Continuing with our theme of quirky and unique Valentine’s celebrations around the world, here are a few doozies:
- In Wales, there’s an old spooning (not that kind of spooning!) tradition where a hopeful young man would carve an ornate spoon out of wood and give it to whomever caught their eye. It wasn’t uncommon to see Celtic knots or hearts gracing these utensils. True, men don’t often create the spoons themselves these days, but this sweet gift-giving custom continues to this day.
- Head over to Germany, and you can find many of the same traditions you’re familiar with, but with an added piggy twist. Yep – pigs are signs of lust and luck in this country and are featured on tons of their Valentine’s gifts.
- In South Africa, girls wear their hearts on their sleeves – literally! Following the tradition of Lupercalia (the ancient Roman festival), lovesick girls (and even boys in some areas) will pin their beloved’s name to their sleeves. That is just adorable.
- In the Philippines, thousands upon thousands of couples gather in public places to get married or renew their vows. It kinda takes some of the guesswork out of remembering your anniversary, doesn’t it? As an added bonus: you get the reduced stress of not panicking over a gift on two separate days! Sounds like a win-win to me.
- The tables turn in Japan on February 14th, where “Operation: Spoil Your Man” is in full swing. Flipping the script on the U.S. standard, women are expected to give chocolates to the men! If you’re given homemade honmei-choco, then it’s true love, as store bought chocolate is not considered a thoughtful gift to someone you adore. And, just to keep lovers on their toes, things get shaken up a bit again a month later when Japanese gentlemen are expected to return the love on March 14th (White Day) with a gift 2-3 times better than the one they were given.
When most people look to their future, they imagine sharing it with someone special, which is probably why people plan out so many creative ways to win over their beloved. But, it starts with making a plan and then implementing it – kind of like financial planning.
Although it’s not quite as romantic, creating a financial plan is just as crucial to building out the future of your dreams, especially if you’re on the hook for a gift 3 times better than something you received. Luckily, you’ve got us in your corner – so give our office a call today at 513-563-PLAN (7526) or go online to book a quick chat.
Regards,
Nikki Earley, CFP®
