There are romantic getaways and then there are places that treat Valentine’s Day like the celebration it is supposed to be — a festival of love. Here are three destinations that have some interesting traditions worth being a part of.
Scotland
The low-down: In Scotland, there is a little traditional gathering, hosted in certain circles, during which an equal number of unmarried males and females write their name on a piece of paper, which is then folded and placed into a hat, one for the ladies and one for the men. They then draw a name from the opposite gender's hats. It is usually expected that the male partners with the female who selected his name. This rite having been completed, the company split up into couples and gifts are given to the ladies. The females then pin the name of their partner over their hearts or on their sleeves. A dance often follows and, at the end of the festival, it is not unusual for marriages to take place.
X-factor: Another very important and enthusiastically followed tradition is the search of a date. According to this Scottish custom, the first young man or woman encountered on the street or elsewhere on this day becomes his or her Valentine and the day is celebrated with them.
Best for: Scotland's reputation for romantic venues is already well known throughout the world, especially the small village of Gretna Green, which is famous as a place for romantic weddings. It is the first village over the Scottish border on the road from England to Glasgow. It is particularly renowned for being the place where young English elope.
It is also believed that the remains of St Valentine are in the church of Blessed St John Duns Scotus in Glasgow, a little-known fact that has led it to styling itself as the "city of love" in recent years.
Italy
The low-down: In Italy, Valentine's Day was once celebrated as a spring festival, held in the open air, where young people would gather in tree arbours or ornamental gardens to listen to music and read poetry. However, over the course of some years, this custom steadily waned and has not now been celebrated for centuries. In Turin, it was formerly the custom for betrothed couples to announce their engagements on February 14. For several days ahead of time, the stores would be decorated and filled with all manner of bon-bons.
X-factor: Another interesting tradition followed in Italy saw unmarried girls waking up before sunrise. People strongly believed that the first man an unmarried girl sees on this day, or someone who looks like him, would marry her within a year. Girls, therefore, used to wake up early and stand by their window to watch a man pass.
For the people of Italy, the major day for celebration of love is "il giorno della festa degli innamorati" as lover's exclusively celebrate this day; family members and friends do not exchange gifts.
Best for: A popular Valentine's Day gift in Italy is Baci Perugina - small, chocolate-covered hazelnuts containing a small slip of paper with a romantic, poetic quote in four languages.
Denmark
The low-down: The Danish valentine card is known as a "lover's card". Older versions of this greeting came in the form of a transparency which, when held up to the light, depicted the image of a lover handing his beloved a gift. One custom in Denmark is for people to send pressed white flowers called "snowdrops" to their friends.
X-factor: Danish men may also send a form of valentine known as a gaekkebrev (joking letter). The sender pens a rhyme, but does not sign his name. Instead, he signs the message with dots, one dot for each letter in his name. If the lady who receives the card guesses the name of the sender, then she is rewarded with an Easter egg later in the year.
Best for: February 14 is considered a get-together day for everybody in Denmark. Live music concerts are the other main attraction - famous music bands come here to perform on this day. Many people choose to visit the Little Mermaid, Den Lille Havfure in Copenhagen and the famous Tivoli amusement park. |
