Valentine’s Day as we know it—filled with cutesie cards, teddy bears and school kids exchanging valentines in class—is customarily a no-go in Italy. (In fact, Italians consider that kind of Valentine’s rather foreign). Italians celebrate La Festa degli Innamorati (which means “the festival of lovers”) on February 14th. It’s a day for celebrating only romantic love, rather than the love of friends, family and children. And it’s very popular for Italians to express their love with a kiss. Well, a chocolate kiss, anyway, named a Baci from candy maker, Perugina (a chocolate-covered hazelnut wrapped with a love note).
Posts Tagged ‘educational travel’
An Italian Valentine
Tuesday, February 14th, 2012A French Valentine
Monday, February 13th, 2012
No wonder the French are regarded as the most romantic people in the world. Legend has it that a Frenchman was the first person to send a Valentine’s Day card—all the way back in 1415. This romantic Romeo was none other than Charles the Duke of Orleans who sent a love note to his wife from a cell in the Tower of London after being captured by the British at the Battle of Agincourt.
In fact, the French are so romantic that they’ve even dedicated a town to love—named Saint Valentin—located in the heart of Loire valley. And every year between February 12th and 14th its residents hold a Valentine’s festival. Visitors travel from near and far to renew marriage vows, pin love notes to the Tree of Vows and even have letters stamped with the St. Valentin postmark. Yet, although this festival d’amour holds strong today there is one French tradition whose flame of love has long ago been fanned—the Lottery of Love. (So much so that the French government even made this curious custom illegal.)
Believed to have originated in ancient Rome, the Lottery of Love entailed single men and women calling at their neighbors’ doors on Valentine’s Day to find a dating partner. But when the love turned sour, these newly-single women would build a large bonfire to burn pictures of the men who had hurt them. (They’d even curse and hurl abuse at the men, too—un-ladylike behavior that likely led to the outlawing of the Lottery of Love in the first place!)
A South African Valentine
Sunday, February 12th, 2012
The South African look of love does abound on February 14th with flowers, chocolates, dates at the disco or even a trip to…a wildlife park. It’s true! Kruger National Park in the north of the country is a top Valentine’s destination for visitors. (And it’s teeming with rhinos, elephants, leopards and lions, too.)
Sneak Peek: Sweet Valentines around the World
Thursday, February 9th, 2012
Explorica students at the Eiffel Tower
I feel it in my fingers. I feel it in my toes. Love is all around us. So, let’s go around the globe. (To find out how other countries celebrate St. Valentine’s Day, of course!) Although it’s common everywhere for sweethearts to send each other cards, offer flowers and go on romantic outings, Valentine’s Day hasn’t always been so cookie-cutter cute. Make a date with Explorica and we’ll take you on a romantic trip to South Africa, France and Italy where you’ll discover that Valentine’s traditions around the world are anything but, well, traditional.
Stay tuned!
Student Travel to the Wonders of the World: Machu Picchu
Thursday, February 2nd, 2012
Machu Picchu (meaning Old City in Incan) is arguably the most amazing site in Peru, if not in South America. So much so, it’s even got archaeologists arguing about its original purpose. Some say this 15th century Incan city was built as a secret ceremonial center. Though it’s debated whether this was in honor of the sacred Andean landscape or the Incan Sun god, Inti. Others have more cynically suggested that it served as a prison. But by far the most popular theory is that Machu Picchu was built by an Incan Emperor named Pachacuti (considered a Peruvian hero) to celebrate the defeat of a rival tribe called the Chancas.
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