has become very popular as a universal celebration and a day for 'declaration of love' across America and Canada. People of all ages and in all life stages wait for Valentines day to make their loved ones feel special. Young children celebrate this day in school and with their neighbourhood friends by exchanging cards, gifts and sweets like chocolates and candies. Teenagers have their own way of observing this day, they go on dance parties with their sweethearts and present them with gifts. The adults, engaged or married celebrate this day with their current love interests or the love of their lives. This day is no longer restricted to celebrating 'romantic love' in many cultures. The pioneer for this trend has been countries like USA and Canada, who have introduced this new aspect of celebration of love across relationships.

Valentines Day in UK
Valentine's day has been associated with many customs that can be traced to earlier times. Most of these traditions are in relevance to the association of Valentines day with fertility. There are many customs that have been initiated and carried forward by women, who are considered to be the more romantic of the two genders. Children in England sing songs and are rewarded with sweets and gifts on Valentine's day. A popular Valentines day tradition is the baking of Valentine buns with caraway seeds, plums, or raisins. England is representative of expressing feelings and emotions of love through words. This has happened courtesy many poets and writers who have made people associate England with Valentines day literature . There is a custom wherein romantic verses, sonnets and poetry are published in leading newspapers and tabloids of England a few weeks before Valentine day.

In Scotland, people send cards with love messages to their loved ones on this day. These cards are sent secretly and are known as “Valentines”. Children too participate in Valentines day by making cards and writing poems and rhymes in them. In Scotland, unattached people go in search of their Valentines, it is said that the first person you meet on this day will become your Valentine. Even though, the overall celebratory atmosphere in Scotland leans towards private affairs. There are many games played in community gatherings on Valentines day which involve unmarried men and women.

Other European Countries:
In Italy, it is considered romantic to get engaged on Valentines day. People get gift baskets containing gifts and sweets on this day. And, women in general believe that they will get introduced to their 'to be husbands' on this day.

In Spain, the tradition of exchanging gifts, flowers and notes is limited to the romantic love interests only.

The French Valentine day customs are in the same vein as in England. Though, there are some popular love games that are understood to be specifically associated with this country. And, the tradition of sending Valentines Day cards and letters is supposed to have started in France in some part of mid fourteenth-fifteenth centuries.

In Denmark, some popular Valentine's day traditions include sending love cards with love poems, beautiful romantic love notes and white flowers called 'snowdrops' to valentines and friends. A custom specific to Denmark is writing 'gaekkebrev' (funny romantic poems and verses) which end with a blank space in place of the sender's name.Young girls who are able to guess the name of the sender correctly are rewarded with an Easter egg the same year.