The usual fervor, enthusiasm and excitement associated with the Valentine Day celebration, has been absent in the Kumasi Metropolis as this year’s event passed off.

The red colours were simply not visible in the streets, shops, offices, restaurants and drinking spots.

The population appeared indifferent with no appetite for any fanfare and a visit to some of the gift shops by the Ghana News Agency (GNA) showed no brisk business going on.

The situation was, however, a bit different at the chocolate selling joints where sales looked relatively good.

Various reasons has been assigned for the low-keyed celebration and these range from economic difficulties to the impact of public education.

Ms Beatrice Boatemaa Owusu, Project Coordinator of a Kumasi-based NGO, said the day had lost its sparkle because of the hard economic times and that “people are more careful about the way they spend their money these days, a fact we cannot escape”.

Miss Mary Nyanta Addo, a National Service Personnel, said the intense public education and condemnation of the promiscuity that became synonymous with the day had paid off.

She said the fact that many of the Churches fixed programmes like “Singles night” and “Valentine Gospel Praise” for the day was another way of taking the youth off the streets.