Corny, capitalistic, inauthentic holiday, by Sammi Flavell
Valentine’s Day is an over-commercialized holiday that originates from a bloody and dark history. We now celebrate it with cheesy plastic hearts and terrible-tasting candy coated with cliché phrases.
In ancient Rome, Valentine’s Day was celebrated by men sacrificing a goat and a dog and then whipping women with the fresh animal hides, according to an NPR article. What we know as Valentine’s Day was a three-day festival of drinking, nudity and the possession of women.
While current Americans are stressed over being single for the holiday, ancient Romans would have the men draw names out of a jar, and the woman they picked would be their date for the festival.
Since the ancient Romans, Valentine’s Day has been romanticized until it has become the stressful, product-based guilt trip that it is today.
It is wonderful to take the time to do something special for those you love and to show them they are appreciated. While this should be done throughout the year, it is nice to have one special day set aside to make a special effort to show those around you that you appreciate them. Love and appreciation, however, cannot be bought in a store. No number of attractively wrapped candies, red roses, fancy dinners or gifts can make someone feel loved. Is it nice to get presents? Of course. The day should not be built around it, though.
According to IBIS World, a marketing research firm, Valentine’s Day sales reached $17.6 billion last year, with this year’s sales expected to exceed that. Love is not measured by a price tag. Often, people get distracted by the show that extravagant gifts and fancy dinners portray. They see the cliché scenes from romantic comedies and think that is what you do when you are in love. The genuine effort put in is more important than the total cost of the day.
This is not to say that it is wrong to spend money on Valentine’s Day, just that it should not be the focus when planning how to spend the day. The problem is the increased pressure to buy the perfect gift or to spend the most money for a fancy high-end dinner is taking away from what is most important: the people you care about. Money, gifts and fancy dinners do not express anything about how you feel.
While we have progressed in that we no longer express affection by whipping people with newly skinned animal hides, we are still not focusing on the people. Take a minute to think about your significant other or whomever you will be celebrating with on Valentine’s Day. Think of what they like and the little things that make them smile. Do what you can to show them you care. Because that is far more important than any expensive gift that you could buy.
Romantic holiday, when handled right, by Anna Frost
Valentine’s Day, just like any other holiday, is what you make of it. The meaning of Valentine’s Day, on a cultural level, is to express love. However, if you are single, you can still show your love for anyone you value.
Recently, on social media, many people have been showing love for their parents and friends through Valentine’s Day-themed gifts and displays of affection. In elementary school, kids brought a whole packet of cards to school and gave their friends nice messages. Why should this end? Nice messages and kind displays of affection can brighten anyone’s day. Valentine’s Day events can inspire everyday displays of love. This can inspire partners and friends throughout the rest of the year to open up to sincere acts of romantic and platonic love.
The main argument against most holidays, especially Valentine’s Day, is that they are too commercial. In a mostly capitalist system, this is inevitable. Companies by nature will work to take advantage of anything that inspires emotion. What better way than to prey on people’s love? The important thing to do is make our own choices. No one has a gun to consumers, forcing them to buy chocolates or flowers. A little creativity is all it takes to show your partner you love them in a special way. It is good to have reminders to break out of the doldrums of day-to-day life.
If someone is forcing you to partake in spending money you do not want to spend, maybe that relationship was not meant to be. Partners should appreciate effort put forward, and if they do not, maybe that teaches an important lesson. In the end, maybe Valentine’s Day is actually saving people from unhealthy and high-expectation relationships. Love language between partners is not always clear, but Valentine’s Day gives a solid opportunity to discuss and understand each other. Once a person is mature enough to be in a romantic relationship, they should be able to choose whether to embrace Valentine’s Day on a commercial level.
Romantic relationships are often seen as an ultimate goal in life. However, communities that may not want or have that opportunity use the day to celebrate themselves as well. Single people have parties, members of the asexual and aromantic community spread awareness, charities have a theme to publicize on, and people on social media create meme Valentine’s Day cards.
Each community and individual has the choice to do what they will, even if that is taking advantage of the system and buying discount candy the following day.
Photos from Pixabay
