Even though more and more Romanians started to celebrate Valentine’s Day in recent years, Romania has its own lovers’ day – Dragobete, celebrated every year on February 24. An increasingly number of Romanians - and even foreigners - started preferring the local holiday to the foreign one.

There are several traditions related to the Dragobete, but they are not so much kept in Romania’s urban areas. Here, the day is mainly celebrated through special events, while lovers give each other small gifts.

As Dragobete is a traditional Romanian celebration, here's a list of Romanian things that can turn into gifts for your loved ones.

• Spring flowers – as Dragobete is also one of the celebrations that mark the beginning of spring, why not offering the loved one a small bouquet of spring flowers such as snowdrops, daffodils, tulips or violets. Snowdrops, daffodils and violets can also be easily found across Romania's woods and spinneys.
• Traditional Romanian items – you can find some beautiful handmade wooden spoons and other Romanian traditional crafts here, or you can choose a traditional Romanian blouse ie  from here. In case your loved one is a movie fan, there is a wide list of Romanian films at Carturesti (with English subtitles) here. You can also opt for some music signed by Romanian artists. Find a list here.
• If you want to surprise your loved one with a special Romanian dish, there is a cookbook that might help you at Carturesti. You can also find it online here.
• If the one you love is a technology enthusiast, maybe you can offer him/her some of the gadgets made by Romanian producers such as Evolio, Vonino, Allview or E-Boda.
• If you like to travel and you have some free time, you can make a trip to Tirgu Jiu, located at some 290 km from Bucharest. Some of the city’s main tourist attractions are the sculptures of well-known Romanian artist Constantin Brancusi. You might want to kiss your loved one at Brancusi’s Gate of Kiss, the city’s special attraction where most young married couples usually go to take some pictures.
• As this is a Romanian celebration, maybe you’d like to take some time and discover Romania a little bit more. For that, the two of you can visit together some of Bucharest’s museums, such as the Village Museum or the Peasant Museum.
• If you happen to be in Busteni, Prahova Valley, on February 24, the City Hall has a special surprise for you: couples can get married for one day on Kalinderu slope. Newlyweds will also have free access to the lift if they prove their love with a kiss.

If you know other Romanian gifts that could go on our list, please leave a message in the comment box below.

Irina Popescu, irina.popescu@romania-insider.com