Mirror Magazine

Mirror Magazine

When love is in the air
By Two Girls, a Guy and a Valentine
For years, we have seen most people convey two extreme opinions when it comes to Valentine’s Days. In one corner, you get the soppy romantic, who takes the day in its ideal spirit, or even a little further by buying gifts and cards and other paraphernalia. On the other, you get the practicality person who scoffs at the idea, calling the day a ‘commercial holiday’, and boycotting all related purchases.

Valentine’s Day has been commercialised beyond belief. Valentine’s cards? Check. Valentine’s costumes? Check. Valentine’s chocolates? Check. Valentine’s ring tones? Check, check, check! Name a consumer service, there’s a Valentine’s Day variant for it.

The event, which originated as the Roman feast of Lupercalia in honour of the pastoral god Lupercus, has transmogrified into a consumer beast. In today’s context Valentine’s Day means – spend, spend, spend. Thus, these writers concur that the commercial entity of Valentine’s Day is indeed a social evil. Nothing that encourages the notion of spending to such an extent can be of any common good to a society.

The notion or ‘idea’ behind Valentine’s Day, however, is one that should be remembered. Identifying one day each year to show concern towards loved ones is healthy to say the least. Sure, we should showing concern for our loved ones all year round. In practicality however, that rarely happens, and Valentine’s Day is a good ‘reminder’, a kick-start to help show that you care.

Secondly, the notion of romance is so closely intertwined with Valentine’s Day that it’s difficult for many of us to disassociate it from the notion of erotic love. No, Valentine’s Day is as much a celebration of platonic relationships as it is of romantic ones. In short, the day is essentially a celebration of one of the fundamentals of human existence – relationships. The complexity of our relationships is one of the key factors that set Homo Sapiens apart from other life forms. Valentine’s Day may thus be described as a celebration of humanity itself.

Of course there are a few who say that the day is anti-cultural. When has showing love or caring for another person been anti-cultural? Sure, the commercialism is anti-cultural at times. But that has very little to do with Valentine’s Day itself, just like Christmas shopping has very little to do with the birth of Christ.

Why make a big hue and cry about things? Why try to stop showing people that you love them? Wait a second… we thought we need more love in this world. So first we are trying to stop war and now we are trying to stop people actually showing even a bit of caring.

Agreed people are doing the whole process, just like ‘follow the trend’. That is after all a mentality. If everyone decided to jump into a well we won’t really stop and ask why, we probably be like ‘hey wait for me….’

Anyway Valentine’s Day is a very personal thing to people. How they celebrate it, is upto them. Even if they want to celebrate it everyday… who are we to stop them? As the very cliché line goes… it is after all, all about the love.

So as this Valentine’s approaches, we encourage you to think out of the box. Forget the heart shaped chocolates, the red ribbon and the cards with flowers on them. Get your loved ones something unique, something personal. We firmly believe that it is possible to celebrate the day without giving into the neo-consumerist culture. Valentine’s Day can only get as ugly and meaningless as you let it!

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