Mia Groeninger '25
In America, Valentine’s Day is widely believed to have been established for the purpose of profit by the Hallmark Company. In reality, the holiday’s history is rich and diverse, not only to make money but genuinely meant to celebrate love. Love is unique because every living being has its own way of expressing and showing love. Some may define love as “an intense feeling of deep affection”, while others may show their love through acts of passion. While most focus on love within their personal lives, it is important to recognize that love is a universal value, celebrated differently in various cultures across the globe.
In the United States, romantic partners typically celebrate Valentine’s Day by spending time together and exchanging gifts. Families and friends can also honor the special day to show their love and appreciation for one another. Rather different from the United States, in Argentina, Valentine’s Day began as a commercial invention that aimed to advertise for Arcor, a candy brand. The slogan “A candy for a kiss” quickly developed into a celebration each year during the first week of July, called a “week of sweetness”, where lovers exchange candy and kisses. In South Korea, the 14th day of every month of the year has a distinguished “Valentine’s Day” dedicated to a specific aspect associated with love. For example, on May 14th, South Koreans celebrate the “day of roses'' in June, the “day of hugs” in December, and in April, the “black day” when single people eat black noodles to embrace their “singleness”. Ghana’s version of Valentine’s Day originated quite recently, in 2007, when the government deemed February 14th as National Chocolate Day to increase consumption of cocoa products and attract tourism. As one of the largest cocoa-producing countries, Ghana seeks to promote the consumption of chocolate and attract tourists on this special day by holding many performances, music events, and restaurants with themed menus across the country. Talking of Valentine’s Day, we, of course, cannot forget about France – the “Epicentre of Romance ''. As love and romance make up a significant part of French culture, the first Valentine’s card was given in France as early as 1415. Today, the French can be seen celebrating by decorating homes, trees, and yards, as well as exchanging cards and flowers. Not surprisingly, Valentine’s Day is a popular day for marriage proposals in this romantic country. Lastly, in South West China, Valentine’s Day, known as the “Sister’s Meal Festival '', is the time when women wear beautiful dresses with silver accessories and cook various dishes of colored rice on Valentine’s Day. The rice is then offered to men walking down the street, and an object is hidden in the rice, either chopstick meaning love, or garlic meaning the love is over before it has even begun.
Despite how countries across the world have very distinct ways of celebrating Valentine’s Day, they share one thing in common: all nations seek to honor love. With Valentine’s Day tying into the spirit and diverse community of Cate School, it is important to recognize and appreciate other cultures’ traditions and customs in order to learn about their values on this remarkable day. As Valentine's Day celebrations greatly differ, we too should look to create our own ways of spreading love in the Cate community on this important day.
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