(Courtesy of Emily Chang)
With the end of Chinese New Year break comes Valentine’s Day, and whether you like it or not, the whole month of February becomes filled with love. Last Saturday, Winter Formal let couples and friends have a night of fun and celebration after their first week back from school. This Tuesday marked the Chinese Lantern Festival, nicknamed Chinese Valentine’s Day, where traditionally young singles can enjoy the lanterns and find new significant others
(Courtesy of Emily Chang)
And just last Thursday, that cheery red box in study hall labeled “Rose Grams” delivered messages and flowers of love and compassion. It’s not like in Mean Girls, where candy (cane) grams are a “competition” to see who gets the most love and affection from their peers. Rose Grams are supposed to convey the mutual love and appreciation between your friends, teachers, and maybe even significant others. Ashley Cheung, a junior in PromCom, agrees that they are “meaningful, sweet, [and] thoughtful.” The reason why she personally likes them is because the rose grams are sent out “around Valentine’s Day, saving people the trouble of going out and buying [gifts] from the store.” For only 15 RMB, these rose grams are a great way to send personalized gifts to surprise your friends with.
And most importantly? Each rose is accompanied by a cute pun. “The officers [of PromCom] draw the cards and come up with the puns,” Ashley explains. This tradition allows for students to surprise their loved ones with both a rose and a personalized message, brightening up their day and celebrating the love. As school kicks off, you see friends and classmates cherish this holiday and tradition of giving love and affection.
Emily Chang
