On February 14, most spend the day celebrating their loved ones. In Finland,, the country spends the day celebrating friends and platonic love. This day is called Ystävän Päivä. Instead of gathering to celebrate romantic relationships, they spend the day enjoying the company and companionship of their closest friends and relatives by sharing meals or participating in various activities. The two most popular activities include ice skating and swimming as a group. The holiday became popular in 1980 to encourage children in school to create handmade cards and gifts for their classmates. The day then morphed into a day to celebrate your friendships, officially becoming a calendar holiday in 1996. Although couples are not absent from the holiday, the day is used more to recognize the love one has outside of their romantic relationship. Different organizations in Finland have set up stations in downtown areas this year to make sure everyone feels celebrated, no matter their age or status. A main focus at most of the stations is writing cards to elderly homes and even those in prison to remind everyone that they are loved. So even if you don’t have a romantic partner, you too can carry out the Finland tradition and spread the love to friends, family, and strangers.
