Thursday, February 11, 2010
3B
OU students celebrate another new year ALEX EWALD Daily Staff Writer
This year is a lucky year for Meng Xi: Valentine’s Day and Chinese New Year are on the same day. Xi doesn’t have to choose where to go on New Year’s, also known as the Spring Festival or the Lunar New Year, because she doesn’t have a boyfriend. “This year is a really hard time for couples to choose [where to go for dinner],” said Xi, a Chinese language junior. “If we’re a couple, and when the Spring Festival’s happening, we will choose which family the couple will go to celebrate. The wife always wants the husband to go with her, but the husband also has his family.” Luckily, as a foreign exchange student, Xi doesn’t have to worry about that. Instead, she plans on spending this New Year’s with several friends at a professor’s house to celebrate the most important Chinese holiday. “Our Chinese teacher here invited my friend and I to go to her home to make dumplings ... and we’ll maybe play cards or play mah johngg [a gambling game] and just chatting,” Xi said.
Make the best out of Valentine’s Day
V
With Valentine’s Day approaching, I feel that a brief history regarding the semi-holiday is necessary because — let’s face it — some of us had to go and ruin it for everybody else. And by “everybody else,” I mean just that. Single people, committed people, single people so very near to achieving commitment with other people, deeply-committed, engaged, freshlymarried, divorced, bitterly divorced and long-time-married people everywhere suffer from the abuse many of you have caused Valentine’s Day. What abuse could that be? Well first, we must understand the progression of Valentine’s Day from its mysterious origins to the Hallmark-driven, product-placing, western spend-to-prove-your-love-fest it’s become. According to Catholic media outlet SQPN, two saints, Valentine of Rome and Valentine of Terni (who some scholars MATT maintain are actually the same person) are responsible for the day’s namesake, but CARNEY nobody’s quite sure why. In fact, the feastday was removed from the General Roman Calendar in 1969 because “apart from his name, nothing is known of Saint Valentine except that he was buried on the Via Flaminia on Feb. 14.” Retired University of Kansas professor Jack Oruch argued convincingly in 1981 that Chaucer’s 1382 poem Parlement of Foules first introduced romantic love to February 14th, celebrating the first anniversary of the engagement of King Richard II to Anne of Bohemia. This contradicts the commonly held belief that Pope Gelasius produced Valentine’s Day as a Roman Catholicized form of the ancient pagan holiday Lupercalia. Those of the latter school of thought claim the work of a mysterious Valentine, a 3rd Century Roman priest, who in an act of disobedience, married soldiers to their lovers at a time when Emperor Claudius II decreed that his army must remain unwed. Popular legend holds that he gave a love letter to the jailor’s daughter (though many church historians hold that Valentine actually healed the girl of a disease and that the pair weren’t romantically linked) shortly before achieving martyr-status, hence the birth of the Valentine and the power of popu2010 lar storytelling. T h e G re e t i n g Card Association (yes, there is such a thing) traces the first greeting card back to 1415, and from then to the end of the 18th Century, homemade paper Valentines were very popular. Midway through the 19th Century, these handmade cards went the way of the buffalo, replaced by the greeting card as a result of advances in printing and mechanization associated with the Industrial Revolution. From here, the Valentine traveled along history much like any other form of media message, augmented by electronic technology and globalization, ultimately developing into the Hallmark Holiday ($7.5 billion is generated by the retail sale of greeting cards every year) it now is. So how exactly are some of us ruining this thing? Simple: We’re buying into it. So many people follow the course of their lives along without ever pausing to consider how or why something happens, thereby perpetuating societal standards to which we’re all accountable. By setting a low standard (i.e. going to Walgreen’s to purchase your significant other a card and flowers), we ignore our abilities to think creatively while simultaneously distilling the aesthetic value of the things purchased. Valentine’s Day is a thing of fascinating historical and legendary note (mine was an extremely brief account of its development) and by sating ourselves with such simple fulfillment as a card and flowers, we’re implicitly denying our unique ability to listen, learn and act in a manner that values those disciplines. We ruin it for others when we expect such basic formalities in lieu of greater truth, as it discourages the desire for originality. So I’m sure you can guess my suggestion for you this Valentine’s Day: Sit and think awhile to try and cook up something original for your girlfriend/boyfriend/fiancée/ husband/wife/lover/awkward crush. Consider it an act of good towards society at large.
ntine’s e l a day
Matt Carney is a professional writing junior.
Originally from Yun Nen, a Chinese province near Tibet, Xi said celebrations back home included things like dragon dances and parades, drum-beating and playing with clawmasks. People of all ages participate in the festivities. “[In my memory, I was] maybe 5 or 6 my first time to join the activities or join the games,” Xi said. “I really liked it! It was really fun; you can get a prize ticket and you can get some prizes if you can do this game well. Children always like the Spring Festival more than adults because they can get the red envelope that contains money, a popular New Year’s tradition. “Actually, the most important [difference] is there is no atmosphere here,” Xi said about the difference between the U.S. and China’s celebrations. “In China, everything will be printed as red: red lamp, red envelope, red paper, red bowl, red clothes, red everything. Red is for lucky. Chinese always like red.” Lucky for Xi, red will be in abundance come Sunday at OU.
PHOTOS PROVIDED
LET’S TRY SOMEWHERE NEW If you are looking to take that special someone out to somewhere different for Valentine’s Day, here are a few quick suggestions from The Daily staff to make the night that much more special. RED PRIME STEAK 504 N. BROADWAY AVE., OKLAHOMA CITY
JOSHUA BOYDSTON
For those with a modern flair, Red Prime may be the place for you. Housed in an old industrial building, red neon lights and exposed ventilation give the restaurant a loft-feel. Its reinvented steaks and gourmet take on comfort food will please even the pickiest palate.
THE MELTING POT 4 E. SHERIDAN AVE., OKLAHOMA CITY
This isn’t your grandm o t h e r ’s f o n d u e . T h e Melting Pot offers a fun, interactive experience as you cook your own food, and few restaurants can offer the privacy it does with its enclosed booths. They too offer a special Valentine’s Day menu.
GAIJIN SUSHI 326 E. MAIN ST., NORMAN
The atmosphere of Gaijin Sushi — boosting wild art, exposed ceilings and dimly lit interior- makes the simple sushi experience all the more lovely. Unique takes on sushi rolls and high-end appetizers promise you a special date night.
THE METRO WINE BAR AND BISTRO 6418 N.W. AVE., OKLAHOMA CITY The Metro is an elegantly romantic restaurant located in the Nichols Hills area in Oklahoma City. They offer a number of delectable menu choices, and also have a cornucopia of wines available. While they may not be the most inexpensive choice, the taste is great. And aren’t we supposed to splurge on our significant others on Valentine’s Day? They will be offering a special four course gourmet menu with wines chosen to accompany the meal. CAFE DO BRASIL 440 N.W. 11TH ST., OKLAHOMA CITY Cafe Do Brasil is a deliciously authentic RYAN Brazilian restaurant located near down- QUERBACH town Oklahoma City. They offer delicious appetizers and entrées, with plenty of wines to match. Though not cheap, the price is certainly worth the taste that follows. The atmosphere is perfect for a Valentine’s date, and like the Metro they’ll be offering a special menu for the occasion. VICTORIA’S PASTA SHOP CAMPUS CORNER, NORMAN Victoria’s offers a romantic setting for Valentine’s Day, and a little bit closer to home. The atmosphere is highlighted by romantic lighting and soft music, and the food is very tasty. The food is also very reasonably priced, which works better for you budget daters out there.
For those who have yet to venture out and try Indian food, an exotic, and romantic, time awaits at Misal. Savory, spicy dishes are served in a relaxed, understated and most importantly, quiet, setting.
CHEEVER’S CAFE 2409 N. HUDSON AVE., OKLAHOMA CITY PHOTO PROVIDED Cheever’s is yet another delicious choice for a lovely Valentine’s evening. The cafe is located near the Paseo in Oklahoma City. They offer a number of unique menu items, and the atmosphere is great for a date night with your loved one.
Joshua Boydston is a psychology sophomore.
Ryan Querbach is a journalism sophomore.
MISAL BISTRO 580 ED NOBLE PARKWAY, NORMAN