My friend came to me for advice recently and said something to the effect of, “Oh crap, what am I going to get my girlfriend for Valentine's Day? Do you have any good ideas? I don’t want to be outdone and feel like a loser.”
Every February we put ourselves under mass amounts of stress while we go and get cards, flowers, candies, and gifts for loved ones, but few people know why they even go through such lengths to declare love for their family members, friends, and sweethearts.
In honor of that oh so festive holiday that I feel is a total trap to sucker people out of money, let’s take a look at Valentine’s Day.
Roughly three legends came to define Valentine’s Day.
One contends that “Valentine was a priest who served during the third century in Rome.” Emperor Claudius II decided that single men made better soldiers than those with wives and families, he outlawed marriage for young men — his crop of potential soldiers (The History of Valentine's Day).
Valentine, realizing the injustice of the decree, defied Claudius and continued to perform marriages for young lovers in secret. When Valentine's actions were discovered, Claudius ordered that he be put to death (The History of Valentine's Day).
Other stories suggest that Valentine may have been killed for trying to help “Christians escape harsh Roman prisons” or that Valentine sent the first “valentine greeting” himself to a young girl he fell in love with while in prison.
Thus, people support Valentine’s Day in honor of Valentine’s death which occurred sometime around the middle of February.
If you were a Christian or believed in the pope, you celebrated Valentines Day based on the pagan Lupercalia festival; this festival signaled the beginning of spring and a time for purification, and was held around the middle of February.
I don’t doubt that Valentine’s Day stories will pour in all over websites just like last year.
All I am saying is that I feel Valentine’s Day should be a day where we enjoy the company of our loved ones in honor of Valentine’s death or the Lupercalia festival.
If you’re not a fan of either of the previously mentioned traditions, and all you want is chocolate, flowers, or cards, then I feel sad that you are unappreciative of the fact that a friend, family member, co-worker, boyfriend/girlfriend, or husband/wife has loved you every single day, since the day you were born.
That idea alone should mean more than perishable or worldly items.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
People need to lighten up! It's suppose to be fun and cute. Not taken in all seriousness, during a session of self-wallowing and pitty. I got my boyfriend a box of chocolates, a burnt cd of all the songs that remind me of him and an itunes giftcard. I got my mom and dad cards and both a box of candy because Valentines day is suposed to be fun. If it makes you sad, then I suggest you go out with all your friends get have fun. If not eat your chocolate, kiss your hunny and just have fun with it. Celebration is a personal chocie and a state of mind.
ReplyDeleteWe celebrate love on the day of St. Valentine's execution. The day also statistically marks the gloomiest day of the year. You have to love the irony in that.
ReplyDeleteI have to agree with you that celebrating love is more important than the gift. I would recommend that couples focus on sacrificial love rather than "perishable or worldly items."
Yeah, celebrating your love is a great tradition, and although its a special day, if it only takes the one day to show your true appreciation for someone, people need to set bigger priorities with their friends and loved ones.
ReplyDeleteI'd rather show my appreciation through everyday than the one day its "supposed" to be shown. Some people choose to do things unrelated to love and gifts, and that's totally ok, because that is how they choose to live.
Your post was really cool and interesting; you couldn't have picked a better time to post about this.
ReplyDeleteValentine's Day is very over rated; a lot of friendships and relationships are destroyed because of it.
If someone doesn't get what he or she thinks they deserve, the demon is soon to show up.
This holiday is for people who are more worried about what people think of them and showing off what they plan on getting.
I was really interested in your post! i enjoyed reading it. But when many people think of valetines day they think of love. For many people that are single dont really enjoy valentines day because they have nobody to share it with. And if you do have someone to share it with its one of the best days of the year.
ReplyDeletewe celebrate valentines day too like that with loads of preparations.. haha
ReplyDelete