Valentine’s Day in America

Valentines Day is a holiday made for those in intimate relationships. Naturally, many people hate it.

Valentine’s Day, sometimes called St. (Saint) Valentine’s Day, is a holiday centered around love. It is celebrated in various places all over the world on February 14th. Some of the customs may differ from country to country, so I decided to make a post outlining some of the Valentine’s Day traditions we have in the United States of America.

Even children celebrate Valentine’s Day in the USA. For them, it’s mostly another day to get chocolates or other sweets. Most kids don’t care about romance or relationships, even if they give or get chocolates in the shape of hearts. A pretty well known Valentine’s Day candy are these heart-shaped, chalky candies that nobody really likes to eat, but they have cute messages on them.

Something kids do that most adults don’t is give out Valentine Cards. They are usually small cards with cute or sweet notes and pictures on them.When I was a kid, we gave Valentine Cards to friends and people we had a crush on (liked intimately). These days I hear kids must give one to each person in their class if they want to give any at all, that way some kids won’t feel left out; however, that’s probably not a rule at all schools in the USA.

When it comes to adults, most couples are expected to have some sort of romantic date on Valentine’s Day. The most common type of date is dinner at a fancy restaurant. Because all couples want to go to dinner on Valentine’s Day, many restaurants or locations get filled up weeks or even months in advance!

The prices of Valentine’s Day items usually go up quite a bit as the holiday nears. The most common gifts that are given on Valentine’s Day are boxes of chocolates (some times in the shape of a heart), roses, and stuffed animals. Once the holiday ends, any items left over at stores go on sale.

Not all couples (especially the men in the relationship) like Valentine’s Day because so much effort and money goes into the holiday, and Christmas was just a month and a half ago! Men are usually expected to pay for the date, and they don’t always get gifts in return. Of course, single people dislike the holiday too because they don’t have anyone to spend it with. Some call the holiday “Single Awareness Day.” They may change their mind once they do get a significant other.

These are the most common traditions for Valentine’s Day in the USA. Are they the same where you’re from? Leave a comment below!