How St. Valentine’s Day is celebrated around the world

Most countries honor this feast day, but how they celebrate it varies greatly from place to place.

The West has a habit of spreading around the globe its most cherished cultural institutions—Santa Claus, Hallowe’en, Starbucks, KFC. Unlike fried chicken, however, which is pretty much the same the world over, some customs don’t translate in quite the same way to other countries. It turns out that the celebration of St. Valentine’s Day looks very different in different parts of the world.

There are places that celebrate St. Valentine’s Day much as Americans do, with dinner dates, long-stemmed roses, and boxes full of chocolate. But some places see it as a day to celebrate family or friends, or as a day for women to show affection for men, Sadie Hawkins-style. Some countries don’t even celebrate on February 14 at all, but instead have a different day of the year set aside to honor lovers and romance.

However you celebrate this day (and even if you don’t!), come along and see the wide variety of ways in which different countries honor St. Valentine’s Day by clicking the slideshow.

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