Love Holidays from Around the World

With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, it’s tempting to rail against the North American traditions that lead us to stress about dinner reservations and spend all our money on chocolates every February 14^th. However, we’re not the only ones with elaborate holidays that celebrate love.

Around the world, almost every culture and country have a holiday that focuses on love and romantic relationships. If you get tired of Valentine’s Day this year, why not take a year off and celebrate another holiday like the Korean White Day or the Welsh Dydd Santes Dwynwen instead?

To spark your curiosity, here are a few ways that people around the world celebrate the love.

1. White Day – South Korea

In parts of Asia like Japan and South Korea, it’s traditional for women to present men with gifts on Valentine’s Day rather than a more egalitarian arrangement. To correct this imbalance, White Day was started in the late 1970s by the Japanese confectionary industry, who encouraged men to “repay” their female admirers by buying them white chocolates or candies one month after Valentine’s Day.

Every year on March 14^th, men can give honmei-choco (chocolate of love) to a romantic partner, or giri-choco (courtesy chocolate) to a female friend, co-worker, or family member. Chocolates are just one of the most popular gifts — white lingerie or jewelry are common presents for a girlfriend or wife.