Cambodia: Valentine’s, Not Virginity Day

The ministry of education in Cambodia issued a statement Tuesday imploring teachers to impress upon their students that Valentine’s Day is not about losing one’s virginity. “Cambodian students take Valentine’s Day to mean ‘sweetheart day,’ and they buy flowers as a way to convince girls to give up their virginity,” Education Minister Hang Chuon Naron says in the statement. “In Europe, they give flowers out of friendship on Valentine’s Day, to show their love to friends, relatives, and parents.” Apparently, Cambodian youth believe the holiday is all about losing virginity. “This year, we are asking teachers to properly advise their students… to stop thinking anymore about Valentine’s Day,” he said.