Valentine´s Day

Valentine´s Day

 

I have just recently posted about Valentine´s Day, but this post will be about how Valentine´s Day is celebrated in different cultures since a lot of us I think don´t even know why we celebrate it in the first place.

Christian Church

Valentine´s Day was first celebrated as a feast day for one or several saints named Valentine who died as martyrs. One of them might have been Saint Valentine of Rome who was imprisoned for performing weddings for soldiers who were forbidden to marry and for ministering to Christians, who were persecuted under the Roman Empire. According to the legend, during his imprisonment, he healed the daughter of his jailer and wrote her a letter before his execution signed "Your Valentine" as a farewell. Pope Gelasius made February 14 a official feast day for the whole church in 469, but it was canceled from the roman calender in 1969.

Japan

In Japan the holiday first introduced in 1936 by a chocolate-company when it ran an advertisement aimed at foreigners, other factory followed soon after. Differently than in our society only women give chocolate to man, the amount and quality of the chocolate shows how much she likes the man, but it is not only about liking somebody in a romantic way. So office ladies also give chocolate to their co-workers this is called giri-choko (from giri "obligation" and choko"chocolate") unpopular co-workers just receive "ultra-obligatory" chō-giri choko, cheap chocolate. It is also common, especially among girls, to give chocolate to friends - tomo-choko; from tomo meaning "friend". But of course they also give chocolate to their loved one honmei-choko (favorite chocolate).

I guess after all this chocolate giving it is necessary to mention that chocolate companies make half their annual sales during this time of the year...

In the 1980s the Japanese National Confectionery Industry Association launched a successful campaign to make March 14 a "reply day", where men are expected to return the favor to those who gave them chocolates on Valentine's Day. They are expected to return gifts that are at least two or three times more valuable than the gifts they received themselves. Returning a present of equal value would been that you are cutting the relationship, not returning a gift at all would mean that the man sees him self as superior. This day is called “White Day”, because of the purity of the color white.

Brazil

In Brasil something like Valentine's Day is know as “Dia dos Namorados” ("Lovers' Day", or "Boyfriends'/Girlfriends' Day") is celebrated on June 12, probably because that is the day before Saint Anthony's day, known there as the marriage saint, when traditionally many single women perform popular rituals, called “simpatias”, in order to find a good husband or boyfriend. Couples exchange gifts, chocolates, cards and flower bouquets. So if you want to have your peace for Valentine´s Day it is a good idea to go to Brazil because they don´t celebrate Valentine´s Day on February 14 at all because it usually falls too little before or too little after the Brazilian Carnival.

Saudi Arabia

 

Saudi Arabia has illegalized Valentine's Day because they don´t think about it as an Islamic festival. You can even get arrested for celebrating Valentine´s Day.

South Korea

Ins South Korea Valentine's Day is celebrated similar than in Japan, women give chocolate to men on February 14, and men give non-chocolate candy to women on March 14. But different than in Japan they also celebrate April 14, called Black Day. On this day those who did not receive anything on 14 February or March go to a Chinese-Korean restaurant to eat black noodles and lament their 'single life'.
Furthermore the 14th of every month marks a love-related day in Korea, although most of them are obscure. From January to December: Candle Day, Valentine's Day, White Day, Black Day, Rose Day, Kiss Day, Silver Day, Green Day, Music Day, Wine Day, Movie Day, and Hug Day.