What Do Valentine's Day and Chinese New Year Have in Common?

associatedcontent.com, January 29, 2010 - In 2010, both Valentine's Day and Chinese New Year fall on Sunday February 14. However, that is not the only thing that Valentine's Day and Chinese New Year have in common.

Both Valentine's Day and Chinese New Year revolve around love.
While Valentine's Day originally started out to be all about love between sweethearts, through the years it has become more wonderfully inclusive. It is now a day to show extra love for the children, family, friends and sometimes strangers in our lives. Chinese New Year is also a day very important for families. People who celebrate always get together and to tell stories and remember good times. One of the ways Chinese New Year is celebrated is by remembering family who have left this earth. The Chinese culture is one that reveres the elderly, but during Chinese New Year the elderly family members are honored even more than usual.

Both Valentine's Day and Chinese New Year revel in red.
In my opinion, there could be no better color than red to express the passion and love we feel for those we love. Valentine's Day sports red hearts, red clothes, red everything-with a little pink thrown in for good measure. Chinese New Year also decks itself out with red-sometimes even the doors and window panes are painted red. And just as chocolates are usually given in a red candy box for Valentine's Day, children are given gifts in red envelopes for Chinese New Year.

Both Valentine's Day and Chinese New Year involve the giving of gifts.
Gifts that Valentine's Day recipients receive can be almost anything, but the traditional gifts are cards, candy, flowers, and jewelry. During Chinese New Year, children are given money in red envelopes. The gifts for both holidays are tokens of love and affection and as such should be prized no matter what the monetary value is.