Valentine’s Day, celebrated on 14th February, arrives with the same script every year! There are roses, dinner reservations, heart-shaped chocolates and the works. But love isn’t celebrated the same way
everywhere, and in many parts of the world, it isn’t limited to couples or one day in February.
If you’re feeling Valentine’s Day fatigue, read on to find out about five very different festivals of love from around the world that celebrate connection, devotion, friendship and joy, often in ways far more meaningful than a box of chocolates.
Lupercalia (Italy)
Long before Valentine’s Day became commercial, ancient Rome celebrated Lupercalia in mid-February. The festival was about fertility, protection and renewal rather than romance alone. While Lupercalia no longer exists in its original form, historians widely believe Valentine’s Day evolved from it. If you’re looking for a reason to ditch modern expectations and embrace love as something collective and chaotic, this is where it all began.
Tanabata (Japan)
Also called the Star festival, Tanabata is built on a legend of two lovers (stars called Altair and Vega) separated by the Milky Way, allowed to meet only once a year. Instead of dates or gifts, people write wishes about love, life and hope, on strips of paper and hang them on bamboo trees. Colourful Tanabata festivals are held across Japan in early July and August. Among the biggest ones are the Tanabata festivals of Sendai in August and Hiratsuka near Tokyo in July.
Qixi Festival (China)
Often called Chinese Valentine’s Day, Qixi is rooted in the legend of two star-crossed lovers separated by the Milky Way and allowed to meet just once a year. Traditionally, the festival focused less on romance and more on skills, patience and devotion. Young women would pray for wisdom, talent and a good future. Today, Qixi has taken on a more modern tone in cities, with couples exchanging gifts and spending time together, but the core idea remains the same: love that survives distance, time and waiting.
Dragobete (Romania)
Celebrated in late February, Dragobete marks the start of spring and is deeply tied to nature. In folklore, Dragobete is a matchmaker figure, and the day is believed to bless new relationships. Traditionally, young people would gather outdoors, pick flowers and flirt openly—if you were seen together on Dragobete, it was taken as a sign you’d be a couple by year’s end. Unlike Valentine’s Day, Dragobete celebrates love as something joyful, public and seasonal rather than private and commercial.
Omed-omedan (Indonesia)
Omed-omedan is one of the world’s most unusual love festivals. Held a day after Nyepi in Bali, the ritual involves young, unmarried men and women being pulled together by crowds—often resulting in spontaneous kisses amid laughter and cheering. What looks chaotic is believed to bring good fortune and harmony to the community. Less about romance and more about collective joy, Omed-omedan treats love as something playful, social and rooted in shared tradition.
