February 14 is Valentine’s Day in North America and many other countries around the world. It’s a day of romance and proclamations of love. Approximately 150 million Valentine’s Day cards are exchanged every year, making it the second most popular card-sending holiday after Christmas.¹

Valentine greetings were popular as far back as the Middle Ages, although written declarations didn’t appear until after 1400. The oldest known valentine that still exists today was a poem by the Duke of Orleans to his wife while he was imprisoned in the Tower of London. It’s now part of the manuscript collection of the British Library in London, England.²

Here are some interesting ways various countries celebrate Valentine’s Day:

• In the Philippines, it’s a day for mass weddings where hundreds and even thousands get married in union. These huge events are sometimes sponsored by the government as a public service.³
• Bulgarians celebrate St. Trijon Zarezan day on February 14. Known as Winemakers Day, couples toast their love with a glass or two of wine from local vineyards.⁴
• In both Japan and South Korea, women give men gifts on Valentine’s Day. Men return the gesture on White Day, giving women gifts that are white as a sign of pure love.⁵
• Marriage proposals take place quite often between February 12 and 14 in the “village of love” in St. Valentin, France. The village decks their houses in roses and covers trees with love note.⁶
• In Ghana, February 14 is National Chocolate Day. As one of the world’s largest cocoa producing countries, the day is meant to boost tourism with chocolate themed menus, exhibitions and talks.⁷
• North Americans often give jewelry, flowers and chocolate to their loved ones on Valentine’s Day.

Look no further for the perfect Valentine that comes from your heart. Nikken has created the unique Kenko Heart Set and Valentine’s Day is the ideal time to declare your love! The pendant and earrings can be worn with jeans as well as with an elegant gown . The pendant is stainless steel on one side and gold-plated on the other. Symbolizing the Heart of Nikken, the pendant is engineered with an 800-gauss neodymium magnet. The Kenko Heart earrings are gold-plated and feature 600-gauss neodymium magnets.

The pendant fits perfectly with either the stainless steel or gold-plated Perfect Link II necklace,  which features 800-gauss neodymium magnets throughout their 18-inch lengths. Nickel-free and non-corrosive, these finely crafted necklaces are polished to a glossy finish and look perfect both day and night, with casual or formal wear.

1, 2 https://www.history.com/topics/valentines-day/history-of-valentines-day-2

 

3, 4, 5, 6, 7 https://www.scoopwhoop.com/How-Countries-Celebrate-Valentines-Day/#.9nii56exv