Valentijnsdag

Valentijnsdag on 14 February is a Dutch-speaking day for cards, flowers, and romantic plans.

Valentine’s Day, celebrated with flowers, cards and romantic outings.

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Opens Feb 14, closes Feb 15 · 48 hours

what Valentijnsdag is

Valentijnsdag falls every year on 14 February and is not a public holiday in the Netherlands or Dutch-speaking Belgium, so schools and workplaces usually run as normal. The day is marked mostly through small romantic gestures rather than public ceremonies. Shops begin selling valentijnskaarten, red roses, heart-shaped chocolates, and gift sets in the days before. Florists, supermarkets, and perfume shops decorate their windows with red, pink, and heart motifs. People may send flowers to a partner’s home or workplace, give a handwritten card, or leave a small surprise in the morning. Common Dutch phrases on the day include “Fijne Valentijnsdag” and “Wil je mijn Valentijn zijn?”

Most celebrations happen privately, especially in the evening. Restaurants often advertise a valentijnsmenu or a candlelit dinner for two, and many couples book a meal, a drink in a café, a cinema outing, or a hotel night. Chocolates, jewelry, perfume, and flowers are among the most typical gifts, with red roses being especially visible. Some people keep the gesture anonymous and sign a card simply as “je Valentijn,” although many couples treat the day openly as a date night. Because 14 February is an ordinary weekday in many years, the celebration often fits around work: a bouquet arrives during the day, and the real celebration happens after office hours.

what you'll learn5 domains

The pack has 36 words spread across these domains.

Valentine phrasesWords and short lines people use in cards, messages, and romantic greetings on 14 February.

Day itselfVocabulary for the date, the timing of the celebration, and what people do during the day and evening.

Romantic giftsWords for flowers, chocolates, perfume, jewelry, and cards commonly given on Valentijnsdag.

Date placesVocabulary for florists, restaurants, cafés, cinemas, and other places people use for Valentine plans.

Typical customsExpressions for sending flowers, writing valentijnskaarten, planning a dinner, and signing a note as “je Valentijn.”

the run — three rounds, about three minutes, unlimited practice

Round 1 · MatchPair the word with its meaning. Six pairs, one attempt each.

Round 2 · SpellType the word you hear, accents and all. Beginners see the meaning and complete the word instead.

Round 3 · MeaningSix questions on what happens at Valentijnsdag and what it is called.

how scoring works

How you are ranked

1AccuracyEvery correct answer counts the same. Anything you leave unanswered counts as wrong.

2Time, only to break tiesTime is read only when two people have the same accuracy. It never beats a better score.

For example

1100%3:41Marta

2100%4:02Joan — same score, slower

397%2:10Núria — fastest, still third

Two separate boards

BeginnerAdvanced

Same words in both. Beginner gets more help: matching and completing. Advanced listens and spells it out unaided. Pick it in practice; it locks when you take the scored run.

One scored run

Practise as often as you like, all year. The scored run happens once, while the competition is open, and cannot be retaken.