“Love is not only proven with kisses,” says an ad. Photo: Latin Press
Coincidentally, in Brazil, this vast South American country, Valentine’s Day is celebrated on June 12th, just because the next one just happens to be Saint Anthony, the Portuguese pimp saint.
Historians say that in 1949 the late Brazilian publicist João Dória presented a campaign to boost sales in June, as it was a month of little commercial activity because Mother’s Day had passed in May.
A perceptive Dória, knowing of the celebrations in other parts of the world, chose San Antonio Eve as the key date, and his phrase of encouraging gifts between lovers was as sharp as Cupid’s arrow.
“It’s not just kissing that proves love,” the ad reads. Success was immediate and Clipper won the Agency of the Year title.
With the support of the Sao Paulo Confederation of Commerce and the joy of all merchants, June 12 became a special date in Brazil with the right to exchange gifts and say: I love you.
According to popular chronicles, February 14 was chosen almost everywhere in the world because it marks the anniversary of the death of Saint Valentine, a saint associated with romantic love and faced with the prohibition of marriage in the Middle Ages.
As bishop, Valentine disregarded the orders of the emperor, who banned marriages during the war so his soldiers could fight better, and secretly continued to bond passionate young men. He was arrested and sentenced to death.
Under the motto Love is enough, different countries celebrate Valentine’s Day in different ways.
Although the date is widely celebrated in the United States, reports show that the first Valentine’s letter was written in France in 1415, when the Duke of Orleans sent love letters to his wife from prison.
Currently, the French city of Valentine becomes the epicenter of the celebrations every February 12-14. Houses, gardens, trees and public spaces are decorated with cards, roses and marriage proposals.
Many couples also follow the tradition of planting a tree on the date to represent the love they share.
In the Philippines, on the other hand, February 14 has been Mass Marriage Day in recent years as the government began sponsoring events for young couples to get married.
Joint ceremonies are held in malls and other public places across the country, bringing together hundreds of couples to sign their ties or renew their vows.
While Koreans don’t limit the celebration of love to February. In South Korea, the 14th of each month of the year is celebrated in a different way. For example, May is “Rose Day”; in June, the “day of the kiss”
In February women give chocolates to men. Each type of relationship requires a different chocolate. On March 14, White Day, it is men who give gifts to women.
And there’s even a day for singles: April 14, when they dress in black and eat a black-colored noodle called jjajang myeon made from pork and shellfish together.
Ghana celebrates Chocolate Day on February 14th. Tradition has no romantic history. The government set the date in 2007 to boost tourism in the country, one of the world’s largest cocoa producers.
On the 14th there are shows, events and themed nights in restaurants across Ghana to celebrate chocolate. The French writer Marguerite Duras put it aptly: “No love can replace love”.