Wondering whether Italians celebrate Valentines’ Day? If so, do they celebrate it in mostly the same ways that we’re familiar with? Let’s take a look today at the day of love in Italy.
Is Valentine’s Day celebrated in Italy?
First of all, yes, it is. Italy’s such a romantic country that there’s no way its people would let such an opportunity pass them by. In Italy, it’s not so much a formal holiday but merely a special day usually referred to as La Festa Degli Innamorati. The tradition likely dates back to Roman times, to the festival of Lupercalia. It was a celebration of the cycle of life and death, which included sexual ‘celebrations’ too. The Pope was not the happiest about that, so he introduced the Feast of Saint Valentine, dedicating it to love itself, without the whole sex thing. The feast was dedicated to Valentine of Terni, who we still associate today with love and consider him the patron of this holiday. Today, the Basilica of Terni is a famous spot for young Italians to pledge their love on the Sunday before 14th February.
Of course, this is merely the formal St Valentine that we recognise – in reality, many towns will have their own little variations and microcultures which celebrate Valentine’s Day differently.
What does Valentine’s Day look like in Italy?
Valentine’s Day has been a celebration of love and spring for a long time in Italy, though it comes a month before spring does. How do Italians celebrate it? Not as commercially as the US, for instance. Valentine’s Day is not so heavy on gifts as it is on simply celebrating the union with the other person. There are no Valentine cards for kids or special events like that in schools. Instead, you may go to a restaurant together, exchange very minor gifts like chocolates or use the day as an opportunity to profess your love to someone. Of course, given that we’re as globalised as we are, the commercialisation of Valentine’s Day is slowly reaching Italy too, but it’s still not so bad.
There’s a traditional belief that some older Italian women may still hold – the first man they’ll see on February 14th will either be their husband or will resemble their future partner. That’s one hell of an excuse to sit this one out at home.
If you’d like to partake in Italian Valentine’s Day with gifts, you can buy them either a bouquet of flowers or the famous Baci (‘kisses’ in Italian!) chocolates. Or you can just go have a nice dinner together. The tradition of locking a padlock with the initials of a couple is also alive and kicking in Italy.
Finally, we have some regional variations: in Vico del Gargano, the town is decorated with thousands of oranges and a procession goes through the streets. In Apulia, drinking orange juice on 14th of February brings you luck and happiness. In Pozzoleone, there are special Valentine markets. In Sardinia, you actually have two days dedicated to love – one in May and one in… October.
Buon San Valentino ❤️❤️❤️
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