Spreading Love for Valentine’s Day: Celebrations Around the World
At Simply Inspired, we love any reason to spread joy through sharing gifts and affection. So naturally, we love Valentine’s Day! As a part of our mission to understand the teams we work with and their cultures, we always strive to learn more about their native traditions. And holidays are a great place to start! Today, we’re going to uncover some fun traditions in locations that are important to our Simply Inspired community.
❤️ Valentine’s Day Celebrations in Nepal
If you have shopped Simply Inspired before, you know that all of our most beloved felted wool products are handcrafted with love by talented women artisans in Nepal! In Nepal, Valentine’s day is called Prem Diwas or Pranaya Dwas. It hasn’t been celebrated as long there as in the United States and was brought to light when international media started streaming in the early-1990s. Still, it’s being adopted more year after year and is mostly celebrated by younger generations who are up-to-date on global news and social media. They partake in all the traditions we know like chocolates, cards, and teddy bears for loved ones!
Fun fact: Nepal was actually chosen by the Huffington Post as one of the most romantic spots to visit for this love-centric holiday!
❤️ Valentine’s Day Celebrations in Denmark
Our Maileg collection originated in Denmark in 1999, and boy are we glad they expanded here in the U.S.! For Valentine’s Day, they have a fun tradition where they share what’s called a gaekkebrev. It is a square piece of paper that has cut-outs, similar to a paper snowflake, with a personalized note written on it. They can be funny or sweet, depending on who you’re gifting it to! They will usually share this gaekkebrev with a white snowdrop flower. This is claimed to date back to the 18th century and has taken a bit of a backseat to chocolates and gifts, but it’s still a popular way to celebrate.
❤️ Valentine’s Day Celebrations in Peru & Ecuador
Our eco-friendly alpaca wool products are handcrafted by artisans in Peru and Ecuador! The holiday in Latin America is called Dia de San Valentin or Día del Amor y la Amistad, which translates to Day of Love and Friendship. They’re intent on celebrating not just romantic love, but friendship as well, which is so beautiful. In Peru, you won’t find roses as a gift, because they actually exchange stunning local orchids as their main tradition for the holiday! In Ecuador, they love all blooms—in fact, they’re one of the largest producers of flowers shipped to the U.S. In schools near Quito and beyond, you can typically purchase a rose and chocolate to send to classmates and they’re delivered at the end of the day.
❤️ Valentine’s Day Celebrations in France
Our partners at Moulin Roty are based in France and started there all the way back in the 1970s. With France considered one of the most romantic countries in the world, it should come as no surprise that Valentine’s Day, referred to as La Saint-Valentin, is an uber-romantic holiday. They don’t celebrate friendly relationships in France, it’s only for those who are truly “in love”. As such, celebrations are typical with romantic candlelit dinners and chocolate or jewelry gifts.
❤️ Valentine’s Day Celebrations in Uganda
We work with Kazi in Uganda to share incredible handwoven homewares crafted from organically-dyed raffia fibers. What’s most interesting about Valentine’s Day celebrations in Uganda is how similar they are to our own here in the U.S. Men gift women flowers and jewelry, go on dates, and it’s a big day for marriage proposals. They traditionally wear red and black, and shops will decorate with those colors too.
Share Your Valentine’s Day Traditions With Simply Inspired
Now, we want to hear your Valentine’s Day traditions! Take a photo, head to Instagram, and share your tradition with the hashtag #LiveSimplyInspired. Maybe it will spark some ideas for others in our Simply Inspired community who are still trying to plan their special celebrations for this lovely holiday.
