Do you celebrate Valentine's Day in your country?
By thewayis
@thewayis (646)
Bulgaria
January 20, 2010 3:16am CST
Here, in Bulgaria, people are devided in two groups. The first group is against Valentine's Day because it is a Catholic holiday and we have an Orthodox holiday and the very same date. This group is irritated by the comersialism of Valentine's day and by the fact that there are people who prefer to celebrate it instead of celebrating our Bulgarian celebration.
The other group of people don't accept Valentine's day as a Catholic holiday of their saint Valentine, they accept it as a holiday of love. A day when you can show your beloved one that he/she is special to you and you don't care whose holiday it is.
My opinion is controversial, because I really hate "adopted" holidays. We didn't celebrate Valentine's day or Haloween some years ago but we do now and it irritates me. On the other hand, I don't mind having a holiday of love.
I know that there are a lot of people from different countries here. How is your colture dealing with Valentine's day? Do you accept it or resent it? Do you think that there is too much fuss over it or you are enjoying it?
2 people like this
20 responses
@nautilus33 (1827)
•
20 Jan 10
Hi! Yes, i am from Bulgaria too, but for me the St. Valentine's Day is just an ordinary one. I mean why should people who love each other wait for a day in the year, just one day during the whole year, to show to themselves that they love each other. Can we make it every day, can we celebrate our love every single day, or every week? Why should we all wait for this day to show ourselves and the others that we love somebody? And as you say, St. Valentine's day is not an Orthodox holiday! I am all with you, that we should not celebrate the holidays of the so-called "West world" 
We have our own holidays, and I think they are very good and nice!!! I am 100% Bulgarian
We have our own holidays, and I think they are very good and nice!!! I am 100% Bulgarian
@dorannmwin (36392)
• United States
22 Jan 10
Well, we most definitely celebrate Valentine's Day in the United States. However, I personally don't like to celebrate it. It's such a very commercial holiday and I'm not really thrilled with the idea of all the commercial holidays. For the past several years my husband and I have tried to have a date night sometime around Valentine's day, but we don't do gifts or cards to one another because we aren't going to support the commercialism of the holiday.
@madteaparty (2748)
• Japan
21 Jan 10
Well, in this country Valentines day is an adopted holiday, and mainly commercial. The chocolate companies do some great business in that day, as the custom is to prepare or buy chocolate, that the girls will give to boys.
I don't really care much about Valentines.
@thewayis (646)
• Bulgaria
21 Jan 10
Even before I checked your profile, I knew you are from Japan. I've always been amazed to see in animes that the girls actually give chocolates and stuff to boys. And they confess thir love and so on... Is it true? It is really strange in my point of view, that the girls are the ones who had to take the initiative in a relationship?
@ANIME123 (2466)
• United States
21 Jan 10
Right here in the city of Perris we love to celebrate Valentines Day. A lot of people do it especially in my school people love it that much. My parents get all into it too and well I do too. I love to give out candies to my friends its so much fun. Yeah I can't wait to go shopping for candy and put them in those cute little bags.
@thewayis (646)
• Bulgaria
21 Jan 10
I haven't received candies for Valentine's Day
. Here most of the people prepare cards and only the couples in love buy gifts for each other. It is too bad, though, I would love to exchange candies with my firends (now I am being childish)
P.S. I love your avatar. Anime fan, huh?
. Here most of the people prepare cards and only the couples in love buy gifts for each other. It is too bad, though, I would love to exchange candies with my firends (now I am being childish)
P.S. I love your avatar. Anime fan, huh?
@burgas4e (62)
•
21 Jan 10
Hi, I am bulgarian too. i think in coutries like ours is just pretending to celebrate it butactually is not really working. it's not our traditional holiday, people are just not used to the cheesy presents and cards and it;s all a bit forced. and as the others say, you can celebrate your love everyday, and you have to, instead just waiting for a certain day of the year.
@thewayis (646)
• Bulgaria
21 Jan 10
Thank you for your response. I don't think it seem forced, at least now in the last few years. Maybe it was like that some time ago, but now most of the people accept it and celebrate it naturally.
I am glad we have another member from Bulgaria. Welcome to myLot and happy Mylotting
@p3ks626 (6538)
• Philippines
21 Jan 10
In my country, a lot of people especially couples are excited about celebrating valentines day. All restaurants are full and you can see most of the people in the streets are wearing red or blue. Red is they are already taken and blue is they are still searching for that special someone. In my case, me and my family wears red and we have dinner together in a fancy restaurants. So valentines for me is more of a family activity and I think its a good way to establish a relationship of trust with them.
@thewayis (646)
• Bulgaria
21 Jan 10
I hear about such custom for the first time. it is original and it sound like fun to me. But, aren't the "blue" people depressed? If I had to state in frond of everybody that I am single it would bother me. But then, I guess it wouldn't be problem if there are a lot of people like me around me
@sreejithsreenivas (10200)
• India
20 Jan 10
I am from south India and here only few people celebrate it.Only new generation youth are much familiar with valentines day.If love is true,then i think there is no need for a special day to celebrate it.
@youless (112134)
• Guangzhou, China
21 Jan 10
I am from China. Here the Valentine's Day has become much more popular as time goes by, especially for the young people. So people will celebrate it. In the Valentine's Day, you will see that everything will be much more expensive, the restaurants, flowers and so on.
I love China
@Biomechanoid (2923)
• Estonia
20 Jan 10
Here in Estonia, the Valentine's Day is actually celebrated, although not very widely. You know, happy couples are having some special dates, exchanging presents. This day has some symbolic meaning here. I don't have anything against celebrating this day, but sometimes it does bother me, when celebration gets very commercial and loses it's sincerity. Still, I think it's a nice day for people who love each other, it's very good for making surprises for them or perhaps even marrying.
@thewayis (646)
• Bulgaria
21 Jan 10
When talking about comersialisatoin of holidays, we should consider tha fact, that it is not Valentine's day that is comersialized. Regretfully, they made all celebrations too comersialized to enjoy them to the fullest. Christmas and Eastern's Day have become a money-making mashines for the manifacturares
@ashishpipariya (3)
• India
21 Jan 10
Hi,
i am from india. Here situations are worse than anywhere around the global. I dont think there is something wrong in celebrating valentine day. But various communists like vajrang dal and other groups make trouble on such occasions.
In recent news, they even beat couples and punish and insult them. I am againt such anti-social act.
They point that it will ruin our morals. They consider it unfair. I am against it
ashish patel
web designer & SEO expert
india
@thewayis (646)
• Bulgaria
21 Jan 10
I hear about this for the first time. I didn't know that there were actual conflicts about it somewhere in the world. When you think about it, it sound logical. There are always people who can go to extremeties in order to keep the traditions. I hate it when people excuse their violence saying that it was "act of feith"
@maria1081 (1251)
• Philippines
20 Jan 10
Yes we celebrate Valentines Day every year. In the Philippines, most people are Christians. We may have many different religion but religion doesnt forbid anyone to celebrate valentine's day, maybe except with Islam as far as I know. Last year I have seen on television that there are group of students that were giving free red roses and hugs to anyone. I see nothing wrong about celebrating Valentine's Day.
@thewayis (646)
• Bulgaria
20 Jan 10
Well, nobody forbids it here, either. In Bulgaria we are also mostly Christians and I am not saying that there is anything wrong with celebrating it. It is a matter of opinion; whoever likes it, may celebrate it. But there is this thing that while adopting celebrations that are not "ours" we are losing a bit of our own traditions. I am sure you have some traditions and holidays in the Philippines which are considered your own and your people cherish it. What would you do if Valentine's day contradicts your own traditions?
@machivado (528)
• Indonesia
20 Jan 10
Hi, I'm from Indonesia, I'm 19 years old and I'm lucky enough to be able to celebrate Valentine's day.
But to tell you the truth, most of the time, you can only Valentine's Day spirit in school area only and of course TV commercial. Aside from that...close to zero, nada.
And that day is not a holiday!
Where is the love, yo?
@MagicalBubbles (5103)
• Canada
21 Jan 10
Hello Thewayis,
Im in Canada and Ive always celebrated Valentines day. As a kid, my dad would buy me some chocolate or stuffed toy. I didnt know Valentines was a Catholic thing. To me its a special day to tell those you love how much you do love them. We tend to forget and I think its a great idea. One doesnt need to do anything special....just a little something to let the people in your life how much you love and care for them.
@thewayis (646)
• Bulgaria
21 Jan 10
That was really sweet of your dad. You are lucky having him. It is no wonder that you didn't know it is a Catholic holiday - many of the holidays we are celebrating these days have nothing to do with religion, as it was before. For example, Haloween is actually an old celtic holidays and originaly it has nothing to do with Christianity
@shylade (3132)
• Philippines
21 Jan 10
hello there! here in Philippines we celebrate almost all ocassions.we have so many holidays as well. even valentines day is not a holiday it is still a big celebration. when it falls on weekdays, there will always be a traffic jam. LOL! Filipino even very tired after work, will come to see his/her girlfrind, wife, friends of hamily to celebrate this day. men usually sent flowers or chocolates to the women of their lives. this is just a sweet gesture every women will appreciate. some men prepare surprises and some make wedding proposals on this day.
i remember when i am in school many students wear red shirts on this day. many are excited because they will have dates or first dates. well some wish they have one to celebrate with...
@dodo19 (47120)
• Beaconsfield, Quebec
20 Jan 10
Yes, we do celebrate St. Valentines Day, here in Canada. Although I don't think that showing that you love someone should be restricted to one day, I know that my husband and his best friend tend to do things for their spouses together, which is fine. What they've done in the past is really sweet.
@kirrugadu (114)
• India
20 Jan 10
Hi iam form india, i dont know about other countries but over country people Teenage and Youth people enjoy Valentine's day By proposing their love,And gifts to their loved one's......
And So on........
@esjosh (912)
• India
20 Jan 10
I am from INDIA where the VALANTINE is bit new, people have started to celebrate it for last 5-6 years. It is spreading very high speed, the number of people enjoying these stuffs are increasing day by day.
@junrapmian (2169)
• Philippines
20 Jan 10
Yes, Valentine's day, February 14 to be exact is being observed in our country, though it is not a regular holiday, still, it is being celebrated all over the country. Park, hotels, motels, restaurants, fast foods, moviehouses, malls, resorts, concert halls, auditoriums, bars, even the streets, are all jampacked. Couples, friends and lovers, steady dates and the like even the whole family get together for this special day. Flowers, chocolates, stuff toys are sold everywhere. This day is a celebration of love in our country, love for you husband/wife, lover, for your crush, parents, for loved ones.
@abhiabhiabhiabhi (531)
• India
20 Jan 10
i dont have a girl friend in the first place.so i dont enjoy valentines day in the true sense of enjoying it but i do go out with my friends and have fun....its a great day for lovers and i think its not at all over rated...its really fun and all the youngstars wait for this day
