Valentine’s Day is a special day once a year where we remember the friends and loved ones who have a special place in our lives. Although it is a day to celebrate universal love and friendship, each country celebrates Valentine’s Day a little bit differently. Today our lovely intern Nayeli shares with us how Valentine’s Day is celebrated in her home country of Mexico.
Valentine’s Day, El Día del Amor y la Amistad in Spanish, is celebrated in a similar fashion to many other places. All over town balloon vendors offer colorful heart-shaped balloons with declarations of love written on them, for example te amo (I love you) and para mi amor (For my love). Delicious chocolates, flowers (especially red roses), and greeting cards are also sold in nearly every store. On this day the restaurants are fully booked, and everyone openly celebrates the occasion.
However, for children there are some fun and exciting activities at schools that make Valentine’s Days extra special. It is very typical in kindergartens and primary schools that the students and teachers start to decorate the school classroom and buildings with hearts, colorful balloons, and all the necessary treats to make this celebration the most lovely experience for everyone. This is to prepare for a special festival called la kermés. The word kermés is derived from a Dutch word (kermesse) which originally and historically refers to a celebration of the foundation of a church. Nowadays, la kermés is similar to a carnival or a fun-fair where children can buy tickets to play games to win prizes or to trade in to purchase yummy food. This is a wonderful community activity because the parents are also involved, preparing the food and organizing the carnival games such as board games, hide and seek, leapfrog, tug-of-war, etc.
As you can see, El Día del Amor y la Amistad is commemorated in Mexico in a way that is very similar to how the rest of the world celebrates, but with some colorful and festive differences.
Linguajoy wishes a Happy Valentines Day to you and your family!