VALENTINE’S DAY. Take advantage of Valentine’s Day to get off the beaten track and pick from our original outing ideas and unusual weekends for Valentine’s Day in 2023!
This year, Valentine’s Day falls on a moderately practical date, Tuesday February 14, 2023, for those who aspire to a romantic weekend in exotic destinations. But nothing prevents you from going on a long weekend by asking days off or RTT.
Admittedly, it will therefore take a little organization to properly prepare the evening or organize his departure. We have compiled the best outings and getaways to spend a good Valentine’s Day 2023 in Paris or elsewhere.
Do you want to offer or do something original? Do you want to get away from the traditional bouquet of red roses? Get off the beaten track with our selection of original outings, throughout France:
We cannot recommend a romantic getaway to our villages in France, from Castelnau-de-Montmiral in Occitanie to Veules-les-Roses in Normandy via Riquewihr in Alsace:
To live a beautiful romance for two over an extended weekend, book yourself a getaway to these castles, restaurants and gardens of France historically marked by love with a capital A. Follow the trail of poets, writers and novelists like ApollinaireVictor Hugo, Aragon, Ronsard, George Sand, Simone de Beauvoir or even sovereigns like Henri II or Napoleon Bonaparte… Dig into our ideas for outings below, meeting places for the most famous lovers in history:
On Valentine’s Day, flowers are the essential gift to express your feelings to the chosen one of your heart. The classic bouquet of roses continues to prove its worth, with the red rose symbolizing passion. How old is this tradition? The mythological story of Valentin de Terni tells that on the day of his execution, he would have sent flowers in the shape of a heart to Julia, the young woman having regained her sight thanks to a miracle. The Greek goddess of love, Aphrodite, is also regularly mentioned, often symbolized with a rose in her hand. And this is how the tradition has continued until today.
If in Europe, it is customary to offer flowers on Valentine’s Day, Valentine’s Day is not celebrated in the same way everywhere. Gifts differ from country to country, customs too. In India in particular, lovers do not offer a gift to their sweetheart, but to their mother-in-law, reports Sud-Ouest. And it’s usually flowers. In Japan, there’s no need to rack your brains either, it’s chocolate that is honored for the occasion, generally offered by the women… to their boss. In her article, the journalist Fanny Parise affirms that it is customary to attribute the event to chocolatiers “who would have introduced it themselves as early as the end of the 1950s […] in order to increase their sales”. And as curious as it may be, Valentine’s Day is celebrated in two stages: February 14, then March 14, the “white day”. The tradition is that women offer chocolates in February and that the men, a month later, in turn give white chocolates, or even jewelry or lingerie depending on the chocolates they received previously.
According to a survey by the online shopping platform ShopAlikethe most frequently given gifts for Valentine’s Day are, in order:
- Perfume
- Jewelry
- Flowers
- Chocolate
- Clothes
Handmade gifts, high-tech, books, monthly boxes or make-up find themselves rather behind. Still according to the survey put online by ShopAlike, the (affordable) gifts that men or women wish to receive turn out to be:
- On the women’s side: 1 / Flowers (46%); 2 / A handmade gift (28%); 3 / A candlelight dinner (14% )
- For men: 1 / Hugs and affectionate gestures (14%); 2 / Flowers (7%); 3 / Chocolate (6%).
AND ALSO: Send a Valentine’s Day card to your loved one!
Here are the days of the week on which Valentine’s Day will take place following the next Valentine’s Day, starting on Valentine’s Day 2023:
- Valentine’s Day 2023: Tuesday February 14th
- Valentine’s Day 2024: Wednesday February 14th
- Valentine’s Day 2025: Friday February 14th