How to say 'Happy Valentine's Day' in French

In France, Valentine’s Day - known as la Saint-Valentin - is celebrated on 14th of February. Saint Valentin, the patron saint of lovers (as well as beekeepers, epilepsy and the plague) was martyred on 14th of February, 273 AD. The 14th of February is therefore his feast day, and over the centuries Saint Valentine's Day has become an annual celebration of love and romance.

This is just as true for France as it is for many other western countries, although - as with Halloween - Valentine's Day isn't celebrated with quite the same panache as it is in America, for instance. It’s not common for school kids to exchange Valentine’s Day cards or for single friends to get together and celebrate their own, alternative ‘Galentine’s day’ (for which there isn't really a French translation).

That said, all the rituals and traditions you may have come to associate with Valentine’s Day are also practised in France. Couples will go out for dinner in romantic restaurants, exchange love notes and gifts (often artisanal chocolate, perfume, flowers or jewellery) and profess their love for each other.

Paris - recently voted most romantic city in the world by Time Out - is particularly popular at this time of year. Couples from far and wide will opt to spend Valentine’s Day in the capital of romance, so if you happen to be planning a trip to Paris at this time of year, it’s wise to book restaurants and hotels in advance. Paris offers endless ways for couples to spend time together, from cabaret shows to river cruises down the Seine.

Valentine’s Day is not a public holiday in France, which means students and workers don’t get the day off.

There are a couple of ways to say ‘Happy Valentine’s Day’ in French. The most common is Joyeuse Saint-Valentin. You may also hear Bonne fête des amoureux.

Sometimes you might hear Valentine’s Day referred to simply as le quatorze février, although this is less common.

If you want to ask someone if they will be your Valentine, you can say Tu veux être mon Valentin /ma Valentine ? or Veux-tu être mon Valentin/ma Valentine ?

Every 14th of February, the Village of Saint-Valentin in the Val de Loire region of France, celebrates its namesake with concerts, gourmet markets, romantic activities and lavish floral displays. If you're looking for a romantic location to celebrate beyond Paris, Saint-Valentin may be the place for you!

An old French tradition, popular during the Middle Ages but now banned, was known as la loterie de l'amour. People who were single on Valentine's Day would sequester themselves in their houses until they were paired together with someone outside. If the man was displeased with his new partner, however, he would abandon her. In turn, the abandoned women would build a bonfire and burn images of the men who had abandoned them.

Want to get into the Valentine's Day mood with a French romantic movie? We've handpicked some romantic classics of French cinema for you to check out:

La Boum (1980) - This coming-of-age movies about a 13-year old girl navigating the turbulence of starting a new high school is also Sophie Marceau's debut.

L'arnacoeur (2010) - Siblings Alex and Mélanie operate a business with a unique service: breaking up relationships. Things go awry when they are hired by a wealthy man to stop his daughter's wedding.

Un plan parfait(2012) - Diana Kruger plays Isabelle, a woman who aims to subvert her family curse - according to which every first marriage ends badly - by marrying a stranger before her boyfriend.

Un homme à la hauteur (2016) - A remake of the Argentinian film Corazón de León, this romantic comedy the story of Diane, a lawyer who sets up a blind date with a man who ends up being much shorter than she had envisaged.

Portrait de la jeune fille en feu (2019) - This historical romance, set on a remote island in Brittany, charts the relationship between a painter and her subject.

L'amour ouf (2024) - A romance movie with a darker edge, this film follows Clotaire and Jackie as they continually cross paths and drift against amidst a tense backdrop of gang violence.