As February settles in, the year feels like it truly begins. People start to shake off the January fog, and what better way to start off the year than to celebrate love with those close to you?
An estimated 56% of American adults are expected to celebrate Valentine’s Day in the coming weeks: an increase from 2024, where 53% said they planned on it. But don’t be fooled– Valentine’s Day is a worldwide concept and celebrated by many. Sometimes it’s on different dates, called different names, and has slightly different traditions, but the common goal is to express love and appreciation for partners, friends, and family.
As mentioned previously, over half of Americans throughout the 21st century have claimed to celebrate Valentine’s Day. But how? Well, Valentine’s Day has evolved quite a lot in the United States over the past few centuries. Initially, it was solely a romantic occasion, exploding in popularity in the 1840s. A valentine was much more serious, it was a day spent with your spouse. Choosing a valentine was a major commitment: that of partnership and devotion for the years to come. Rather than chocolates or flowers, gifts were often practical: spoons and gloves were some of the most common tokens of affection.
Nowadays, Valentine’s Day is far more inclusive due to a ton of media marketing throughout the years. Once corporations realized they could capitalize off of the holiday, brands like Hallmark began commercializing and advertising for it. We’ve all seen or heard of the cheesy Hallmark movie with the city girl and the country boy. Something unique about them though: they displayed diverse groups of people in their advertisements. This made the people feel represented and therefore Valentine’s Day expanded beyond romance to now include kids gifting little cards to their classmates, flowers and chocolates for your friends, and the usual dinner night spent with romantic partners.
However, as previously mentioned, the United States isn’t the only place that celebrates union and love in our everyday lives. Take, for example, Argentina and Japan. Argentina’s traditions shocked me in the best way. Argentina participates in a celebration called Sweetness Week. It takes place during the first week of July (1st-7th) and is an expression of all things sweet and intimate—as the name suggests. It began in 1989 when Argentina’s leading candy company, Arcor, launched a marketing campaign called “Candy for a Kiss.” The idea was simple: exchange a sweet treat for a kiss from a loved one. The concept skyrocketed in popularity (as did the profit) and is now an age-old tradition. The love filled week is something that many locals look forward to.
The Japanese also have unique traditions during spring compared to the West. Valentine’s Day was introduced to the island in the 1930s, but was not widely popular until the 1970s. Gifts like chocolates, flowers, and jewelry are exchanged among people, but one thing different about their February 14th is that only women are expected to get gifts for their loved ones. This is meant to show their love and appreciation for those they hold close—but mainly for their significant others, but also for friends, family, and colleagues. If this was all you had to go off of, you might not be in favor of this tradition. I know I was confused at first. But exactly one month after Valentine’s Day, the Japanese created another holiday. March 14th is White Day not only in Japan but many other Asian countries nearby. This time around, men recall their valentines and get them gifts in return for the previous gifts given a month earlier. This holiday was created shortly after Valentine’s Day grew in popularity in Japan in 1978.
The consumer clearly has to cherish the people around them in order to put in work and hard earned money into those they love. To me, that is a beautifully human thing and material wealth aside, love is something to be celebrated.