Ah, Valentine’s Day, the day of love, where bountiful bouquets, romantic dinners, and perfectly ornate gift boxes abound, all as a way for lovers to express their feelings for one another. With its origins buried in Rome, the very first time this day was celebrated dates back to the year 496! In addition to the celebration of love, Valentine’s Day has important cultural and religious implications for many people worldwide and as such, it is widely recognized and celebrated internationally. In honor of the day of love that is fast approaching, we are going to:
We hope that by the end of this article, you are well-equipped to impress your sweetheart with some fun new facts and language skills over a candle-lit dinner.
Apart from conventional candle-lit dinners and chocolate, have you ever wondered how cultures outside of North America commemorate this love-filled holiday? In Japan, the roles are reversed, and women are expected to purchase chocolates and other gifts for the men in their lives, including family members, coworkers and bosses alike! Exactly one month later, the men are expected to return the favor.
In Finland on the other hand, Valentine’s Day is a day to honor friendships rather than romantic relationships and in Wales, couples exchange daintily carved wooden spoons, appropriately named lovespoons, as a token of their affection. In Germany, pigs rule the day, as they are known to symbolize lust and luck, and couples exchange pig-themed chocolates, statues, and photographs! Last but not least, and our absolute favorite tradition, comes from Ghana where Valentine’s Day is known as National Chocolate Day, and chocolate-themed menus and events are in abundance.
Despite the varied cultural meanings and traditions surrounding Valentine’s Day, one thing remains the same, and that is the expression of love through three little incredibly emotive words. As the day of love approaches, have you ever wondered how to say “I love you” in a different language, either to express your love to your sweetheart or out of sheer curiosity? Given that there are over 6000 spoken languages in the world, the options are almost endless. If you don’t consider learning languages to be your forte but you would like to express how your significant other makes you feel in a new language this Valentine’s Day, then you are in luck! How to say “I love you” is one of the first things people often learn when learning a new language, and this little meaningful phrase is not easily forgotten.
And there you have it, how to say “I love you” in 50 different spoken languages of the world. Keep in mind that while this term of endearment exists across most, if not all, languages, its use does tend to vary culturally. In Western countries such as Canada and the United States, “I love you” is used quite liberally. For many people, it is something they habitually say to express their feelings of affection towards loved ones. In certain other cultures, however, this is not the case. In Japanese, Chinese and Indian cultures, for example, these three-letter words are used sparingly. In fact, rather than the explicit proclamation of love, these cultures tend to express their love implicitly through acts of kindness and thoughtful gestures, such as preparing a warm meal.
Whether you are more conservative like the Japanese or tend to be bold with your proclamations of love like the French (they actually use these three little words the most often), you are well prepared to be the most romantic version of yourself this Valentine’s Day!
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