Valentine's Day worldwide, DIY cards, edible cards, heart shape cakes, chocs, edible flowers, or Dinner for two S338 at the Tanglin Club, in central Singapore, and Love sculpture photos

 Expect prices to go up for Valentine's Day. What could you enjoy. A live band, and roses, at the Tanglin club. 

A meal with matching wines.

Heart shape decorations.

Toastmasters Clubs for aspiring speakers and business leaders, including teachers, sales people, life coaches, have the theme of love.

Singapore has a sculpture with the letter LOVE. There are many more in the USA, Canada, and Asia.

Couples used to have their wedding photos taken by churches and waterfalls. Other romantic locations include bridges and flower gardens.

If you are not a member of the Tanglin Club, ask around your friends and colleagues to see if anybody is a member.

If you are a member of a club in another country, it may have reciprocal membership with the Tanglin Club. For example, in London many including the Cavalry and Guards Club, in Australia RAC clubs and several city clubs, the USA, China and many more countries and clubs.

Any club you are a member of is likely to have valentine's Day dinners, or decorations in the lobby or restaurants which provide photo opportunities.

Alternatively, have dinner a day early, Feb 13, and have cards and flowers and chocolates saved for the next day. Make up a rhyme and print it off with hearts and flowers. 

Historical Pictures

Valentine's day stocking with red hearts.

Valentine's Day in Spanish, Feliz dia del Amor.

St Valentine shrine in Ireland. 

There's another in Italy.

Valentine's day chocolates from Japan, including heart shaped chocolates.

Valentine's day balloons from Mexico.

Current 2023 Pictures

Hallmark pop up musical card with lights, about ten dollars minus a cent. In the USA kerbside pickup is available.

Valentine's Day started as a Christian festival and is increasingly commercial and celebrated widely. In American teachers and pupils receive and send valentine's day cards and schoolchildren make cards for their teacher and their parents.

Muslims are not supposed to copy non-Moslem festivals nor to drink alcohol, but (according to an answer in Quora) it would be fine to send flowers to your wife on Valentine's day or give a gift to your child on their birthday - and if it is on Valentine's day or any day.

Sweets and Edibles

You can make edible cards and gifts. cut shapes in marzipan, icing, 

Rice paper. Edible decorating colours and piping pens. Or a piece of paper, removable. 

Or edible flowers.

Savoury

Try cutting bread and toast, or fried or poached eggs.

If you have more money than sense, oops, I meant time, you can spend 80 dollars on a bouquet of flowers, a small teddy bear and half a dozen chocolates. 

Since we already have the bears and chocolates, we can do this ourselves and spend on a gourmet lunch or dinner the next day. 

Useful Websites

Photo Opportunities

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Love_sculptures

Clubs

https://www.tanglinclub.org.sg/events/social-events/valentine%E2%80%99s-day-dinner-13february2023/individual-registration.html

https://www.tanglinclub.org.sg/reciprocal-clubs/reciprocal-clubs.html

Cards

https://www.123cards.com/?gclid=CjwKCAiArY2fBhB9EiwAWqHK6iqxOaOt2QB94RBZYg_5ugYEiL7MOyEKytO22lt0pYwM1XX-oU75PRoCaKMQAvD_BwE#google_vignette

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valentine%27s_Day

https://www.hallmark.com/valentines-day/valentines-day-cards/

DIY CARDS

https://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Valentines-Day-Card

Flowers

https://www.marksandspencer.com/for-the-love-in-your-life-vase-bundle/p/flp60614876

EDIBLE FLOWERS

https://www.amazon.sg/Cupcake-Toppers-Wedding-Birthday-Decoration/dp/B0829KMVDY/ref=asc_df_B0829KMVDY/?tag=googleshoppin-22&linkCode=df0&hvadid=404214624474&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=11772662749942218768&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9062509&hvtargid=pla-1543662888924&psc=1

https://www.redmanshop.com/shop-by-category/baking-ingredients/edible-decor/edible-flower

https://www.floweradvisor.com.sg/occasions/singapore-valentines-day?t=0-2-1-1

https://www.floweradvisor.com.sg/occasions/valentines-day-sg-fa25280 (Baby bear, flower, chocolates, 83 dollars Sing.)

Xmas Shopping and Travelling in the UK, USA, Europe and Asia, DIY cards and greetings

The countdown to Christmas has begun.

Advent calendar in Wikipedia.

Advent calendar.

You can hear on the radio and/or watch on TV the concert from Austria which features ballet in historic buildings and grounds.



Xmas Day concert broadcast from Vienna, Austria. The encore is the Radetsky March by Johann Strauss Senior and the Strauss Blue Danube.

The day after Xmas is known as Boxing Day in the UK and still celebrated in other countries such as Australia and New Zealand and Hong Kong and Canada.That's the day to buy in the sales in person or on line.

To avoid Christmas altogether, go to a Muslim country such as Malaysia or Indonesia. you are more likely to be able to get inexpensive food rather than the Christmas dinner all month.

What if you want to celebrate later at New Year as well or instead?
Scotland celebrates New Year more than Christmas.

You could book up for Hogmanay celebrations or watch on TV.

Christmas and New Year start earlier in Australia. Tune in to see the sites in Australia lit up.

Czech Republic
I spend Christmas in Europe one year and missed the British Christmas pudding and cake and decorations and parties. In parts of Europe they have fish rather than meat for their festive meals. In the former Communist countries you might find less of an effort at Christmas. We were surprised by a fish meal for Christmas in the Czech Republic. However, we went to midnight mass in Prague.

Germany
A German favourite is stollen. You can buy this now in supermarkets in London, England. My favourite versions are not just long cakes with lots of dried fruit and maybe nuts, but with a roll of marzipan in the centre. The Dutch do the same.

The Germans hold Christmas markets throughout December in the evenings. Buy food, decorations, clothes, gifts.

France
France features a yule log for a celebration cake at Christmas time for Christmas parties.

Singapore
The yule log is also a favourite in Singapore. Singapore, like India and Malaysia, goes for brightly coloured cakes, such as the green pandan cake.

Santa Hats
In Asia, Japan and singapore and other countries, the Japanese budget store Daiso sells pairs of Santa hats for two singapore dollars. The American chain found all over Singapore, seven eleven, sells a Santa hat with decorations along the white band for three dollars for one hat.

New Year
Come New Year many countries will have public firework displays. Australia around the Sydney Harbour Bridge. London along the Thames river.

If you want to create on online Xmas card or create a hand-drawn pop up card, here are some handy greetings:

Oops - we have forgotten to send xmas cards to the people back home before we left. We shall have to send e-cards.

International Christmas greetings[edit]

Christmas card made on a PC

The traditional English greeting of "Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year" as it appears in other languages:^[29]

• Albanian: Gëzuar Krishtlindjet dhe Vitin e Ri
• Basque: Gabon Zoriontsuak eta urte berri on
• Breton: Nedeleg laouen na bloavezh mat
• Bulgarian: Весела Коледа и Честита Нова Година
• Catalan: Bon Nadal i Feliç Any Nou
• Chinese Simplified (China, except Hong Kong): 圣诞快乐，新年进步
• Chinese Traditional (Hong Kong & Taiwan): 聖誔快樂，新年進步
• Cornish: Nadelik Lowen, Bledhen Nowyth Da.
• Croatian - Hrvatski: Čestit Božić i sretna Nova godina
• Czech: Veselé vánoce a šťastný nový rok.^[30] But mostly used is secular 'P.F.' standing for French 'Pour féliciter' (literally 'For happiness in the year...').
• Danish: Glædelig jul og godt nytår! or simply God jul
• Dutch: Prettige kerstdagen en een gelukkig nieuwjaar
• Estonian: Häid jõule ja head uut aastat
• Esperanto: Gajan kristnaskon kaj feliĉan novan jaron
• Filipino: Maligayang Pasko at Manigong Bagong Taon
• Finnish: Hyvää joulua ja onnellista uutta vuotta
• French: Joyeux Noël et Bonne Année
• Galician: Bo Nadal e Feliz Aninovo
• Georgian: გილოცავთ შობა-ახალ წელს
• German: Fröhliche Weihnachten und ein glückliches/gutes Neues Jahr
• Greek: Καλά Χριστούγεννα και ευτυχισμένος ο Καινούριος Χρόνος
• Hungarian: Kellemes karácsonyi ünnepeket és boldog új évet or simply B. ú. é. k.
• Icelandic: Gleðileg jól og farsælt nýtt ár
• Indonesian: Selamat Hari Natal dan Tahun Baru
• Irish: Nollaig Shona Duit
• Italian: Buon Natale e Felice Anno Nuovo
• Kashubian: Wiesołëch Gòdów i szczestlewégò Nowégò Rokù
• Korean : 메리 크리스마스
• Japanese: メリー・クリスマス
• Latvian: Priecīgus Ziemassvētkus un laimīgu Jauno gadu
• Lithuanian: Linksmų šventų Kalėdų ir laimingų Naujųjų metų
• Macedonian: Среќна Нова Година и честит Божиќ
• Malay: Selamat Hari Krismas dan Tahun Baru
• Maltese: Il-Milied Hieni u s-Sena t-Tajba
• Mongolian: Зул сар болон Шинэ жилийн баярын мэнд хүргье
• Norwegian: God jul og godt nyttår
• Persian: کریسمس و سال نو مبارک
• Polish: Wesołych Świąt i Szczęśliwego Nowego Roku
• Portuguese: Feliz Natal e um Feliz Ano Novo
• Romanian: Crăciun Fericit și La mulți ani
• Russian: С Новым годом и Рождеством Христовым!
• Sinhala: Suba naththalak wewa, suba aluth aurudhak wewa
• Slovak: Veselé Vianoce a Štastný Nový rok
• Slovenian: Vesel Božič in Srečno Novo Leto
• Spanish: Feliz Navidad y próspero Año Nuevo
• Swedish: God Jul och Gott Nytt År
• Vietnamese: Chúc mừng Giáng Sinh và chúc mừng Năm mới (acute accent over ơ in "mơi")
• Ukrainian: Веселих свят! (Happy Holidays!) / З Новим роком і Різдвом Христовим!
• Urdu:آپکو بڑا دن اور نیا سال مبارک ہو
• Welsh: Nadolig Llawen a Blwyddyn Newydd Dda

Wikihow had a guide to making pop up cards. A way to keep the children happy for hours or amuse yourself if you are indoors.

Too much trouble? Buy a template for an ecard or a card to have printed and posted.
https://www.smilebox.com/lp/smilebox-plus-cards-christmas/

Other Useful Websites
https://traveltriangle.com/blog/new-year-in-australia/
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/FREE-Christmas-Card-Templates-

About The Author
Angela Lansbury is a travel writer and photographer, blogger, author of 20 books including an ebook on Improve Your English, from Amazon, and teacher of English and Business English and other languages to individuals, colleges and companies. For more information on learning languages see the previous posts. For information on sites to see in Spain and Portugal see the other posts. Please bookmark your favourite posts and share the links with your family, friends and colleagues.