사랑해.Te quiero. 好きだよ. Mahal kita. אני אוהב אותך. I love you.
Just as we all have different ways of telling a person “I love you”, people in different countries will have their own way of showing their love. Here, in the United States of America, the most common day to celebrate the romantic love we feel is Valentine’s Day. Many might believe that the day itself is nothing more than a marketing strategy, for sweet confections, blown out of proportion. It has undeniably been established as the day of love in modern times. Many other countries, such as the UK, Australia, Singapore, Canada, and countless others also have the 14th of February as their national day dedicated to romance, but on this day of love, let’s take a look into the other ways that people around the world celebrate. In Honduras, their day of celebration may be on the same day as the conventional Valentine’s Day, but the message of the day doesn’t solely revolve around romance. El Dia de San Valentin encourages people to celebrate all the different forms of love, from family to friendship, to the point where it also becomes a day of appreciation, leading to its alternative name, El Dia del Amor y la Amistad (The Day of Love and Friendship). Cards, candy, and chocolates are given out to family and friends, even to classmates, but to retain the romantic aspect of Valentine’s, often roses are solely given to a person’s valentine. However, even that element of El Dia del Amor y la Amistad may have easily been derived from the spread of North American media.
The power of media may have also taken effect in Israel, where Valentine’s Day is also presented as a day of romance. However, within the past decades following the British Mandate, the Jewish culture in Israel has flourished and given rise to their own day of romance, Tu b’ av. Literally translated as “the 15th day of Av”, Tu b’ av usually falls on the 14th or 15th night of the Jewish month of Av (usually around July - August), on the first full moon of the month, possibly because it was believed that the full moon would increase fertility for the couples celebrating their love. Another important message that Tu b’ av sends is the growth of Jewish culture. After centuries of hardships, the establishment of Israel gave Jewish people the freedom that they had been deprived of for so long.
One of the more interactive cultures, in my opinion, is the Japanese tradition behind Valentine’s Day. In Japan, there are two different types of chocolate that women typically give out: Giri-choco and Honmei-choco. Giri-choco, known as obligation chocolate, is given to non-romantic members of a person’s life, like classmates, colleagues, close friends, or even bosses. Obligation chocolate is usually comprised of simple store-bought chocolates for the average person. However, while Honmei-choco can be bought in stores, it is heavily perpetuated within the culture and its media, for Honmei-choco to be handmade. As such, stores will sell Valentine’s Day kits, typically for women to purchase to prepare their Honmei-choco by hand. In both South Korea and Japan, White Day exists as the time when those who received chocolates, Giri-choco or Honmei-choco, are obliged to return the favour, giving both countries two special days for love.
In China, the two days also exist, but in reverse. Typically, men give out presents on Valentine’s Day, and women give out presents on White Day, also known as “Answer Day”. Traditional gifts given out include cookies, jewellery, alcoholic drinks, or chocolate. Yet, China takes romance to a whole other level, with the entire month of August dedicated to love as the mid-autumn festival begins. It is based on the fable of Chang E, a woman who was banished to live on the moon for protecting the man she loved and forever living separated from her love, represented by the sun. While it is technically the time to celebrate the harvest, Chinese tradition celebrates the most types of love, as they show their love and appreciation for those who have passed by setting out offerings, appreciation for family and friends, and appreciation for lovers.
From the time I spent growing up in the Philippines, it seems as if everyday is Valentine’s Day. It is a country where stores are regularly playing old 80’s ballads, of Barbara Streisand belting out the woes of romance, and Billy Joel perpetually pursuing his uptown girl. In my own experience, coming from a family with parents who are sickeningly in love, Valentine’s Day in the Philippines has never stood out as a particularly special day. During any time of the year, newscasters will shed light upon the countless viral videos of young men trying to woo their crushes with the same Ed Sheeran song. I see the same passion in my parents, who I’m both lucky and unlucky to have as role models for what love looks like between two partners, thanks to my father’s never-ending love songs for my mother, and her irresistible home-cooked meals to keep winning her way to his stomach-driven heart.
In the end, whether you have one day, two days, or an entire month dedicated to celebrating love, whether or not there is a handy kit provided in every convenience store, there is no “best” way to celebrate love. What I learned from my parents is that it isn’t important when we choose to celebrate, or really how we go about those celebrations; what matters the most is remembering to appreciate our loved ones, and to feel free to love the way we want. It is important to remember that everyone’s love, romantic or not, is special, and all love deserves to be appreciated every single day. But it certainly is nice to have a little reminder every now and then. On that note, happy Valentine’s Day, everyone!
