The origin of “Dia dos Namorados” dates back to 1948. Publicist João Doria was inspired by the Mother’s Day celebration in Brazil to dedicate a special day for lovers and improve sales for a clothing store. Today, there are many ways of celebrating ‘Dia dos Namorados,’ such as exchanging love-themed gifts or attending musical concerts. Some have romantic dinners with their partner and others organize heartfelt surprises.

Similar to celebrations in the United States (U.S.), Valentine’s Day in Chile, also known as “Dia de San Valentin” is celebrated on Feb. 14. Even though Valentine’s Day is not as widely celebrated in Chile compared to the U.S., the celebration is special as it is usually warm and sunny due to the country’s location in the Southern Hemisphere. According to Spanish teacher Teresa Nino-Oliva, the summer weather during Valentine’s Day in Chile allows people to engage in outdoor activities with their lovers. The summer weather also gives people in Chile more leisure time because there is no school during this time period. “Since it’s during summer vacation, there are lots of celebrations because the people do not have anything to do,” Nino-Oliva said.

Although Valentine’s Day is universally a time to spend time with one’s sweetheart, “Dia de San Valentin” is more open to celebrating with friends and family as well. “It’s called the day of ‘amor’ or ‘love’ and ‘friendship,’” Nino-Oliva said. “It’s not just romantic love but also the love for other people that you aren’t necessarily involved with romantically.”

According to sophomore Mia Besprosvanhow, “Dia de San Valentin” is not an event exclusive to adults and teenagers. At schools, candies are passed out to everyone, and many younger kids exchange small toys while older kids enjoy gifting roses and chocolates.

Kinyanjui’s first exposure to Valentine’s Day came as a college student in Kenya, back when it was just gaining traction. “The holiday never used to be a thing anywhere else,” he said. “Even when I was attending college, only a handful of people were paying attention to it.”

According to Kinyanjui, the practice of Valentine’s Day in Kenya has become much more popular since his time in college. However, Kinyanjui pointed out that the holiday is still small compared to in the U.S., especially due to socioeconomic limitations. “It is celebrated mainly by people who have some economic means because the holiday renders itself to some kind of spending,” Kinyanjui said. “So that narrows down the people who can participate.”

Kinyanjui also says the financial market for Valentine’s Day is not large enough to warrant the manufacturing of Valentine-specific products, a limiting factor for the popularity of the holiday in Kenya. “You won’t find a whole lot of materials just dedicated for Valentine’s Day,” he said. “Maybe more than not, somebody will buy flowers but it’s not with specific branding.”
Even with differences in scope of the holiday, the celebration of Valentine’s Day in Kenya and other parts of Africa remains nearly identical to what is observed in the U.S. Kinyanjui believes ultimately that there are both positive and negative opportunities

According to junior John Lee, Valentine’s Day is one of multiple love celebrations in Korea. “Korea has a lot of celebration days, for example the celebration of 100 days in a relationship,” he said. Nonetheless, public community places such as cafés, movie theaters and amusement parks provide special events for couples on Valentine’s Day. “They give more discounts to couples,” Lee said. “For example, at the movies, they give extra popcorn.”

In Southeast Asia, Singapore celebrates Valentine’s Day similarly to the U.S. However, the day is not recognized as an official holiday. Sophomore Joshua Shin said that Valentine’s Day is not just for couples, but also for friends to exchange presents. Public events are also hosted, such as music carnivals and fashion shows for the entire week of Valentine’s Day. Confessions are often made with flowers, and different shades are used to convey different messages. For example, red roses represent love and respect while pale pink roses symbolize grace and joy.

School events similar to the SEC Valentine’s Day grams were organized in Lee’s Korean school. “We sold candy and made a name tag for people to send it to someone anonymously, or to send it with their name on it,” Lee said. Likewise, students at Shin’s Singaporean school participated in similar activities. “You can buy candy and then gift it to someone in person,” Shin said.

 To be fair, shelter-in-place isn’t the most conducive to being in intimate relationships or getting to know someone new. Still, now is not the time to lose hope! Especially during a pandemic, reaching out to show someone you care means a lot. We’re starved for social contact, isolated and glued to our screens—at this point, those elementary Sweetheart candies and heart-shaped scented stickers would suffice. 

That said, sometimes the answer lies in simplicity: something tried and true, genuine and you. It doesn’t have to be grand or expensive; sometimes the little gestures mean the most. Here are five pandemic-safe last-minute Valentine’s Day gifts in ascending order of intimacy.

Something classic

From long-standing relationships to shy crushes, you can’t go wrong with the good old flowers and a card. Write a sweet message, handpick some blossoms and leave it on his or her doorstep for a simple, meaningful gift. You might not even have to risk going to the store—the perfect flowers might be in your backyard or neighborhood! Elevate a card with hand-doodled decorations, and don’t worry if you’re not Picasso. It’s the thought that counts.

Something tasty

Sometimes, the key to the heart is through the stomach. If you’re up to baking, a treat fresh from the oven is always heart-warming on a cold winter day. Try a short cookie, brownie or muffin recipe and have your gift ready in less than an hour. Alternatively, if you don’t have a keen sense in the kitchen, pick out some of your significant other’s favorite snacks or sweets to show that you’ve been paying attention.

Something lasting

Better than any cheap gift is a lasting memory. Instead of a physical item, give your significant other a few hours of your time. While going out to dinner isn’t a viable option, there are some pandemic-friendly alternatives! Whip up a home meal and have a socially-distanced afternoon picnic. Hold a FaceTime call over takeout food. Drop off some popcorn and share a movie night together over Zoom. If you’re too pressed for time, it’s not worth the stress; instead, take the day to relax with your special someone.

Something sentimental

Relationships are made of memories, and now’s the time to celebrate the best of them. Pull up your camera roll and find those hidden gems to create a collage of your favorite moments together. Print these out for a physical poster, string them together as polaroids, edit them into a video, frame them or just message them online in a nostalgic package that’ll make your significant other smile. Short on photos? Put together a meaningful compilation of songs on a modern version of those old-school mixtapes. This could be a CD, a flash drive or a boombox playing outside his or her bedroom window—hey, it complies with social distancing!

Something personal

Ladies, prepare your handkerchiefs. Long ago, such a white cloth—better yet, a monogrammed handkerchief—was a precious token of affection for suitors or officers going to war. Now, handkerchiefs aren’t quite so common, but a similar token or memento of affection will do. For those willing to go the extra mile for a loved one, to truly show that you care, the sacrifice of your favorite personal garment is the epitome of intimacy. This might be a T-shirt, sweatshirt or accessory such as a baseball cap or scarf with which you’re willing to part. Either way, it doesn’t cost a cent, and it comes from the heart, just as any Valentine’s Day gift should. 

One of the ways to avoid “falling out of love” is to share your love. Thus, although there is no inherently “valid” way to love, some of the most loving expressions of love include focusing on the little things, creating a positive atmosphere and setting aside time to make the ones you love feel important.

Love is often hidden in the little things. Even the smallest actions in any relationship can have far-reaching effects. It’s the subtler phrases like “drive safe” that can mean the whole world. I once knew a boy who kept a collection of hair ties on his sleeve. When I asked why, he explained that he was holding them for his girlfriend. She’d often forget to bring her own and would then be unable to do things like participate in labs. Rather than placing the burden on her to remember, he decided to start carrying them around in case she ever needed them. That’s one of the cutest expressions of love: just another way of letting her know that he would be there for her, whatever she needed. 

Little things can be something as small as remembering your best friend’s boba order and grabbing it for them when you drive by. It’s fairly inexpensive—only five dollars—and can brighten up their day. My sister is one of the people who’s the best at this type of love: she remembers small things about people and gifts them shirts related to them. For example, my dad loves to *defy* the law and my sister bought him a shirt with the words “Officer, I didn’t see you there.” It was still pretty cheap and showcased a level of listening to the other person and a playfulness that is in the best love. Surprise the people you love with cute gifts, or even care packages, for that added level of affection.

Another important way to express love is by sending positive vibes to those around you. I know someone who, whenever he sees me, without fail, compliments me on my outfit—even if I feel like a paper bag. It always lightens my mood and makes even the worst days 10 times better. Tell the people you love that they look cute today or simply just that you love them. It’s a fail-safe way to make someone smile. More than that, laugh at their jokes, even if they’re not all that funny. Smile around them, and create a positive vibe within every relationship. Make yourself someone that you enjoy being around, and they’ll enjoy it too.

Of course, sometimes it’s hard to maintain those positive vibes, and that’s still valid. Trust them to be okay with you when life gets sad. Let them in whenever you can. Cry on their shoulder about that stupid biology test, allowing yourself to be imperfect in front of them. Tell them about your failures just as much as your successes and be willing to laugh with them about the thousands of insignificant problems in your lives. Most of all, be willing to be that person for them. Embrace their flaws and blemishes wholly, and offer yourself as the shoulder for them to cry on. Going through tough times can make love stronger, if you let it. As long as every action you do has love behind it, it’s all going to be alright. 

Further, take time out of your day to let them know that they’re appreciated. Remind them of how amazing they are and what they’ve done for you. Acknowledge and welcome their attempts to love you back. More importantly, try your best to take time out of your day for them and avoid being “too busy.” This can be hard, especially for teenagers with a thousand things to do, but it’s completely achievable if you put effort into it. 

If they’re busy, actively look for ways to make them happy and help them deal with that busyness. I have one friend who lives very far from me, so we don’t get to talk a lot. However, she’ll text me about the most random things, from Red Velvet music videos to memes about Mr. Darcy (we stan!). And whenever I have a debate tournament, she’ll find out and send me small supportive texts before rounds, helping me deal with my nervousness and making me smile. If someone you love has a big presentation, send them “good luck <3” texts, you never know if that’s the motivation they need to get through it.

Along that same vein, prioritize them whenever you can. With your family, make the effort to have dinner with them, and ask them about their days. Listen to what they have to say and remember it, proving to them that you care. It’s those small things that bring happiness.

Finally, it wouldn’t truly be a love article if I didn’t talk about some level of intimacy. Not every relationship is physically intimate, and that’s completely okay. But for those that are, know that even the smallest touches are a way of supporting the person you love. In my opinion, one of the sweetest things you can do with your partner is hold hands, even in the idlest of moments. It’s such a small thing, but it feels like getting enveloped in someone else’s warmth, helping them keep themselves up and reminding them that you’re close by. Hugs, too, can be really wholesome. They’re a greater extension of holding hands and letting you know that the person you love is right there around you. Of course, never be pressured to go any further than you’re comfortable with and always establish boundaries. Make sure everyone feels safe, and understand that the biggest part of love is a bond that’s far beyond anything physical. 

At the end of the day, love comes from wanting to put a smile on the faces of the ones around you—it’s the person running outside to hand you an umbrella in the rain or the hair tie reserved just for you. It can come through any and every action, but should always leave warmth behind, both for you and for the ones you love. This Valentine’s Day, try a few of these tips on the people who make you happy. 

Currently on paternity leave, math teacher Danny Hahn and his wife Clara met when they were attending the University of Pennsylvania; he was a senior, and she was a freshman.

At first, Hahn was intimidated by her seemingly cold nature, but began to develop a crush as he got to know her throughout the year. “I was like ‘oh this girl is a little bit scary,’ but she was fun to talk to, and at the time she had a biting sarcasm that I thought was entertaining,” he said. “She’s changed a lot since then; she used to be kind of like a lot darker, and now she’s generally a lot more cheery.”

Despite his feelings at the time, Hahn was older than her and tried to avoid a relationship because it was Clara’s first year in college. “I really believe that Freshman year is good for you to develop a lot of friendships, learn how to study and live by yourself; all of those transitions,” Hahn said. “So I didn’t want to swoop in and date her. Even though I liked her for a lot of the year, I kind of tried to play it cool.”

One of Hahn’s favorite memories before they began dating occurred in one of their dorm lounges. “There was a bunch of us hanging out and someone bought in a bag of clementines. And she was like ‘hey give me one of those,’ so I threw it at her from across the room, and she just really casually caught it with her left hand because she was writing with her right hand,” he said. “And I was like woah, this girl is really cool and has skills.”

The following year, when Hahn was out of college and staying in Philadelphia, the two kept in touch since he lived near campus. “She was a sophomore at the time and we hung out a lot,” he said. “I think she kind of started to get the vibe ‘this guy likes me more than just friends,’ so she sat me down and was like what are you doing, what’s going on here? So we got everything out on the table and realized that we liked each other.”

After completing his senior year, Hahn began looking for jobs around Philadelphia that related to his major in chemical engineering, and wanted to stay near UPenn because he had a lot of friends, was involved in a church and liked Clara at the time. Having trouble finding a job in that location, Hahn considered moving back to his family in Los Angeles. However, one of his friends was a science teacher at a private school near Philadelphia and notified him that there was an open position for a math teacher, and that he should go to the interview. “So, I interviewed and got that job, thinking that it was just going to be a one year thing before I went into engineering,” Hahn said. “But I really liked it so I stuck with teaching.”

Although Clara had initiated the relationship, Hahn was the one to propose. It was their two year anniversary, and she was still in her senior year. “We spent the day together for our anniversary, and when we were out at dinner, I proposed. She was like super shocked,” he said.

When Valentine’s day comes around every year, Hahn finds himself under a great deal of pressure since Clara shares her birthday with this holiday. “Every year, it’s kind of a big deal,” Hahn said. “Maybe for the first seven or eight years when I was still trying hard, every Valentine’s day I would try and get her two gifts; one for the birthday and one romantic gift.”