A Little Good Article of Valentine’s Day in Sweden and Northern Europe.

The day of love. This is the name which in people are celebrated on 14th Feb. and is known as Valentine’s Valentine Day .

In Sweden this day began to make popular after 1960 when American commercial pressure exercised its power over the department store NK launched the campaign. It took time before moving to give a simple candy heart-shaped Jell-O to establish a celebration of the magnitude that it does today. It was after 1990 that thanks to monitoring by the school acquired its enormous popularity.

Besides sweets, gifts and gift cards is also common roses and other bundle of flowers such as tulips or carnations. In 2002 in Sweden were sold over 2,000,000 flower. In schools it is common among peers giving bundle of flowers, carefully selecting the flower color depending on the meaning:

-red means love.

-white friendship.
-pink or yellow means interest.

The grace is knowing where you are, or where you are you give.

A Little Note On Tuesday February 15, 2011

Alla Dag Hjärtans (Swedish Language)

Yesterday was Valentine’s Day or Alla Hjärtans Dag, as they say in Swedish, which literally translated means “the day of love,” so it was time to tell the couple of “Grattis!” (Felicidades!) and “Jag älskar dig” (I love you). This is the first difference, just to congratulate your partner, not to anyone as we do in Cuba and Latin America.

It is a day not lost as I thought, just not as special as it is for us, as many see it as an explosion of marketing and commercialism in the stores, a way to make people keep money with any pretext. This thinking dates back to before 1960 when the day was not celebrated at all precisely because it was seen as a form of cheap commercialism invented by the Americans. Was gradually gaining strength celebration in Scandinavian, until the 90′s and began to be celebrated and included as one of the celebrations that are made in the year. But there are still remnants of the old way of thinking, even among young people, an attitude not very romantic, but it is. That is why the couple depends on how specific place or, if you celebrate. Many people simply go out to eat in a restaurant or make a romantic dinner at home. The exchange of gifts is a custom at all, I would say that few do. This is not a time to feast in Scandinavian, it’s like Christmas, but there is always the odd romantic than buying bundle of flowers or chocolates in a beautiful gift , heart-shaped red.

However, the heart-shaped candy sugar or chocolates as they are told is typical Swedish Valentine , even in schools are dealt, and I experienced this myself a Valentine but ten years ago when I had my first contact with the Swedish culture or Northern Europe.