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17JanuaryFebruary2012Valentinex19sDayAroundAsiaAllYouNeedIsLoveCULTUREThemostrecentstatisticsshowthatAmericansspent14.7billiononValentinex19sDay.Theybought189millionrosesandexchangedmorethanonebillioncardswhichisprettyimpressiveconsideringthat2.6billioncardswereexchangedduringChristmas.AllofthesestatisticsdemonstratethatValentinex19sDayisoneofAmericax19sbiggestdaysofcelebrationafactthatwouldnotbealtogethersurprising.WhatisperhapslessappreciatedisthatAsiancountrieshaveadoptedmanyofthewesternValentinex19sDaytraditionsandhavealsoexpandeduponthemandintroducedinnovativewaysofexpressingthepassionandlovethatsuchdaysinspire.byHENRIMERCERONJapanTheMaryChocolateCompanyintroducedValentinex19sDaytoJapanin1958aspartofitsmarketingstrategy.Itsucceeded.Twentypercent477millionofchocolatesoldinJapanoccursaroundFebruary14th.Atgreatexpensewomengivechocolatetoallthementheyknowx14familyfriendsco-workersandlovers.Toallexceptthelasttheygivex1cgiri-chocox1dobligationchocolateloversreceivex1chonmeichocox1dprospectivewinnerchocolate.Theyofferothergiftsandpreparefancydinnersinadditiontochocolate.ClearlyValentinex19sDayinJapanisforthemenInfactamajorityofwomenpolledthoughtthatitwasatimeforx1cthebluesx1donlybecauseoftheamountofpreparationandexpenserequired.Inthe1970sproducersofconfectionsintroducedx1cWhiteDayx1dtobecelebratedonMarch14thwhenmenwereexpectedtogivecandyandcookiestowomen.Whileitwouldappearthatthemengetoffeasysincetheyonlygivetowomenwithwhomtheyhavearomanticconnectionexpectationshavegrownovertheyears.Todaywomenexpectinorderofpreferencejewelrywatchesandhandbags.ChinaTaiwanHongKongSingaporeChineseculturehadalreadyprovidedforadayoflove.OntheseventhdayoftheseventhlunarmonththeytraditionallycelebratedthelovebetweenacowherdrepresentedbythestarAltairandtheseventhsisterrepresentedbythestarVegawhoareseparatedbyobligationandtheMilkyWay.OnceayeartheyarepermittedtomeetwhenallthemagpiesintheworldjointoformatemporarybridgethatcrossestheMilkyWaysothattheymayhaveadaytogether.CelebrationofValentinex19sDayonFebruary14thhasgainedinpopularityovertimeespeciallyamongsttheyoungergenerationandinthemajorcities.InadditiontheWesterntraditionofexchanginggiftscardsflowersandcandyhasalsotakenholdinrecentyears.InChinax19smaincitiesofBeijingShanghaiandGuanzhoupeoplespendasmuchastheirAmericancounterparts.Despiteapriceof25perstemforspecialbluerosestensofthousandsofthemaresold.InNanjingCityonefloriststatedthatValentinex19sDaysalesaccountedforhalfofhisannualsales.AmonthbeforeValentinex19sDaythemediabeginsprintingarticlesaboutcleverwaystocelebrateseekreaderinputforlovestoriesthattheymayreportandrecommendthebestplacestoeatdrinkandshopfortheoccasion.KoreaKoreanshavegoneastepbeyondtheJapanesenotonlydotheycelebrateValentinex19sDayandWhiteDaytheyhaveveryconsideratelyaddedBlackDay.ItiscelebratedonApril14thandisreservedforyoungsingles.Onthisdaytheywearblackclotheseatjiajiangmyunblacknoodlesanddrinkblackcoffeetogether.Heyjustbecauseyoucannotgetadateitdoesnx19tmeanyoushouldnothavecauseforcelebrationtoo.IndiaAsIndiax19seconomyhasblossomedmoreeducatedandgainfullyemployedwomenhaveassumedmoreindependence.Traditionallyawomanx19sparentsdecidedwhoshewouldmarrybutincurrenttimesyoungprofessionalwomenaremorelikelytomaketheirownselections.InturnmenaremoremotivatedtodisplaytheiraffectionbyimpressingthewomeninwhomtheyareinterestedwithgiftsonValentinex19sDay.AsaresultIndiansaccountforapproximately102.6billionofglobalValentinex19sDayrelatedsales.Theyspent20morein2011thantheydidthepreviousyearmostlyonromanticdinnersandgifts.IndiansaresoenthusiasticaboutValentinex19sDaythattheybasicallycelebrateValentinex19sWeek.ItbeginsonFebruary7withRoseDayfollowedbyProposalDayonFebruary8ChocolateDayonFebruary9TeddyDayonFebruary10PromiseDayonFebruary11KissDayonFebruary12HugDayonFebruary13andendsgrandlywiththeactualValentinesDayonFebruary14.ThailandThailandhassoughttocapitalizeuponValentinex19sDaytopromotetourism.Theyhavesponsoredsucheventsastheworldx19slargestmassweddingtheworldx19slargestunderwaterweddingandevenstagedthespectacleofaweddingbetweentheworldx19slargestgroomandbridewhichhappenedtobex14elephantsHostingValentinex19sDayeventshasproventobeaneffectiveapproachtohighlightingtraditionalThaiweddingceremoniescuisineandentertainmentwhilealsoboostingtourismrevenue.DespiteadifficulteconomyValentinex19sDaysalesin2007wasapproximately15.4million.Althoughtechnologicalcapabilitieshaveimprovedandmaskcertainphenomenaitisworthnotingthatin2001Thailandx19sbiggestcellularphoneoperatorexperiencedasystemcrashwhenmorethan100000Valentinex19sDaytextmessagesweresentoutinonehour.ThevolumewastwiceashighasthenumbersentonNewYearx19sEve.VietnamIn2006hundredsofSaigonyouthsoughttosetaworldrecord100meterlongpaperx1cnotebookoflovex1dinwhichtheywrotelovenotestotheirValentines.SimilarwithothercountriesstoresofferallthetypicalValentinex19schocolateflowersjewelryandcountlessothergiftsfittingtheoccasion.Unlikeothercountriesrecordingartistsreleasearashofromanticalbumsinwhichtheysingaboutlove.AnumberoflivemusicalproductionswereshownontelevisionincludingonesponsoredbyHondaVietnamValentineHongPinkValentine.LoveisintheairandontheairwavesinVietnamonValentinex19sDay.OnValentinex19sDayin2011thelargestkissingcompetitioninVietnamwasheldinHaiPhongwithmorethana100couplesparticipating.Theeventx19ssloganwasx1cThereisnoeverlastingloveonlyeverlastingmomentsoflovex1dofferedyoungloversthechancetoexpresstheiraffectioninaromanticandfunforum.Thecoupleshadtokisspositionedinsuchamannerthatonlyoneofthemwasallowedtobestanding.Thecouplethatkissedthelongestwaspronouncedthewinner.IhopetheyhadplentyoflipbalmAnothergoodmeasureoftheadoptionofValentinex19sDaybyAsiancountriesisthelocationofHallmarkprintingfacilitiesinJapanHongKongSingaporeandShanghai.AndwhilecardsareprintedinnumerouslanguagesthebiggestsellersarethosethatareinEnglish.Itwouldappearthatthebestwaytoimpressyoursweetheartwithhowx1chipx1dyouareistosendthemaValentinex19scardinEnglish.Evenifthewordsarenotunderstoodbythegiverandrecipientitdoesnotseemtomatterasloveistheuniversallanguageunderstoodbyall.AlthoughmanyAsiancountrieshavetheirowntraditionaldaysforcelebratinglovetheadoptionoftheWestx19sValentinex19sDaybytheyoungergenerationintheworldx19smajorcitieshasledtobroaderacceptanceinthegeneralpopulation.InIndiaChinaandThailandthereisasurgeofmarriagesthatoccuronFebruary14th.WhiletherearemanyculturesinwhichthepublicdisplayofaffectionisconsideredinappropriateandconservativesfearthelossoftraditionunderawaveofWesterninfluenceaChinesescholarofferedthefollowinginaChinaTodayarticlebyLiWuzhoux1cChinesewearWesternsuitsandcelebrateforeignfestivalsandforeignerswearChinese-stylecoatsandhaveChinesefestivals.ThismanifeststhetoleranceofChinesecultureandthetrendofallculturesoftheworldlearningfromeachotherandblending.x1dIcouldnotagreemore.CelebrationofValentinex19sDayonFebruary14thhasgainedinpopularityovertimeespeciallyamongsttheyoungergenerationandinthemajorcities.