Valentine’s Day is a few days away, landing on February 14. Everyone knows that you give someone you love things like chocolates and hearts, but not everywhere in the world does the same thing.
In Japan and South Korea, women give something called honmei-choco (which is simply fancy or premium chocolate) to someone they are in love with, such as a boyfriend, crush, or husband. On the other side of the spectrum, women give giri-choco, also known as “obligation chocolates,” to males like co-workers and acquaintances. This is a symbol of duty, courtesy, and friendship with nothing romantic being implied. On March 14, also known as White Day, men get to return the favor and give the women who gave them chocolates white-colored gifts, such as white chocolate, marshmallows, or jewelry. They often give more valuable gifts, as it is seen as a custom.
In Denmark and Norway, they send anonymous letters in the shape of unique snowflakes called gækkebrev to friends and relatives. These letters are witty, teasing poems with dots at the end; each dot represents a letter of the name of the person who sent them the letter. If the person who received the letter gets it right, the sender gives them an Easter egg, and if wrong, they send the sender an Easter egg.
In Finland, instead of it being a romantic type of thing, they do “friends day.” During this time, they honor friends and celebrate platonic love. Family, friends, and colleagues gather to give gifts, cards, and chocolates, and meet up at coffee shops and go out for food.
Germany has similar traditions to the US, as it is a day of romantic love, giving heart-shaped chocolates and gifts. However, Germans do something we do not, which is give pig-themed items such as keychains or candy.
Many other countries celebrate Valentine’s Day in their own unique way. Now you know that Valentine’s Day isn’t just about chocolate and love, but can also be a day to honor friendship and family. As people across the world find meaningful ways to celebrate the day, one thing is obvious: chocolate tastes good.
