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Cambodian youths’ attitudes towards Valentines’ Day changing year-to-year from love affairs to a day of sharing love with family members, relatives, teachers and friends due to being educate by the the relevant authorities.
Valentine’s Day is not a facet of Cambodia culture, however, its popularity 10 years ago among the youth centered on sex and today the youth understand how this miscreant behaviour is not a facet of traditional Khmer culture.
Culture Ministry spokesman Long Ponnasirivath commented that Valentines’ Day people should share their love or gratitude to everyone, such as: spouse, parents, relatives, friends, poor people, orphans and people with disability, which can turn the day to be beneficial to society.
Education is the best way to make the youth understand the right way to celebrate Valentine’s day, he added.
Ministry of Education spokesman Ros Soveacha pointed out the preventive measure to curb the misconduct among youth on Valentine’s Day, in an official announcement, which instructs all educational institutions across the Kingdom to explain to students the right understanding.
Tong Soprach, an independent researcher on public health said amongst 15-24 year olds conducted in Phnom Penh, found that in 2009, 81% of youths would hang out in romantic places such as KTV, restaurants or the cinemas.
However, in 2019 the figure had dropped to 42.5% and the youth preferred to go to the supermarket or have meal together with their families instead.
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