Africa

In Africa—and especially Kenya—Valentine’s 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. “The exposure came from people getting on the internet,” Kinyanjui said. “With the availability of internet connection, Kenyans began consuming more and more international influences, and so people began adopting those practices, Valentine’s Day included.”

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