Romantic Valentine's Day Celebrations in Scotland

Valentines Day in Scotland is certainly a time of celebration. On the 14th of February every year, thousands of people, young and old, check their mail to see if they have been sent a Valentines Card. It is a day when Love is declared. St. Valentines Day has emerged as an important festival of Scotland in recent times. Anxiety and enthusiasm is same as for any other festival. People dedicate the day to their love and wish to be together forever.

Romantic Venues

1. Scotland's reputation for romantic venues is already well known throughout the world. Indeed the small village of Gretna Green is famous around the world as the place for romantic weddings. It is the first village over the Scottish border on the road from England to Glasgow. It is particularly renowned for being the place where young English couples in particular eloped.
2. It is believed that the remains of St Valentine's remains are in the church of Blessed St John Duns Scotus in Glasgow', a little-known fact that has led to Glasgow styling itself as the 'City of Love' in recent years.
   

Traditions

1. In Scotland, Valentine Day has a very simple and sweet tradition associated with it. People deliver cards to their near and dear ones with special Valentine messages. These cards are popularly known as "Valentines" and are sent anonymously.
2. Another very important and enthusiastically followed tradition is the search of Valentine date. According to this Scottish custom, the first young man or woman encountered on the street or elsewhere on Valentine's Day becomes his or her Valentine and the day is celebrated with them.
3. Young folk still at school join in the tradition buying or making Valentine cards for the boy or girl who has 'caught their eye'. The cards are often filled with valentine poems and verses. Sometimes, they also write poems on the envelope to speed up the delivery by the postman.
   

Celebrations

1. Valentines Day in Scotland is often celebrated by a romantic candlelight dinner in a restaurant or hotel, or sometimes one makes the other a special meal at home.
2. The couple exchange gifts and cards and do what they can to make the other feel loved and special.
3. In Scotland valentine's gifts were given by both parties in the form of a love-token and a true-love-knot.
4. In Scotland Valentine's Day is celebrated by having a festival. At the festival there is an equal amount of young unmarried men and young unmarried ladies who get together, each of them writes on a piece of paper their name or a made up name, this is then rolled up. The names are placed in two hats one for the men one for the ladies they then have to draw a piece of paper out of the hat. Both may end up with two valentines but the young man should stick with the valentine who has chosen him.
5. Later on, gifts are exchanged and Valentine's Day is greeted with hugs and kisses. Such wonderful Valentine games often result in unusual marriages.
   

These are some beautiful ways in which Valentine's Day is celebrated in Scotland.