Willamette World News

Hello Friends!
Valentine’s Day has come and gone…. and in this issue our contributors share what celebrations of love look like in their country. In this issue, you will learn about Swedish Valentine’s candy and German pigs. You’ll get a peak at what it might be like to celebrate Valentine’s Day during the summer in Chile [...]

I really miss being home this week!! Yes, the British celebrate Valentine’s Day with almost as much enthusiasm as you do in the States. But this Valentine’s was pushed aside. Most of my friends back home were saying ‘Who cares about Valentine’s Day on the 14th?? It’s PANCAKE DAY on the 16th!!! Pancake Day! Yes. [...]

Although it is not a traditional Thai holiday, Valentine’s Day is celebrated around the country anyway. Thai people, especially, teenagers and young adults buy enormous bouquets of flowers, often with huge teddy bears attached, girls buy their boyfriends flowers, and everybody buys friends and family chocolate and candy.Many couples will go to get marriage certificate [...]

In Sweden, Valentine’s Day is celebrated almost exactly like it is here in the United States. The exception is that we don’t ask each other to be “My Valentine.” Valentine’s Day didn’t come to Sweden until the 1960’s, which was the beginning of the Americanization of the Swedish traditions. Something we usually do though is [...]

Well, for once, I am a bit at loss for words and do not really know what to tell you guys about Valentine’s day in Belgium. Not that it does not exist, not that it is not big (it is actually really big back home), but rather that I can’t find any striking differences between [...]

The Lantern Festival, marking the end of the Chinese New Year celebrations, falls on the 15th day of the 1st lunar month. It is usually in February or March on the Gregorian calendar. Popularly referred to as Chinese Valentine’s Day, couples celebrate the festivals with their loved ones on such a beautiful and romantic evening [...]

In Hong Kong, Valentine’s Day is a day to reinforce the love relationship with actions. Usually a guy wants to impress the girl who he loves or admires by sending her a bouquet of roses wrapped with colorful gift paper. The larger bouquet of roses you send to the lady, the more you love her.