Valentine’s Day, as we all know, is a Western holiday reminiscent of Valentine’s Day, but a little known fact is that nothing was actually known about Valentine’s Day, it was simply the name given to the fourteen holy martyrs in ancient Rome. The first time it was celebrated as a holiday was in the year 496 AD. C., and it was only in 1493 that the classic story of a man who secretly married Christian women took place.
Be that as it may, it doesn’t stop people from celebrating it, not only in the Western world, but also in China. I can’t say for sure when mainland Chinese started celebrating Valentine’s Day, as it had already been established by the time I got here in 2002, but what I can say is that, at least as far as Chinese girls are concerned, they are as obsessed with the holiday as Western women are.
Dating Chinese Girls on Valentine’s Day in China
Apart from some differences with the customs that I will mention later, Valentine’s Day follows the same line as in most Western countries. Couples meet on the day and, when possible, will spend the entire day together; otherwise, they will meet in the evening and hopefully go to a romantic dinner.
In China, you are facing the same problem as in this celebration in all other countries, that of all the overbooked restaurants! I was really quite surprised when I first came across this in China. I had figured it would be a doddle to find a decent restaurant I could take my Chinese girlfriend to. However, unless I wanted to take her to a very common local restaurant, or McDonald’s (there are many McDonald’s in China), it was almost impossible to find a restaurant with a free table.
Booking in advance would be a good idea.
What you should give your Chinese girlfriend on Valentine’s Day
There is a really interesting cultural difference about this day in China, and it is this: Valentine’s Day, Chinese girls give her boyfriend chocolate. Finally, there is some benefit for men on Valentine’s Day! I personally love chocolate, and when I first discovered this cultural difference I was over the moon, however, a bit confused as to why Chinese women give men chocolate.
I never found out why, as no one in China seems to know. Also, men don’t really have to give their girlfriend Valentine’s cards, although it has to be said that any Chinese girl would be very happy to receive one.
A man is supposed to just give his girlfriend some roses and take her out to dinner that day. Some Chinese girls may expect to receive some other type of gift, but it’s really not that necessary, unless you really want to.
Another popular Valentine’s Day gift that men give their girlfriends is stuffed animals. I should add that if your Chinese girlfriend is suggesting that jewelry is a ‘traditional’ gift on Valentine’s Day in China, she may be being too optimistic, or she may have seen too many western romantic movies and got the totally wrong idea.
Whatever you decide to do with your Chinese girlfriend on Valentine’s Day, you should be pretty sure as long as you make it romantic. But if she doesn’t buy you chocolate, I suggest you complain a bit, as it is by far the biggest benefit any man in the world gets on Valentine’s Day.
