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Valentine's Day
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RSS FeedValentine's Day: Commercial hype or romantic opportunity?
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| Commercial | 62% | 316 votes | Total: 508 votes | |
| Romantic | 38% | 192 votes |
Commercial
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Add to FavoritesValentine's Day is becoming increasingly commercialised with each passing year. The real meaning of the occasion, which is to express your love for your special one, is getting sidelined by the cards and balloons and gifts and cakes and everything that various stores all over the world are trying to sell.
Love can be expressed with a simple handmade card. Or a promise from a husband to take all the household chores off his wife's hands for a day. It doesn't need frills and balloons and diamonds. It doesn't need expensive gifts. It doesn't even need a designated day, as a matter of fact. But the idea of setting aside a day to celebrate love is, while not completely necessary, actually not a bad thing in its own right. It's just like an anniversary or your partner's birthday. It's a day for you to pamper them a little more than usual and tell them how much they mean to you. But you can do that by spending a nice, cosy, tender afternoon together. Or by cooking a special meal together and then eating it together. Taking the day off and spending time with each other. Or maybe just leaving work a little earlier than usual and enjoying a quiet, relaxed evening together.
The true meaning of love and of this day being a celebration of love is increasingly getting distorted. Love is being judged by the monetary value of the presents being exchanged. People don't want to spend the day alone, and find themselves under a lot of social pressure to find themselves a date for Valentine's Day.
It means a lot to me if my husband simply asks what I want to do, where I want to go or how I want to spend the day. I love planning things out together, planning a day that we would both enjoy. It is something that is a lot more valuable to me than a gift box with a piece of jewellery, which I anyway have too much of. And while I like roses, I don't really feel too good when I see them wilting away. That's not what love is supposed to be like. In full bloom one day of the year and wilting away the next. It's not supposed to be like the diamond earrings that you pull out of your jewellery box only for special occasions. It's about the time you share, the tenderness between you, the warmth, the caring and the sharing, breaking bread together every evening, and wanting to kiss the same person good night every night before you go to sleep.
Learn more about this author, Bhavya Dabas.
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Romantic
Although each and every day is a romantic opportunity, even more so when two people are in love with each other, traditionally this is the one day set aside each year to publicly remind us to take some time to show our significant other just how much we care about them.
Love and romance should be a part of a committed relationship and if you and your mate show each other you care about each other every day, there is no need to get all bent out of shape when February 14th rolls around. To you it should just be another day to profess your love for each other. Of course you might want to go out and do something really extra loving or romantic on that day, but for the most part celebrating Valentine's Day is more like the icing on the cake.
You already practice the basics, the opportunity this day brings just gives you the chance to boost things up a notch and make your relationship a bit sweeter. You are not the ones that get caught up in all of the commercialism. All the hype just makes you feel like a kid in a candy store.
There are so many romantic ideas or ways to express your love and spend this one day that comes just once a year. With so many ideas, which one or ones do you choose?
You just skim through them all and select those which you feel would represent best the way you feel about your partner. Then you narrow those down to the ones you can realistically afford. Remember, sometimes the most romantic gestures are the ones that come from your heart, not your wallet. The next step is to decide which of these are the most practical and would be something your partner would really like to receive.
Yes, sometimes we tend to get caught up in the fact that if we like the gift we are giving, our partner is going to like it too. You should have some idea of what your partner would like to receive as a gift.
If not, this would give you an excellent opportunity to discuss the subject with them. Just sitting down with each other and acknowledging that you want some ideas about celebrating this holiday together reinforces your love for each other. It also takes the stress and pressure off of being caught up in the tradition and possibly of getting lost in all of the commercialism of the holiday.
Those of you believing firmly that Valentine's Day is just commercial hype should realize that most of us that are true romantics appreciate the merchants and media taking the time to provide us with a selection of material goods easily available to purchase as well as reminders that this romantic holiday is approaching.
Although most of us do not have to be reminded of this holiday, many of us get so caught up in everyday life and one day seems to just roll into the next while our priorities tend to get shifted in all directions. Just as we sometimes accidently forget birthdays and anniversaries, not on purpose, reminders of these events can help us remember to celebrate them.
Many people also do not know much about being romantic or are not too familiar with ways to express their love for each other. Some people also feel that mere words are not enough to express their love for someone. Something material or physically visible kept in the sight of their partner would be a constant reminder of their love for them. So in this situation, the commercial hype provides a welcome service, and sometimes even saves face.
A holiday that is set aside to promote and encourage love for each other cannot be a bad thing. It should serve as a gentle reminder of the way we should treat each other every day. You and your partner are the ones in control of your relationship. To what extent you allow yourself to get caught up in all the Valentine's Day hype is up to you.
Learn more about this author, Kathy H.
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