How do people in India celebrate Valentines Day?
Well, it’s very surprising, but Indians do celebrate Valentines Day for a week. Yes, you read it right!
In 2013, when I was in Delhi for the first time, I lived next to the school. And on February 7th, when the students went outside after class, and I was going to the supermarket, one of the 10 years old boys gave me a rose and said “Happy Rose Day”. I didn’t know what it meant, I thought that maybe it was some Indian holiday going on.. But, when came home, I googled.
Also check: Christmas and New Year in India and Russia
As it turned out, in India Valentine’s Day is celebrated for a week:
February 7th – Rose Day
February 8th – Proposal Day (not a marriage proposal – Indians usually don’t propose it like we are used to, but a relationships proposal)
February 9th – Chocolate Day
February 10th – Promise Day
February 11th – Teddy Bear Day
February 12th – Hug day
February 13th – Kiss Day
February 14th – Valentine’s Day itself
The each day suppose to be celebrated by couples according to its name, obviously.
Frankly speaking, I was very surprised by such approach. After all, India is a country where it is not considered very normal to publicly show relationships and the signs of affection. I was even more surprised when I found out that this week-long fun was mostly common among schoolchildren and college students. Because having relationships in their age is not easy in India at all. And actually, at any age – love marriages are still quite a big deal for people here. But…Here is a contradiction…
In Russia Valentines Day is just given one-day importance and not celebrated anyhow differently: couples make gifts to each other and go out on romantic dates; among school children it’s celebrated by giving each other heart-shaped small cards, that’s all.
On the other days of Valentine’s Week that year in Delhi I was not given gifts on the streets and didn’t receive any proposals (thankfully). But on the same day in the evening I was in a traffic jam in auto-rickshaw, and got 1 more rose from another guy that was walking by.
I think that such a prolonged celebration of Valentine’s Day is good idea for romantic people…Although…Romantic people don’t need a reason to be romantic.
PS: Girls, don’t start having fights with your boyfriends/husbands over gifts with the words “But in India…”
P.P.S.: Location on the picture is Jantar Mantar (Delhi)
To read about other holidays and festivals in India, Click Here
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