Valentine’s Day Celebration in Germany

Valentine’s Day in Germany is a popular festive celebration these days with events, restaurants and shops celebrating the ‘festival of love’. The occasion grew popular after the Second World War. Valentine’s Day was initially a grand event in United States, though Germany picked up this festive fever soon.

Valentine’s Day celebrations in Germany

Germany celebrates Valentine’s Day with the usual customs and some unique ones too. German men present gifts as love tokens on the day of Valentine’s Day. Giving a flower is also a custom, which is widely followed by the people of Germany on the day of the occasion. Germany recognized the marriage certificates and the baptismal certificates as Valentine’s Day tokens. Gifts, flowers and chocolates though, are more popular means of love tokens in the country.

Valentine’s Day traditions in Germany:

Germany follows various ‘lover’s day’traditions. Some of the common customs have been carried from US, while others have emerged from certain beliefs. Heart shaped gifts and chocolates are presented to the lady love as love tokens. Red, the color of love is the prominent color used in the gifts and gift packs.

Another interesting German Valentine’s Day tradition is sending pink pigs carrying hearts or gift items. The pigs signify love or passion. In Germany you will often find these pig idols carry flowers or chocolates.

Ginger cookies too are a well-known Valentine’s Day item in Germany, presented on the occasion. Large sized ginger cookies are gifted with love messages such as, “Ich liebe dich and “meine Shatzi”. The cookies are easily available in the German markets and are in huge demand during the Valentine’s month.

Origin of Valentine’s Day in Germany:

If you are wondering about the emergence of this festive event in Germany, you can take a look at the story behind its origin. Valentine’s Day is said to have come from Rome, where Lupercalia is celebrated in the mid of February. Lupercalia is the Roman festival of fertility and Spring. The festival sees girls place their names in the urn, from which a name is picked up by the men for the perfect mate’s position.

The celebrations made its way from Rome to Germany, through its invasions. As Lupercalia was not accepted as a Christianized festival, it was changed to Valentinus or Saint-Valentine and Christianized as a festival.

Germany celebrates Valentine’s Day:

Germany celebrates Valentine’s Day just like other nations on the 14th of February, every year. Some of the common features of the celebrations are:

Hearts:

Hearts in all forms are gifted by the couples to each other on the occasion of Valentine’s Day. Silhouttes however, are the most common form of hearts made by children for their parents and friend on this day.

The color of Love:

The color red is a common sight in Germany. On and before the Valentine’s Day, Germans wear the color of love and even present roses of this color to their loved ones. The red color stands as a symbol of love and thus is used extensively on this day.

Folk tales for Valentine’s Day:

Germans love to hear the story behind Valentine’s Day again and again. The tale of Duke Welf and King Konrad III rift, which led to a historic event on Valentine’s Day, is popularly circulated among the generations, on the occasion day.
Valentine’s Day in Germany is thus an occasion celebrated with traditional practices and folklores apart from other fun activities like exchanging gifts and dating.

Latest Updated on 28/12/2010