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ChinaTaiwanHongKongSingaporeChineseculturehadalreadyprovidedforadayoflove.OntheseventhdayoftheseventhlunarmonththeytraditionallycelebratedthelovebetweenacowherdrepresentedbythestarAltairandtheseventhsisterrepresentedbythestarVegawhoareseparatedbyobligationandtheMilkyWay.OnceayeartheyarepermittedtomeetwhenallthemagpiesintheworldjointoformatemporarybridgethatcrossestheMilkyWaysothattheymayhaveadaytogether.CelebrationofValentinesDayonFebruary14thhasgainedinpopularityovertimeespeciallyamongsttheyoungergenerationandinthemajorcities.InadditiontheWesterntraditionofexchanginggiftscardsowersandcandyhasalsotakenholdinrecentyears.InChinasmaincitiesofBeijingShanghaiandGuanzhoupeoplespendasmuchastheirAmericancounterparts.Despiteapriceof25perstemforspecialbluerosestensofthousandsofthemaresold.InNanjingCityoneoriststatedthatValentinesDaysalesaccountedforhalfofhisannualsales.AmonthbeforeValentinesDaythemediabeginsprintingarticlesaboutcleverwaystocelebrateseekreaderinputforlovestoriesthattheymayreportandrecommendthebestplacestoeatdrinkandshopfortheoccasion.IndiaAsIndiaseconomyhasblossomedmoreeducatedandgainfullyemployedwomenhaveassumedmoreindependence.Traditionallyawomansparentsdecidedwhoshewouldmarrybutincurrenttimesyoungprofessionalwomenaremorelikelytomaketheirownselections.InturnmenaremoremotivatedtodisplaytheiraffectionbyimpressingthewomeninwhomtheyareinterestedwithgiftsonValentinesDay.AsaresultIndiansaccountforapproximately10ofglobalValentinesDayrelatedsales.IndiansaresoenthusiasticaboutValentinesDaythattheybasicallycelebrateValentinesWeek.ItbeginsonFebruary7withRoseDayfollowedbyProposalDayonFebruary8ChocolateDayonFebruary9TeddyDayonFebruary10PromiseDayonFebruary11KissDayonFebruary12HugDayonFebruary13andendsgrandlywiththeactualValentinesDayonFebruary14.ThailandThailandhassoughttocapitalizeuponValentinesDaytopromotetourism.TheyhavesponsoredsucheventsastheworldslargestmassweddingtheworldslargestunderwaterweddingandevenstagedthewhichhappenedtobeelephantsHostingValentinesDayeventshasproventobeaneffectiveapproachtohighlightingtraditionalThaiweddingceremoniescuisineandentertainmentwhilealsoboostingtourismrevenue.Althoughtechnologicalcapabilitieshaveimprovedandmaskcertainphenomenaitisworthnotingthatin2001Thailandsbiggestcellularphoneoperatorexperiencedasystemcrashwhenmorethan100000ValentinesDaytextmessagesweresentoutinonehour.ThevolumewastwiceashighasthenumbersentonNewYearsEve.VietnamSimilarwithothercountriesstoresofferallthetypicalValentineschocolateowersjewelryandcountlessothergiftsttingtheoccasion.Unlikeothercountriesrecordingartistsreleasearashofromanticalbumsinwhichtheysingaboutlove.OnValentinesDayin2011thelargestkissingcompetitioninVietnamwasheldinHaiPhongwithmorethana100couplesparticipating.TheeventssloganwasThereisnoeverlastingloveonlyeverlastingmomentsofloveofferedyoungloversthechancetoexpresstheiraffectioninaromanticandfunforum.Thecoupleshadtokisspositionedinsuchamannerthatonlyoneofthemwasallowedtobestanding.Thecouplethatkissedthelongestwaspronouncedthewinner.IhopetheyhadplentyoflipbalmAnothergoodmeasureoftheadoptionofValentinesDaybyAsiancountriesisthelocationofHallmarkprintingfacilitiesinJapanHongKongSingaporeandShanghai.AndwhilecardsareprintedinnumerouslanguagesthebiggestsellersarethosethatareinEnglish.ItwouldappearthatthebestwaytoimpressyoursweetheartwithhowhipyouareistosendthemaValentinescardinEnglish.Evenifthewordsarenotunderstoodbythegiverandrecipientitdoesnotseemtomatterasloveistheuniversallanguageunderstoodbyall.AlthoughmanyAsiancountrieshavetheirowntraditionaldaysforcelebratinglovetheadoptionoftheWestsValentinesDaybytheyoungergenerationintheworldsmajorcitieshasledtobroaderacceptanceinthegeneralpopulation.InIndiaChinaandThailandthereisasurgeofmarriagesthatoccuronFebruary14th.WhiletherearemanyculturesinwhichthepublicdisplayofaffectionisconsideredinappropriateandconservativesfearthelossoftraditionunderawaveofWesterninuenceaChinesescholarofferedthefollowinginaChinaTodayarticlebyLiWuzhouChinesewearWesternsuitsandcelebrateforeignfestivalsandforeignerswearChinese-stylecoatsandhaveChinesefestivals.ThismanifeststhetoleranceofChinesecultureandthetrendofallculturesoftheworldlearningfromeachotherandblending.Icouldnotagreemore.Despiteapriceof25perstemforspecialbluerosesinthebigcitiesinChinatensofthousandsofthemaresold.yellowmags.com25