Europe
Being home to some of the most romantic countries in the world, it鈥檚 no wonder that the celebration of love on Valentine鈥檚 Day has spread throughout Europe. While some European celebrations closely emulate the holiday鈥檚 culture in the U.S., others have also taken on their own unique interpretations of the holiday.
In France, for instance, 鈥淟a Saint Valentin鈥 is celebrated exclusively by lovers and usually adults. They will often exchange small gifts and share a romantic dinner or weekend getaway. After all, France includes Paris, the renowned 鈥淐ity of Love,鈥 making it a common destination for tourists near Valentine鈥檚 Day. French teacher Laura Lizundia believes this is due to both France鈥檚 landscape and language. 鈥淓verywhere you go is quite beautiful in its own way,鈥 she said. 鈥淎lso, people associate the language鈥攈ow it sounds鈥攁s being quite pretty, and I don鈥檛 deny that. It is a beautiful language.鈥
While Valentine鈥檚 Day was popularized in France and England around the Middle Ages, 鈥淰alentinstag鈥 didn鈥檛 reach Germany until after World War II, when American soldiers stationed there brought their traditions. According to junior Ella Brueser, who moved from Germany this semester, the holiday in Germany is similar to France in that it is not as huge of a celebration as in America and consists of majoritively adult participation. 鈥淎t school, we can buy flowers and give them to the people we like, but in general, we don鈥檛 really celebrate it,鈥 she said. 鈥淲e don鈥檛 have a Valentine鈥檚 Day dance, and in the supermarket, we don鈥檛 have a Valentine鈥檚 Day section.鈥
Not all European countries confine Valentine鈥檚 to only lovers. Feb. 14 marks Friend鈥檚 Day in Finland and Estonia, a celebration of platonic love. Popularized among schoolchildren in the 1980s and spread to adults in the 1990s, this tradition is relatively new, though it gained much popularity in recent years. While couples still enjoy this day together, it鈥檚 common to see friends of all ages celebrating as well with shared meals, sporting event attendance, sauna sessions, gift-exchanges and card-giving. In Estonia, singles are invited to ride a special 鈥渓ove bus鈥 to find a potential match.