It’s February and Valentine’s day is almost here. That means 36 million heart shaped boxes of chocolates have been put on the shelves of our local stores, the pungent fumes of Roses, Carnations and Tulips fill our lungs and millions of men around the world scurry to find their loved ones the prefect gift but is their really a point to all of this?
Year after year numerous amounts of people try to find the perfect gifts and book the best place for the ideal date. It’s understandable that people want to show their partner their devotion towards one another but there is hardly a reason to why we can’t do this any other time of the year when the food is cheaper and the lines are much shorter. When I asked people their opinions on this there where two different viewpoints. One person stated that “Valentine’s day is such a heavenly day devoted to love and affection and as cheesy as it is I love it” but another said “It’s one of the most meaningless and commercial times out of the entire year.”
Originally the day was dedicated to saint Valentine’s who performed weddings for soldiers who where not allowed to marry in 269 AD. He was imprisoned for this and executed on the 14th of February and the day was only made into the holiday we now know during the 1700's in England. You could argue the day still celebrates romance which is what St Valentine's may have wanted but what’s the point of the day if not many people know about the origin.
Furthermore I believe that we technically do not really need Valentine’s day, we can show our affection any day of the year and not have to be put under immense amounts of pressure for one day. What's the purpose if the majority of us can’t even remember the man who started this tradition off? I love being happy, festive and getting gifts just as much as the next person but there’s no reason to why some of us should have to support the over priced flowers, cards and chocolates for this one time of the year.
