Valentine's Day

By Gabriella Aka on February 18, 2015

St. Valentine,
Google Images

The day of glorified love just passed. I’m talking about February 14, which was this past Saturday. Now that it’s come and gone, I can safely express my thoughts on this day. These are my questions: Could this day be a major sales gimmick for many businesses? Why is there the tendency for guys to shoulder the responsibility of making Valentine’s day special? Is love becoming a public/showoff affair?

It’s perfectly alright for people to showcase their love for each other to the world in any way they deem fit. However, I wonder if people really understand the impact and importance of this day. In order to do this, it is imperative to understand its history.

There are several stories that surround the origin of the day of Saint Valentine. According to articles in history.com, the most popular legend to Christians is the story of Saint Valentine, who was a priest in Rome in the third century. Claudius II, the emperor at the time, saw that single men made for better soldiers and thus passed a law prohibiting marriage for young men. Valentine did not agree with this and continued to secretly perform marriages for young couples. Upon discovery, the emperor ordered that Valentine be killed. He was martyred on February 14, 270 A.D, thus the date.

Sales people have taken advantage of this holiday, and every business uses it as a means for raising profits. From jewelry makers to flower shops to restaurants and even fancy apparel and car dealerships, the public is bombarded with crazy lovers’ day sales. To some degree, this has taken away the appeal of the day in itself, shifting focus to material things rather than the essence of the day. Most people place little value to what’s in the heart, and love is measured by how much a guy can splurge on gifts for his significant other.

Valentine’s Day Sales
Google Images

Speaking of guys splurging, why is this the general tendency? Girls don’t worry much about what to get their boyfriends on Valentine’s Day. As a general rule of thumb, it’s the guy’s responsibility to make the girl happy. He’s responsible for planning dinner or buying the flowers and teddy bears that say “I love you”. If Valentine’s Day is for love, shouldn’t both genders (in terms of heterosexual couples) share the burden of proving their love  for each other equally?

The essence of Valentine’s Day is shifting from love to material things. People should show their significant others care and affection every day and not wait until February 14. Considering the history of the day, celebrating it should be a more solemn affair and not a chance to get fancy gifts or show off couple selfies on Instagram and Facebook. Just my two cents.

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