Just as you’re thinking
about how Valentine’s Day back home has declined into
the formulaic, you find out that the holiday has gone international.
It’s easy to see why a day of romance is such an attractive
concept, but just how celebrations play out around the world is
surprising. As you may know, the Japanese have designated Valentine’s
Day to celebrate men, White Day for women including giri-choko,
“obligation chocolate” for co-workers and honmei-chocko,
chocolate for that special someone. From unabashed consumerism to
rightwing protests, from the predictable to the passionate, we see
it all on this tour around the world. It just may have you rethinking
what was once upon a time, just a simple “Hallmark Holiday.
Most Party Hardy
When it comes to celebrating love, no one tops Korea. After South
Korea dopted White Day from the Japanese, they came up with “Black
Day” one month later on April 14th. On this day, single people
get together and eat JaJang Noodles (noodles with black bean sauce).
And the marketing forces kept on going to ensure a reason to love
and spend on the 14th of every month. Lonely singles who miss out
on Black Day could meet up for curry on May 14 (“Yellow Day”).
Those in relationships would skip the curry and head to the florist
to celebrate “Rose Day.” Meanwhile, keep your wallets
on hand for “Green Day,” “Diary Day,” “Kiss
Day,” “Silver Day”…
Most Sobering
In Ghana, Valentine’s Day has been great for business and
as a chance to open up communication on often taboo topics of affection
and sex. This year, the tourism industry and cocoa supplies successfully
pushed the renaming of Valentine’s Day to “National
Chocolate Day.” Though Ghana is one of the world’s top
cocoa producers, chocolate is not as popular locally as it is abroad.
The hope is that “National Valentine’s Day Around the
World Chocolate Day” will clue locals in to the best way to
say “I love you.”
The move, however, has brought unwanted attention back on the
issues of child labor on cocoa plantations. While on the subject,
international activists are also discouraging gifts of flowers (imported
flowers are packed with toxic pesticides) and gold jewelry (gold
mining is filthy for the environment). If you thought finding a
way to show your partner you cared was hard, now you have to do
it while showing a bit of love to exploited children, the environment,
not to speak of the forests knocked down for making those Valentine’s
cards…
Most Democratic
For those who despise the exclusionist traditions of Valentine’s
Day, take comfort in its variations. On Feb 14, the Finnish celebrate
Ystävänpäivä, meaning “Friends
Day.” (The unusual translation may have something to do with
the fact that the holiday didn’t enter the Finnish almanac
until 1987).
In Mexico and Colombia, Día del amor y la amistad is “Love
and Friendship Day.” Colombians celebrate the holiday on the
third Friday and Saturday in September and even have a secret gift
giving tradition similar to our “Secret Santa.” How’s
that for democratic gift giving?
Most Committed
In Thailand, Valentine’s Day was imported as another excuse
to party. Meanwhile this holiday has made Bangrak (“District
of Love”) the place to be for couples
making a commitment. On this day, the local district office records
the country’s highest concentration of couples registering
their marriage. Those who choose
to commit themselves at this time get to do it at the ultimate wedding
street party.
Before the Italian city, Turin, played the Olympic host, it hosted
a long-standing tradition as the city where couples announced their
engagement on February 14th. A few days leading up to the big day,
stores are decked out in encouragement. Do
think carefully about the status of your relationship when you time
that next visit to Turin…
Most Proactive
In Brazil, the day for exchanging tokens of love is on Jun. 12,
Dia dos Namorados. This “Day of the Enamored” is conveniently
the day before Saint Anthony’s Day for the Saint known as
the matchmaking saint. On his day, hopeful girls engage in all sorts
of rituals for finding a partner.
One popular tactic is for the girl to fill her mouth with water
and hold it until she hears the name of a boy mentioned. This is
Saint Anthony telling her future
husband’s name. Another ritual is for the woman to buy a statue
of the Saint and place or bury him upside down for a week as blackmail.
She will only agree to put
him upright again after he’s found her a good man.
Most Impassioned
In India, Valentine’s Day has spawned the phenomenon of “eve
teasing.” Boys pretending to be Romeo of their own Bollywood
musical attempt to woo the girls of their dreams on the streets.
More often than not though, when feelings are not reciprocated,
the romantic gesture dissolves into plain harassment that has girls
afraid to leave their homes.
Valentine’s Day arouses another form of passion in protest
groups ranging from religious activists to right wingers. The main
argument is against the onslaught
of sexual thirst and rampant consumerism that insult their culture.
India, the same culture that brought you the Kama Sutra, lost its
sexual spark sometime in the
Middle Ages and today still forbids the on-screen kiss.
In recent years, protesters have demonstrated at hotel balls, raided
gift shops, and burned Valentine’s Day cards. In major cities,
the police are on alert to ensure
that this day of love and tenderness passes peacefully.
Most Symbolic
In Iran, Valentine’s Day comes three days after National Day,
celebrating the Victory of the Islamic Revolution. This revolution
that brought the Mullahs to power forced women to wear veils and
decreased contact between males and females.
In years past, the regime has banned Valentine’s Day and put
the Office of Vice and Virtue out on patrol. Morality police warned
restaurants and gift shops not to cater to young couples suspected
of celebrating romance. The threats have done little to diminish
the popularity of the holiday, mainly because the nature of the
culture is changing. Half the Iranian population is under 25 and
young people
seek a more open society than the one imposed on their parents by
the revolution. Supporters of the holiday point out that Persian
culture has a rich history of romantic legends and the current restrictions
themselves are what is unnatural. The youngest generation of Iranians
are using this occasion and others to stand up for themselves and
as any visitor to Tehran on Valentine’s Day can contest, the
city sings with a youthful vibrancy and the winds of transition
in progress.
If this tour of Valentine’s has taught us anything, it’s
that a simple celebration of love is really anything but simple.
Nowadays, the cultures that have imported the
holidays have imported other values with it: westernization, modernization
and the reliance on objects to prove one’s sentiments. At
worse, the big day is a romotion
of child slave labor but at its most inspiring it’s a stance
against oppression. That’s something to think about when you
stand dumbfounded before the local shop’s Valentine’s
aisle, making sense of what it all really means. Who knew that somewhere
out there, paper hearts and red teddy bears could be such a force
to be reckoned with?
[originally published in Weekender Magazine/
Febrary 02-15, 2007]
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