An old song says that“love makes the world go around.”If you watch Americans on Valentine’s Day1), you can believe it. The whole country breaks out with little red hearts. Love-struck people give cards, flowers and candy to their sweethearts2). You might call it an annual3) celebration of love.

The American concept of love and romance begins with dating. Young people date in several ways. At first they might have group dates with several boys and girls together. Later, they start going on single dates—just one boy and one girl. Sometimes a boy and a girl will go to a movie. Maybe they will go to a party at a friend’s house. Or they might go out to eat.

When two couple go out together, it’s called double dating. A friend might even arrange a blind date for you with someone you don’t know. That doesn‘t mean you keep your eyes closed the whole evening. You just don’t know who your partner will be until the time of the date. If someone asks you out on any kind of d ate, and you don‘t want to go, you may politely say, “No, thanks.”

Americans view dating differently from people in other culture. American young people see a date as a time just to have fun. They don‘t always have a romantic interest in mind. Someone may go out with one person this week, and another person the next. After a while, a boy and a girl may decide they want to go steady4). This means they think of each other as boyfriend and girlfriend. It also means they don’ t want to date anyone else. Romance is beginning to bloom.

Romantic love is very much a part of American culture. Movies, TV shows and books in America all picture people falling in love. Americans know no romance is perfect, but still they try to find the ideal person. Actually, love is a part of every culture, not just American culture. People all over the world search for happiness in a loving relationship. Maybe love does make the world go around.
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