Engoo ► Blog ► Travel & Fun

Non-Romantic Ways English Speakers Celebrate Valentine's Day

Engoo
Non-Romantic Ways English Speakers Celebrate Valentine's Day

Did you know that Valentine's Day isn't just about couples and candlelit dinners? Today, we'll show you four other ways people in English-speaking countries celebrate the holiday!

1. Giving Cards to Classmates

On Valentine's Day, elementary school children in the United States give each other Valentine's Day cards. They'll often attach some candy too. As an American member of our team shares:

I remember everyone would get a pack of Valentine's Day cards and write a little message on each of them for our classmates. We'd then put them in everyone's little "mailbox" in the back of the classroom.

It has even been estimated that 750 million cards are exchanged this way every year!

2. Spending Time With (Girl) Friends

More and more female friends are spending the day before Valentine's Day together. This is called "Galentine's" – a pun on "gal" (slang for "girl") and Valentine's. People might get drinks, go to a spa, or simply have a good time with each other.

Here's a Galentine's Day post by British actress Lucy Fallon.

3. Showing Some Love for the Elderly

Some people also use this day to show some love to the elderly. Last year, Irish police, also known as "Gardai", visited elderly locals in quarantine to give them Valentine's Day gifts.

In the UK, this charity has volunteers visit or call elderly locals on Valentine's day, and in the US, volunteers called the "Cupid Crew" send the elderly flowers and cards every year.

4. Buying Gifts for Pets

More and more people feel their pets are their true Valentines. In fact, this Valentine's Day, Americans are expected to spend a record amount of $2 billion on their pets.

What Do You Think?

What did you think about these non-romantic Valentine's Day celebrations? Share your thoughts with an Engoo tutor! Engoo has thousands of English tutors from over a hundred countries, so you can practice speaking English while discussing how Valentine's Day is celebrated around the world.

And for more related fun facts to discuss, check out these Engoo Daily News lessons:

During your lessons, make sure to use the Valentine's Day-themed virtual background!