Anti-Valentine's Day: How This Counter Celebration is Embraced in South America

Valentine's Day is upon us once again, and with itthe classiccheesy posts flooding our social media feeds and overbooked reservations at themed restaurants, among other traditions. But for those who are not into it, many in South America are giving roses a rest with the Anti-Valentine's Day movement.

The whole thing started as Singles Day, an option for those without a date to gather together with friends, meet new people or just to go out alone. It is still observed in Argentina on February 13th, one day before Valentine's Day.

It is similar to Galentine's Day, a more and more popular date in the U.S. that celebrates women's friendship on February 13.

However, while many continue the tradition on that day, others have decided to move the celebration to the actual 14th, considering friendship as important as romantic relationships. Nothing new here. Many countries have been doing this for decades.

In Mexico, for example, people have been celebrating el 'Día del Amor y la Amistad' - which means 'Love and Friendship's Day' in Spanish- for a long time. There are numerous traditions in Latin America that view love as more than just an occasion to express romantic affection.

The difference is that in Argentina, some restaurant owners have taken on the concept of Anti-Valentine's Day, incorporating a bit of the sarcastic humor featured on social media to emphasize those familiar or friendly atmospheres.

It is not so difficult with the whole array of memes floating on social media, mocking bird loves, people afraid of being forced to spend money on expensive gifts, or just to share the Anti-Valentine's Day humor.

At Koi, a restaurant in Buenos Aires specializing in Asian cuisine, this February 14th, 2024, there is an invitation to celebrate 'San Valetodo,' a wordplay rhyming with 'San Valentín' that could be translated as 'Saint of Everything is Allowed,' humorously suggesting a celebration where anything goes.

"Come with your partner, with your lover, with your friend, or whoever you want! At Koi, there's a 20% discount on the entire menu for everyone!" the restaurant said in its offer.

In 2022, another restaurant invited people to celebrate even love triangles, in a metaphor that referred to the geometric shape of their pizza slices. "In times of polyamory, let's celebrate the love triangle this February 14th," said the campaign by Hell's Pizza Argentina.

Anti-Valentine's Day Origins

The origins of this Anti-Valentine's Day can be traced back to a holiday born in China on November 11th, 1993, when some students decided to celebrate singledom in rejection to the social pressure to get married.

The Singles Day tradition, which was particularly popular among young people, has evolved into one of the largest online shopping events since 2009, when Alibaba Group introduced mega deals to throngs of shoppers. This holiday is now commemorated in numerous countries globally, including Malaysia, Australia, India, and Russia.

In Argentina, groups of friends created Anti-Valentine's Day with a similar spirit of those Chinese students, also rejecting the idea of love learned from romantic comedies, or the concept of people needing to be engaged in a romantic relationship to feel complete.