For The Child
February 10, 2007

Create New Valentine's Day Traditions—with a multicultural twist—without breaking a sweat!

On February 14, people all over the world celebrate Valentine's Day. While the historical descriptions of Valentine's Day differ, many historians believe the first Valentine's Day began on 249, CE-the day on which St. Valentine died. Others trace the beginning of Valentine's Day to the ancient Roman festival of Lupercalia, while others link it to an old English belief that birds choose their mates on February 14th. Still others believe that when St. Valentine was jailed his friends tossed loving and supportive notes into the window of his cell. (Does this tale explain why people exchange messages on Valentine's Day?)

While the folk lore surrounding Valentine's Day may be an interesting intellectual conversation, the real opportunity is to expand our horizons and incorporate some elements of a Valentine's Day celebration from another country-and thus helping our kids really understand, explore and discuss how we can all be different yet share so much:

Japan: In Japan, Valentine's Day celebrations have no romantic significance. On February 14th girls give chocolate to the men-called kiri-choco. One month later, on March 14th it is the boy's turn to present chocolate to the girls who remember them one month earlier.

What you can do: This tradition is easy to incorporate and your kids will love the 'candy double-whammy! Decorate some rice paper with images from Japan- and you will have delicious gift!

Latin America: people in the Dominican Republic and El Salvador play the game-called "Angelito" in the Dominican and "Amigo Secreto" (secret friend) in El Salvador. To play, you tear pieces of paper and write the names of the players on them. Then each player gives a present to player whose name he/she chose.

What you can do: Have children make gifts for their 'angelito' or 'amigo secreto' that reflect their feelings for the receiver. Children can write poems, draw pictures or make clay sculptures.

Denmark: Like the Japanese, the Danes celebrate Valentine's Day in two phases and the day is not necessarily one based on romantic love. Danes will send gaekkebrev (joking letters) and write their name in dots. If the receiver figures out who the sender is then the sender will send the receiver a candy egg in the spring!

What you can do: Have children make their own gaekkebrev and write their name in dots, then have each child draw one gaekkebrev out of a hat. The children will have fun trying to guess who sent what to whom! Make sure you jot down the names of the senders and receiver so that they can exchange the spring eggs.

Great Britain: On Valentine's Eve, women used to pin four bay leaves to the corner of their pillow-and eat yolkless eggs filled with salt-in order to dream of their future husband! They also wrote the names of all their potential mates on paper which they attached to clay balls and then dropped them into water. Whichever paper came to the top first was the 'winner'.

What you can do: Have the children write down the name of another person-and an activity, i.e. jumping rope 10 times, telling a joke, jumping on one foot, etc. and attach it to a small hollow, rubber ball. Place all of the rubber balls in water. Have the children each draw a ball and join the person whose name they draw in the activity on the ball.

Vietnam: In Vietnam, couples wear the same style and/or color clothes for the day.

What you can do: Have your family wear the same style/color for the day-or create a "family" t-shirt. Your kids will get a kick out of being in this 'secret' club for the day.

China: The Chinese celebrate Valentine's Day on the seventh day of the seventh month of the lunar new year-Qi Quio Jie (August 25, 2007). It a day that people in love will go to a matcher maker and pray for the possible marriage. People will also go to the Matchmaker Temple and ask for luck in love.

What you can do: The lore surrounding the beginnings of Valentine's Day in China makes a wonderful play for the children to act out. Have the children research the story about the Emperor of Heaven and his Seventh Daughter-and the Cinderella like cowherd and watch the fun begin!

Of course, these What you can dos are only the tip of the iceberg. The point is to get children (and adults) to begin to understand and respect all cultures, choices and abilities….and there is no better way than to leverage off of what they already know. With your help, a simple Valentine's Day celebration can be the opening of a whole new world-or worlds- for your children.

This year in addition to our very American-style Valentine's Day marked with candy and cards, my daughter has selected to create a gaekkebrev for all of her classmates!

If anyone has any good jokes, I could use some help!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Deb