Roses are red, violets are blue, please don’t stop reading this article. Anyway, It came and went, and now it’s back once more: Valentine’s Day, my least favorite holiday of the year. I’m not scornful about some traumatic Valentine’s Day mishap that occurred in the past. I am simply frustrated with how people treat this highly-needed reminder of love. To put it simply, we have it backwards.
But let’s start from the beginning. The legend goes that somewhere there once lived Saint Valentine. There are several sentimental stories that go along with the person, but most people remember him for saving love in one way or another. These days, the only thing people are saving is money for a generic Hallmark card or a heart-shaped bag carrying a heart-shaped box of heart-shaped chocolates in heart-shaped wrapping paper.
By all means, be as cheesy as humanly possible when you are professing your affection towards a loved one, but why does it have to be reserved for Valentine’s Day? There’s this exclusivity for couples on this day, and it makes a lot of single folks feel a bit uncomfortable.
And did I mention that this is a “corporate holiday”? Big businesses are turning a profit out of every stale chocolate, deflated balloon, saggy teddy bear, corny card, dead rose, and cheap bottle of wine they sell on this day of “love”. Somehow, we feel obligated to get any combination of those gifts in order to profess our affection.
This isn’t the genuine day of love that it’s supposed to be.
But all these seeming downsides can easily be turned around. First of all, don’t make this the only time you say “Thank you” to a loved one. Make that an everyday thing, and go all out on Valentine’s day. And don’t just make this about your boyfriend or girlfriend. Tell your mommy and daddy you love them. They are the reason you are able to celebrate Valentine’s day every year.
And for those of you who get angered by the idea of a corporate holiday, let me angrily throw an egg of knowledge at your head. If you’re so against the idea of buying chocolate or roses, then don’t buy it! Get creative with your gift. Or don’t give a gift at all… but you should probably give a gift. It’s your choice. Give a gift. I take gifts.
So let’s turn this crappy holiday around. Don’t make this the only day of appreciation for those you care about; make it a daily element. In the words of Bill Keane, “They invented hugs to let people know you love them every day without saying anything.”
They also invented gift cards and savings bonds for the same reason.
Happy Valentine’s Day. Daniel Ira out.
