Myths surround the origin of Valentine?s Day, most of which
date back to early Roman and Christian traditions. Whatever the reason for its
inception, celebrating the day of love has caught on like wildfire all around
the world, each country with its own version of the holiday.
Japan
In Japan, Feb. 14 is pronounced ?ba-rin-tine day,? and it is
a day when women do all the gift-giving.
?Basically, girls give boys who [they] love chocolate, and
then say, ?I love you,?? said Miyuki Kamiya, a University of Wisconsin teaching
assistant from Tokyo in an interview with The Badger Herald. Other than
receiving chocolates from their admirers, ?boys don?t do anything,? she
explained.
Chocolate is the customary gift, while Valentine?s cards and
flowers are infrequent in Japan. The trend is actually so popular that Japanese
chocolate companies report having more than half of their sales during the week
before Feb. 14.
Not all chocolates are tokens of love, however. Giri-choko
is ?obligation chocolate,? and is recognized by its considerably smaller size.
Kamiya sensei, as her Japanese 104 students call her, might give giri-choko,
which says, ?If I don?t love this guy but? he is my boss or co-worker.?
However, not all women partake in this duty exchange. The most meaningful Valentine?s
Day gift is honmei-choko, which translates to ?sweetheart?s chocolate.?
Guys are not off the hook for gift-giving, though. White
Day, a Japanese-created holiday, is celebrated March 14. This is the day when
men return the favor by giving gifts to the women they received chocolate from
the previous month. White chocolate (as well as regular chocolate), other
treats and jewelry are common White Day gifts. What happens if a man does not
return the favor through a gift on White Day? ?Some girls feel that the guy
didn?t like her,? Kamiya said.
Argentina
The celebration of D?a de San Valentin in Argentina is
similar to how Americans celebrate the holiday.
?Guys and girls partake, but [the celebration is] a lot
smaller,? wrote Eric Grauvilardell, a University of Minnesota freshman, in an
online interview with The Badger Herald. ?Perhaps some candy ? chocolates are
good ? things of that sort, but they don’t buy nearly as many things as they do
here.?
Grauvilardell, who moved to the U.S. from Mendoza, Argentina,
in 2001, adds that while D?a de San Valentin is a holiday mostly celebrated by
couples, Argentineans also celebrate D?a del Amigo (?Friend?s Day?) on July 20.
Ghana
Virtually no one celebrated Valentine?s Day in Accra, the
capitol of Ghana, in 1995, according to Jo Ellen Fair, a UW journalism and mass
communications professor. The popularity of the holiday surged because of the
privatization of Ghanaian radio.
?Picked up from media promotion handbooks produced in the
United States, Valentine?s Day came to Accra prepackaged in a rarefied state of
hype,? wrote Fair in her article, ??Me Do Wu,? My Val: The Creation of
Valentine?s Day in Accra, Ghana.? The three main radio stations in Accra ?
Radio Gold, Joy FM and Peace FM ? began promoting Valentine?s Day (or, as
locals call it, ?Val?) by offering prize packages ranging from trips to South
Africa to flowers to free dinners. Thus, listening audiences became more and
more enthusiastic about the holiday.
From a mass communications perspective, Ghana?s newspaper,
The Mirror, printed only one short article about Valentine?s Day in 1990. After
the swift rise of popularity, the same newspaper printed 12 pages of
Valentine?s Day coverage in 1998, including a cover story and ?two pages of
personal messages,? wrote Fair.
?Valentine?s Day is the perfect promotion. Ghanaians like to
look to the outside for new ideas. It fits with our gift-giving culture,? Ghana
native Ebow Ghartey said in an interview with Fair. ?We know about love.?
Other places in the
world
Valentine?s Day was once a spring festival in Italy where
young people would gather to listen to music and poetry. It is now an Italian
tradition to get engaged on Festa Degli Innamorati, and couples often celebrate
together, exchanging gifts and eating at restaurants. Festa Degli Innamorati is
a holiday exclusively for lovers, so friends and family do not exchange gifts.
Finland officially recognized their version of the holiday,
Yst?v?np?iv?, in 1987. Yst?v?np?iv? translates to ?Friend?s Day? and, as the
name suggests, is traditionally a day to celebrate friendships through gifts
and cards.
This year, celebrating Valentine?s Day was banned in Saudi
Arabia, according to a Tuesday CNN article, because it was seen as being a
non-Muslim holiday that promoted infidelity. Stores were forbidden from selling
anything red during the days prior to Feb. 14 and, consequentially, the black
market for roses and other traditional gifts has soared.
Around the world, people cherish the opportunity to
celebrate love, whether it is a romantic relationship, friendship or a hushed
celebration hidden from the government. Perhaps John Lennon expressed it best
when he sang that even in a time of conflict and uncertainty, ?All you need is
love.?
