1. Ɔdɔ yɛ dɛ (Love is Sweet)

In Ghana, amidst streets filled with red and white outfits, Valentine’s Day comes with a sweet undertone: chocolate. Here, Valentine’s Day is also celebrated as World Chocolate Day.

“Ghana is one of the world’s leading cocoa producers,” Erika shared. So it makes perfect sense that chocolate takes centre stage on the most romantic day of the year. To celebrate this, people are encouraged to share chocolate as a sign of love and care to lovers, friends, family, coworkers, schoolmates, and strangers.

“It's almost like a market day for chocolate,” Erika said. “You see varieties of chocolates in the stores, markets, and even street vendors.”

Because chocolate comes in different shapes, flavours, and sizes, it’s also more affordable during the season. The tradition is so popular that, according to Erika, you could be walking down the street and suddenly receive chocolate from someone you don’t even know.

The chocolates are often placed in small gift bags tied with ribbons, gift-wrapped boxes, or heart-shaped containers. They’re usually paired with roses, a bottle of wine, or a teddy bear.

One Valentine’s Day memory stands out clearly for Erika.

“This was back in grade four,” she said. “We had math for the first class, and I hate math, so already I knew I was doomed that day, and I wasn't expecting anything.”

But the day quickly changed when she opened her locker and saw something unexpected waiting for her.

“I went into my locker, and saw a teddy bear with chocolates and a note,” Erika recalled, “someone in my class surprised me.”

In the spirit of this sweet tradition, in every sense of the word, why not share a piece of chocolate with someone you love… or even a stranger? And if they’re miles away, a little money through LemFi would do just fine.

2. “I do,” say the masses

There’s no bigger declaration of love than choosing to spend your life with someone. In the Philippines, local governments and churches understand this well. That’s why, every Valentine’s Day, they organise mass weddings across different provinces.

“They buy the flowers, book the venue, and organise the wedding and reception,” Aina shared. “The ceremony usually happens at the city hall.”
Aside from the wedding outfits, most of the costs are covered. On Valentine’s Day, hundreds of couples gather to get married for free, thanks to the government.

Aina’s parents were one of those couples.
“My mum got married through a mass wedding in our province,” she said. “Mass weddings in the Philippines are very special because my parents couldn’t afford a wedding, but they still got to experience one.”

Beyond the vows and celebrations, these mass weddings offer something even more meaningful: access. They give couples who might not be able to afford a traditional wedding the chance to celebrate their love without worrying about costs. Couples share the day with family, friends, and hundreds of others starting the same journey together.

There are limits, of course. According to Aina, couples can invite about 5 people as witnesses and about 20 guests to the reception. Some couples later choose to host a private celebration outside the government-organised one.

Interestingly, Aina, who is newly engaged, plans to do things differently from her parents. She hopes to have a private wedding with her partner, who also gave her one of her favourite Valentine’s Day memories.

“My favourite was when my partner planned a short beach vacation,” she recalled with a smile. “I really appreciated it because I need work-life balance, and I love nature.”

Mass wedding or private celebration, one thing stays the same: love. And we wish Aina and her partner all the best as they begin their journey together.

3. A Brazilian Valentine

In Brazil, Valentine’s Day is pretty simple. Couples give flowers and go on dates, dinner, the cinema, the usual things. But there’s one big difference: it’s only celebrated by lovers and married couples, and not on February 14.

In Brazil, the day is called Dia dos Namorados, which means Lovers’ Day, and it’s celebrated on June 12. The date was chosen because it falls just before June 13, the feast day of Saint Anthony, a saint linked to love and marriage.

“We don’t do anything on February 14th,” Humberto shared. “On June 12, we usually give flowers and take our partners to a restaurant, or celebrate somewhere special.”

For Brazilians, the day isn’t really about buying gifts. It’s about spending time together and reflecting on love.
“Valentine's Day for us is different,” Humberto explained. “The most important thing is not to buy things, but to be together.”

Even though Humberto now lives in the USA, he and other Brazilians still keep the tradition alive.

“We celebrate here, and Americans don’t understand what is happening,” he said, laughing.

Happily married, Humberto and his wife keep things simple:

“I take her to a restaurant,” he said, “then maybe the cinema, or we go to a park and come back home. That's it. It's a special day for us, two lovers.” Traditions like Dia dos Namorados remind us that love doesn’t need much to shine. Sometimes, being together is more than enough.

4. Pork-fectly in Love

“Will you be my Valentine?” asked a lover to another.

“Oink!” they replied.

Valentine’s Day in Germany is relatively similar to the usual: Flowers, dates, cards, and chocolates. But there’s a twist. Some of these gifts come in the shape of a pig.

Why a pig? According to Dennis, pigs are a cultural symbol in Germany, with residents also seeming to consume a lot of pork.

“The pig is a symbol for good luck, happiness, prosperity, and basically just positive things,” he explained. In Germany, it’s called a Glücksschwein, which means “lucky pig.”

During Valentine’s season, pigs are everywhere. You’ll see pig-shaped chocolates, cards with pig drawings, and even brands building their Valentine’s campaigns around the idea.

Dennis hasn’t received a pig-themed Valentine’s gift yet, but he may gift his girlfriend this year.

5. Saint - Valentin

In France, the country of love, there’s a small village that might have even more romance than Paris itself. It’s called Saint-Valentin.

In Paris, Valentine’s Day looks just as you’d expect. Streets turn red with decorations, flowers replace phones, couples go out for dinner, and people, lovers, and families alike, spend the day doing something fun.

“Some people go to the museum. On this particular day, some museums are free for the young,” shared Ramzia.

But beyond Paris, there’s the village of Saint-Valentin, named after the Roman saint behind Valentine’s Day.

“At first, the village was not romantic,” Ramzia explained. “It was simply placed under the protection of the saint, without any direct link to his life.”

That changed in the 20th century. The village embraced its name and became a place of love and romance. Trees were decorated with hearts, and a special attraction was created: The Wish Tree.

“Visitors write messages and hang them on the tree,” said Ramzia.

Today, every Valentine’s Day, the village comes alive with celebrations and visitors. You might expect it to be well-known across France, but surprisingly, many French people don’t even know it exists.

Now you do. You are welcome!

Beyond Valentine’s Day, the beauty of love is how flexible it is. Love shows up in many forms: pig-shaped chocolates, flowers, shared moments, or kind gestures from far away.

And when your love needs to travel miles, LemFi is there to help. With competitive exchange rates, low-cost fees, and quick, reliable transfers, you can send love home exactly when it’s needed this season and after.

Because love shouldn’t stop at borders.