Flowers die, cute stuffed animals just take up space and chocolates make me feel guilty about not going to the gym. Valentine’s Day for me has not been a holiday worth celebrating since elementary school when we got to take a break from grammar and eat cupcakes, open Barbie and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle valentines and make pretty heart-shaped cards for our friends.
My rant on Valentine’s Day, I admit, is partially a single gal’s bitterness coming out in full-force, but really, what is so special about Valentine’s Day?
To some, Valentine’s Day ranks up with Christmas, and to others, it’s just another day, but you might wear red or pink.
Valentine’s Day to me is like a VIP holiday. You have to have a special someone to really celebrate it. What kind of holiday excludes people? Sure, friends can give each other valentines letting each other know they’re “BFF”, and we can give out cards and candy just like we did in elementary school, but it’s just not the same as spending time with family on Thanksgiving or Christmas.
Even New Year’s is all encompassing because you can spend it with family, friends or that special someone – heck, you could spend it with total strangers and still have a great time.
Shouldn’t we be telling our loved ones how we feel more than once a year? And if we’re not, do we really care about him or her to begin with? To the people that do say those three little words on a regular basis, don’t you think that instead of giving your other half a big extravagant gift, that giving small, meaningful gifts throughout the year might be more effective? Sure Valentine’s Day warms up the winter months, but what about spring, summer and fall? If you shared the love during those times, maybe those having issues holding onto a boyfriend or girlfriend for more than a couple of months would benefit. It’s just a suggestion.
According to a video on The History Channel’s Web site, the origins of Valentine’s Day are rooted in Roman time to celebrate love and fertility; one of the rituals was to sacrifice an animal and then beat women with the skin of the animal to ensure fertility for the year.
I’m sure beating the woman really helped motivate her to want to make love to the man … after all, he’d just beaten her with an animal carcass.
During the 3rd century, the Christian church stepped in when the emperor outlawed marriages because men were homesick when they went off to war, leaving their wives and children. Some priests, one in particular, Saint Valentine, would marry young couples in secret. The emperor found out, arrested him, sentenced him to death and executed him on February 14. Knowing these two facts, I don’t think I could enjoy a romantic dinner thinking about women being beat by fresh beef or the death of a priest with googley eyes.
It ranks up there with Thanksgiving when we shared with the Native Americans for a day, and then gave them diseases and sent them packing to Oklahoma.
On top of the historical aspect, The History Channel also reports that in America more than 180 million roses and 36 million boxes of candy are sold and a total of more than $14 billion is spent for Valentine’s Day. “Every kiss begins with Kay” and Hallmark’s “Release your inner cupid” are popular advertisement campaigns this month.
What is the true message of Valentine’s Day? If It’s just about getting the right gift, or hoping that your loved one will give you something special, then you’ve missed the true meaning. C’mon, share the love!