Valentines Day around the world

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Introduction
Welcome

History
Pre 1400AD
1400AD-1800AD
1800AD to now
Pre-Christian mythology

Other facts
The Saints
Cards
Valentines around the world

References

Other Valentine Days

St Valentine’s Day is essentially a Christian-originated celebration, even though it never really had much to do with any specific Christian teaching and far more to do with non-Christian fertility rites. As a result other, non-Christian, nations do not have a Valentine’s Day. However commercial companies, seeing what an excellent money-spinner it is, have made a concerted effort to create Valentine’s Days in other countries.

Japan
Valentine’s Day is a day when women, rather more than men, give chocolate, sweets or flowers to people they like. Unfortunately it has become more of an obligation and has come to include all their male coworkers, which can become extremely expensive.

March 14th has become White Day which is intended as being the day when men are supposed to reciprocate. This hasn’t worked too well and they only give to girlfriends, the White Day name refers to white chocolate or marshmallows, but has been extended to include lingerie.

China
The equivalent of Valentine’s Day in Chinese culture is "The Night of the Sevens" which is the 7th day of the seventh month, which is moveable by the normal western calendar as it is measured by lunar cycles.

In addition there is the last day of the Chinese New Year when, according to tradition, girls write their name and address on an orange and throw it into a river for it to find their love.