An American in Provence

Valentines Day in France

from the site http://www.stvalentinesday.org/valentines-day-in-france.html

Valentine's Day Festival is celebrated with joy and enthusiasm in France.
People take opportunity of the occasion and express love to people close through
them. Just as in several other countries people in France exchange Valentine's
Day greetings through cards, fresh flowers and gifts of love.

History of Valentine's Day Festival has a strong association with France.
It is said that during the Middle Ages, there was a popular belief in France and
England that birds began to mate halfway through the second month of the year.
For this reason lovers saw the day special and considered it auspicious to
exchange love letters and tokens of love on Valentine's Day. During fourteenth
and fifteenth centuries, French and English poets and litterateurs too stressed
on this idea and created a romantic image of the day in the minds of the
people.Valentine's Day Cards too are said to have originated in France. A young
Frenchman, Charles, Duke of Orleans is said to have written the first written
Valentine's Day Cards. The Duke who was captured at the Battle of Agincourt in
1415 is said to have written a poem or ‘Valentine' to his wife while
imprisonment in the Tower of London.

People in France once followed a peculiar Valentine's Day custom called
“drawing for”. Unmarried young and old people would go into houses facing each
other and begin calling out across from one window to another and pair off with
their chosen partner. If the young man failed to be particularly
enthralled with his valentine, he would desert her. A bonfire would be lit
later where ladies would burn images of their ungrateful lovers and hurl abuses
at them. The ritual was eventually abandoned as it left much room for
nastiness and ridicule. French government handed-down a decree and
officially banned the custom. There was also a custom in France to
exchange elegant cards containing tender messages called cartes d'amities.
These were not essentially Valentine and resulted chiefly due a trend popular in
England.

Geez, and I thought Valentine's Day in Middle School was bad. Who got a cheap red carnation? Who didn't get a cheap red carnation? Why did the guys that I always sent an anonymous sugar cookie too always figure out it was me?

It seems to me that Valentine's Day is less commercial here. The stores certainly are getting into the act though.

Here is a cut and paste guide to writing your sweetie a Valentine in French.

I love you (too): Je t'aime (aussi)
I adore you: Je t'adore
Will you marry me?: Veux-tu m'épouser ?
to date: sortir avec
to get engaged: se fiancer
to get married: se marier
engagement: les fiançailles
marriage: le mariage
wedding: les noces, le mariage
wedding anniversary: l'anniversaire de mariage
honeymoon: la lune de miel
St. Valentine's Day (card): (une carte de) la Saint-Valentin
present: un cadeau
flowers: des fleurs
candy: des bonbons
perfume: le parfum
jewelry: des bijoux
engagement ring: une bague de fiançailles
wedding ring: une alliance
husband: un mari, un époux
wife: une femme, une épouse
lover: un amant (for a man), une amante (for a woman)
boyfriend: un copain
girlfriend: une copine
dear, sweetheart: chéri (for a man) chérie (for a woman)