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Valentine’s Day Around the World – Traditions and Customs

Valentine’s Day Around the World – Traditions and Customs

Australia
During the Australian gold rush period, miners who were suddenly in possession of money from the new-found wealth of the Ballarat Mines were willing to pay a princely sum for elaborate valentines and merchants in the country would ship orders amounting to thousands of pounds at a time. The most extravagent Australian valentines were made of a satin cushion, perfumed and decorated in an ornate manner with flowers and colored shells. Some might even be adorned with a taxidermied humming bird or bird of paradise. This treasure, contained within a neatly decorated box, was highly valued, being both fashionable and extremely expensive.

Austria
Austria has some rather obscure courtship customs that may or may not be associated with Saint Valentine’s Day. Nonetheless, it is customary for a young man to present his beloved with a bunch of flowers on February 14.

America
In the United States of America, there have been many varieties of cards given over the course of the years, some of which have often been rude or even quite cruel in their humor. In the times of the Civil War, cards were flagged with rich colors accompanied by patriotic and/or political motifs. Early American valentine cards were especially lithographed and hand-colored, beautiful and distinctive in design, produced with intricate lace paper and decorated with such ornaments as beads, sea shells, cones, berries and all manner of seeds. Cards were also available decorated with seaweed or moss, in addition to dried and/or artificial flowers, all of which were attached to a string which was pulled and could then be suspended, thereby creating a three-dimensional picture. Many early American cards were imported from abroad, given the poor quality of American paper at the time which was not particularly suitable for embossing. Today, American children usually exchange valentines with their friends and there may even be a classroom party.

Britain
The poets of Britain have probably penned the majority of the best-loved romantic verses associated with Saint Valentine. Different regions of the nation celebrate their own customs to honor this day, although the sending of cards and gifts of flowers and chocolates is standard procedure throughout the entire country. One uniform custom is the singing of special songs by children, who then receive gifts of candy, fruit or money. In some areas, valentine buns are baked with caraway seeds, plums or raisins.

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Scotland – United Kingdom

About Scotland

Location and Geography. Scotland occupies approximately the northern third of the United Kingdom’s (UK) mainland, encompassing 7.5 million hectares. The area of Scotland is 29,795 square miles (77,168 square kilometers). The climate is cool, wet, and often windy. Much land in the Highlands and Borders is rugged and difficult to cultivate, but the Lowlands and parts of the Borders include prime agricultural land. Scotland is surrounded by the North Sea, offering fish, oil and natural gas, and potentially tidal and wave power.

Demography. In 1997, the population was 5,122,500, with over 3 million persons in the Central Belt. This distribution shows the effects of rural depopulation, especially during the “Highland Clearances” (c. 1790–1830), when landlords forced tenants off their land to modernize the economy, especially through sheep raising. Some tenants were resettled in coastal villages and encouraged to supplement farming with fishing, linen weaving, and kelp manufacture, while many others migrated to the Central Belt or emigrated abroad. Industrialization led to massive urbanization in the nineteenth century during which the population increased from around 1.5 million to 4.5 million, with the growth concentrated in and around Glasgow.

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Pictures from Scotland

Here are from pictures from the beautiful Scotland:

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Castles in Scotland

Scotland‘s turbulent history has left an enduring mark on the landscape in shape of the many castles, fortresses and tower houses that pepper the countryside. Some – such as Edinburgh or Stirling – rank amongst Europe’s most impressive structures while other less grand examples provide a stark insight into darker times.
All Scottish castles, however, have the power to capture the imagination which explains why they regularly top the list of ‘must-see’ attractions for visitors.
Here are ten classic Scottish castles to whet your appetite…

Edinburgh Castle, Edinburgh

Perched high above the capital, this is Scotland’s most important and famous castle. There has been a castle here since the 11th century and each century has seen changes and additions resulting in today’s mix of military barracks, palace, fortress and war memorial. The castle is also home to the Scottish Crown Jewels – ‘The Honours of Scotland’ – and the famous Stone of Destiny, plus the mighty ‘Mons Meg’, a huge 15th-century siege cannon. On a smaller scale, The One O’clock Gun fires from the ramparts each weekday, scaring pigeons and the unaware on Princes Street far below.

Stirling Castle, Stirling

Perched high on volcanic rock, Stirling provides spectacular views over two of Scotland’s most historic battlefields – Stirling Bridge and Bannockburn. Much of today’s castle dates from the 15th-18th centuries. The Great Hall has been restored to how it would have looked around 1500 and there are excellent interactive displays on the castle’s history.

Eilean Donan Castle, Dornie, Wester Ross

Eilean Donan is for many people, the archetypal Scottish castle; it is certainly one of the most photogenic and photographed. Ruined during one of the Jacobite risings in the early 18th century, it was restored to all its glory some two centuries later and is now the headquarters of the Clan McRae. The castle’s most spectacular feature is its magnificent setting.

Caerlaverock Castle, Glencaple, Dumfries

Caerlaverock dates from the late 13th century and is one of the finest medieval structures in Scotland. A turbulent history saw it destroyed on several occasions, for the final time in the early 17th century by the Covenanters. Though much ruined internally, some fine carved stone panels, windows and fireplaces indicate the original grandeur of this extraordinary castle.