In case you were unaware, this upcoming Saturday is February 14th, also known as Valentine’s Day. For those of us that are single, this day becomes either a day to express couple – related mourning and/or anguish, or a day to flaunt our singleness in hopes of ignoring our own insecurities as we watch couples all around campus make us sick.

For those of us that are one of these happy love – flaunting couples, Valentine’s Day can also bring gift giving horror. What do you do when you’re out of ideas to express your love? Perhaps you should consider other Valentine’s Day traditions around the world for inspiration.
In the Australia, Valentine’s Day really took off when miners were getting rich during a gold rush. Not only did they buy the typical expensive gifts (perfume, flowers, ornaments, etc.), but they took it one step further. These trinkets usually also contained either a bird of paradise flower or a taxidermy humming bird. If you’ve been thinking of mounting that dead animal in your freezer, you could possibly use this as a gift to your beloved in hopes of citing not – so – ancient Australian traditions.
In Europe, the country of Denmark lengthens the entire holiday festival. Often, joking letters called gaekkebrev are given. The letters are laughable and given to friends as well as lovers. The names, however, are signed at the end with dots or holes in the paper. If the person who is given the note can correctly guess the sender, then at Easter they receive a candy egg from that person. Elsewhere in Europe, Spain chooses to swap the holiday. For Valentine’s Day it is the wife’s responsibility to give gifts to her husband. In exchange, the husband buys the wife flowers.
In Britain and Italy, there are even traditions for the unmarried. Single women are told to get up before sunrise on Valentine’s Day. They wait at their window, and watch for the first man to pass by it. They believe that the first man to pass by the window, or one who looks like him, will marry them within the year. Another tradition for unmarried women took place in England. A woman would write several men’s names on small pieces of paper and roll them in clay. The pieces of paper were placed in a jar filled with water the eve of Valentine’s Day. It was believed that whichever piece of paper floated to the top first was to be the woman’s true love. Many other English traditions are concerned with helping single women predict the man of their dreams.
In Japan, Valentine’s Day is actually a day that women again switch roles. Many women are obligated to give chocolates to all their male coworkers. However, on March 14th a holiday has emerged for men to return the favor and give women chocolate. In South Korea, women also buy chocolate for men. If a single person does not receive anything on Valentine’s Day, they go to a Chinese restaurant to eat black noodles and “mourn” their single status.
Before St. Valentine, the namesake of the holiday, a similar festival was held for love. However, this ancient tradition was for the young Roman men. Young men would draw names of young women out of a box and that women would become the man’s companion for the rest of the year. It is probably best not to consider this ancient tradition when gift giving – unless you want to lose your date for Valentine’s Day.
While these traditions from around the world may or may not be useful in your dilemma, they may give you the chance to view the holiday in a new light. Hope you enjoy your Valentine’s Day no matter your status!