February 14 is famous for being a day for chocolate, a day for flowers and candy and cards, and most importantly, a day to appreciate those you love. However, Valentine’s Day may only carry those connotations if you grew up in the States.

Praghya Raja is a four-year senior boarding student from Saudi Arabia. According to Praghya, Valentine’s Day, at home, doesn’t exist.

“It’s [Valentine’s Day] not quite illegal, it just goes against Islamic notions and beliefs, but it was never really brought up, so I never thought that anyone had experienced anything differently,” she said.

In fact, Praghya was raised calling the holiday an entirely different name, but still participating in most of the same activities and traditions, such as bringing cards and gifts for every member of your class.

“We did all the same things, we just never referred to it as Valentine’s Day,” she said. “Instead, I was raised calling it Friendship Day.”

Victoria Hop, a senior boarding student from Mexico City, similarly learned to call the holiday by another name, implying a different purpose.

“No one calls it Valentine’s Day, in Mexico it’s called the Day of Love and Friendship, and its more than a couple’s holiday,” she said. “At my old school, we always did this big carnival for different causes, like breast cancer research. Yes, it was this fun holiday where you could celebrate your girlfriend or whatever, but it was also a big happy event where you helped people who needed it.”

In other countries, such as South Korea and Japan, Valentine’s Day has a different connotation relating to gender. Valentine’s day is designated for women to give gifts to men, and then on March 14, the men have a chance to reciprocate the love they received. This second holiday, occurring a month after Valentine’s Day, is called White Day. According to Forbes, White Day is a second Valentine’s Day, with the theme of white associated with the gifts, which began from the invention of a small confectionary shop in the Hakata region of Japan.

Vasu Jain, a senior boarding student from Tokyo, explained the differences between Valentine’s Day and White Day.

“Valentine’s Day is more associated with the color red and chocolates, while White Day is obviously the color white and other sweets or gifts,” he said.

Hannah Choi, a boarding student from Seoul, South Korea, mentioned the importance of both days, though she prefers Valentine’s Day over White Day.

“They’re two pretty big holidays about honoring people you love,” she said. “I especially love the spirit of Valentine’s Day because of how pink and positive everything is.”

There are some countries that celebrate Valentine’s Day the same way as the United States.

Lorenzo Redaelli, a post-graduate boarding student from Milan, Italy, believes Valentine’s Day is celebrated the same way at home and on campus.

“Valentine’s Day in Italy doesn’t differ much from here [the United States]. People usually get flowers or chocolates for their lovers, while others instead reserve a table in nice restaurants where they enjoy the romantic atmosphere with their partners,” he said. “I’ve always seen it as a festivity for lovers.”