Celebrating love can look different from person to person. However, at this special time of year, many people get together to celebrate Valentine’s Day on the 14th of February.
Every year millions of people across the world reserve the date of the 14th of February to celebrate and appreciate their love for their partner. This celebration of love is different for each person and can be done in many different ways. The most classical way is usually by flowers, cards, and chocolates however this is not the case for everyone.
Valentine’s Day In Different Countries
According to numbers from Statista, Valentine’s Day is celebrated by over half of adults in the USA. While this seems like a high number, numbers also show that Americans are less likely to celebrate this day currently than 10-20 years ago. However, in 2024 a total of 26 billion US dollars are expected to be spent in the USA suggesting that this holiday is not going anywhere anytime soon.
When looking at Valentine’s Day celebrations across the world some clear trends are shown such as going on a date, and buying flowers and chocolates. According to an article from Today, in Taiwan flowers play a great role in displaying your love. Even so much that tradition says if you receive a bouquet with exactly 108 flowers, it is a marriage proposal.
In Japan, chocolates are especially important, while in Finland the 14th of February is celebrated as Ystävänpäivä translating into “Friend’s Day”. On this day small presents are exchanged between closest friends. In the Philippines, Valentine’s Day is known as a popular day to get married and the government even sets up large marriage ceremonies. Here many people get married at once.
In Germany, traditions of giving gifts to pigs are common as pigs are a symbol of good luck and love. Finally, in Spain Valentine’s Day is celebrated on the 14th by some yet others celebrate it on the 9th of October honouring Saint Dionysus. On this date, some cities even celebrate by arranging parades and other festive celebrations.
Free things to do for Valentine’s Day
While many of the things advertised for Valentine’s Day cost money and can get rather expensive. There are many things you can do to make this day special without spending a single penny. First of all, you could go for a long walk at a nearby beach, forest area or even in the middle of the city.
Something to do at home could be to watch a long movie together that you have been waiting for a long time to watch. Finally, for the ones that enjoy in-depth conversations, you could write a letter to each other. Read it afterwards or even save the letter for the next year and reflect upon what has changed.
What is Galentine’s Day?
According to the Merriam Webster Dictionary, Galentine’s Day was first introduced in an episode of the popular American TV-series Parks and Recreation in 2010. The term has later become a much more mainstream word. The word stems from a combination of the words “Valentine’s Day” and “gal”. However, Galentine’s Day is celebrated on the 13th of February and is reserved for the celebration of female friendships.
How to celebrate Galentine’s Day
Since Galentine’s Day is a rather new phenomenon there are no set rules, ideas, or assumptions about how the day should be celebrated. Some celebrate this day by simply meeting friends for lunch while others create an at-home spa night with delicious food, relaxing music, and revitalizing face masks. The sky is the limit for what you want to do to celebrate with your girlfriends.
In an article from Cosmopolitan, it is also highlighted how Galentine’s Day can even be a celebration of friendships with long-distance friends. Put on your comfiest pajamas, pour a glass of wine or your drink of choice, and enjoy a long conversation on Facetime with a best friend.
Or you can even choose a movie and watch it at the same time while enjoying some tasty snacks from the comforts of your own home. While you might not be able to see your friend on this day, if 2020 has taught us anything it is the power of using digital tools to stay connected and keep in touch with friends.
Galentine’s Day on TikTok
In true TikTok fashion, a booming trend of people celebrating Galentine’s Day by having sleepovers, and creating cocktails and tasty food has grown across the app. In these videos, it is also shown how to host a themed party with decorations fitting for the day. In the video below Mia Challiner shows how she celebrates a Galentine’s night with a friend:
Another way of celebrating Galentine’s Day would be to organize a “bring a board night”. This trend has rotated all over TikTok for the past year with different spins on it. Consequently, a Galentine’s Day bring-a-board night has also become increasingly popular. Get together with your best friends and everybody brings a different type of board with food of their choice. Influencer Holly Bennett displays just how to arrange the perfect bring-a-board Galentine’s night:
While many people will be celebrating Valentine’s Day on the 14th of February others choose simply not to or celebrate with their friends. Some people enjoy participating in celebrating this romantic and fun day. Even if it is simply a celebration of friendship such as the Finnish “Friendship Day” or a Galentine’s Day with your closest friends. Everyone can be part of these newer traditions, single or taken.
