Africa
In Africa鈥攁nd especially Kenya鈥擵alentine鈥檚 Day is a relatively new holiday, closely modeled after its American and European counterpart, thus rendering celebrations around the continent very similar. According to social studies teacher Arthur Kinyanjui, who was born and raised in Kenya, the country was not truly exposed to the holiday and its practices until the internet and social media came around. 鈥淭he exposure came from people getting on the internet,鈥 Kinyanjui said. 鈥淲ith the availability of internet connection, Kenyans began consuming more and more international influences, and so people began adopting those practices, Valentine鈥檚 Day included.鈥
Kinyanjui鈥檚 first exposure to Valentine鈥檚 Day came as a college student in Kenya, back when it was just gaining traction. 鈥淭he holiday never used to be a thing anywhere else,鈥 he said. 鈥淓ven when I was attending college, only a handful of people were paying attention to it.鈥
According to Kinyanjui, the practice of Valentine鈥檚 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. 鈥淚t is celebrated mainly by people who have some economic means because the holiday renders itself to some kind of spending,鈥 Kinyanjui said. 鈥淪o that narrows down the people who can participate.鈥
Kinyanjui also says the financial market for Valentine鈥檚 Day is not large enough to warrant the manufacturing of Valentine-specific products, a limiting factor for the popularity of the holiday in Kenya. 鈥淵ou won鈥檛 find a whole lot of materials just dedicated for Valentine鈥檚 Day,鈥 he said. 鈥淢aybe more than not, somebody will buy flowers but it鈥檚 not with specific branding.鈥
Even with differences in scope of the holiday, the celebration of Valentine鈥檚 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