When it comes to Valentine’s Day, it seems that everyone has their own idea about how they want to spend the love-filled holiday. Believe it or not, but some European cities offer a unique way to enjoy Valentine’s Day that adds an entirely new twist to the holiday.
Many dread Valentine’s Day
If there is one thing many singletons dread each year, it’s the idea of Valentine’s Day. After all, it can be tough to ignore all the love in the air when it feels as though everyone is preparing something special for their other half. This can often lead to feelings of loneliness and sadness as people come to terms with the fact they haven’t got someone special by their side. Perhaps that’s why so many people are keen to take part in Friend’s Day?
Friend’s Day helps everyone enjoy the holiday
Friend’s Day is held on February 14 every year, but this time, there’s a difference. Rather than a holiday reserved for people in a relationship, the day is designed to incorporate singles, couples, and anyone in between. Rather than focus on love with flowers and chocolates, Finland and Estonia have created Friend’s Day to celebrate platonic love instead. Now, Estonia is home to Sõbrapäev, while Finland hosts Ystävän Päivä.
It started as a Finish holiday for children
Ystävän Päivä hasn’t always been about everyone spending time with their friends. It all started in the 1980s as school children were asked to make cards and gifts for their loved ones, but became a popular pastime for adults the following decade. It didn’t become a recognized holiday until 1996, as Friend’s Day was officially added to calendars and has become a huge part of the nation ever since. In fact, Friend’s Day is now the second most popular holiday for people giving cards.
It gets bigger every year in Estonia
It wasn’t long after Friend’s Day became popular in Finland that the holiday started to spread to Estonia. However, no one is entirely sure where it began or how it spread so fast. Liisa Vesik theorizes that it started in the post-socialist period as the nation became more exposed to international holidays. This was also around the time that Finland began making commercial products for Friend’s Day, meaning more and more people learned about the holiday.
Couples and singles can all enjoy Friend’s Day
Just because it’s called Friend’s Day doesn’t mean that couples have to miss out on all the fun when it comes to the holiday. Several continue to get engaged or walk down the aisle on Friend’s Day. Plus, high school students across Finals see people wear green if they’re single or red if they’re in a relationship. In Estonia, those looking for love have the chance to ride the love bus, something designed for singletons looking for a relationship.
Friend’s Day is a once-in-a-lifetime experience for people looking for a different way to spend Valentine’s Day. It seems all we need to do is head to Finland or Estonia to enjoy some of the action.
