Valentine's Day
By Lynne Bell
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听听听听听听听听听听听 Ah, Valentine's Day....or as a friend of mine prefers to call it: 鈥渢he New Year's Eve of February.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 Valentine's Day may be a loaded occasion for some, but it's persistently popular and undeniably, big business.
听听听听听听听听听听听 According to recent U.S. figures (I couldn't access any Canadian stats), nearly 190 million V-Day cards are sent each year-and that doesn't include the Valentine cards that children exchange at school. Financial figures coming from the USA regarding February 14-related spending in North America state that the average individual amount spent on Valentine's Day in the U.S. has steadily risen, from $108 per person in 2010 to $131 in 2013.
听听听听听听听听听听听 In Saudi Arabia, the lure of expressing love on Valentine's Day has attracted the attention of the country's killjoys...er, religious police. In the run-up to February 14, 2008, the sale of all Valentine's-related items, red roses, and all other red-hued items was forbidden in the kingdom and existing stock was confiscated, because Valentine's Day is considered a Christian celebration. While the country's non-Muslims celebrate in private and out of the public eye, Muslims are forbidden to acknowledge Valentine's Day at all.
听听听听听听听听听听听 Sadly, in 2014, five men and six women were arrested by the religious police for celebrating Valentine's Day 鈥渋n the company of women.鈥� Their legal punishment for observing a day that's now considered pretty secular and (presumably) all about love was 4,500 lashes for the men and prison sentences totalling 32 years for all parties involved.
听听听听听听听听听听听 Even so, a black market for roses and red wrapping paper reportedly still exists in Saudi, and celebrating Valentine's Day is seemingly growing in popularity elsewhere around the globe.
听听听听听听听听听听听 But is Valentine's Day-wherever in the world it's celebrated-just about cards, flowers and candy?
听听听听听听听听听听听 Many people I know-whether partnered up or not-view Valentine's Day as a day to acknowledge and express their love (and eat chocolate, but maybe that's just me) for family and friends, and to perhaps, share some kindness with the wider world.
听听听听听听听听听听听 When I was a kid, Valentine's Day was a big deal in elementary school (see: candy rationing, no听 internet...). Anyhow, we would decorate boxes, which were meant to be receptacles for the zillions听 (ha!) of valentines we would receive, which would not only be proof of our enduring popularity, but of our worth as human beings....Well, you get the idea.
听听听听听听听听听听听 From the very beginning, my parents used V-Day at school as a 鈥渢eaching moment,鈥� which is certainly not how things were described back then. What did they do? Well, they made me give a Valentine to every single kid in my class-from my best friend to whomever I was currently having a tiff with-no exceptions. When my kids entered grade school, a class list was sent home prior to Valentine's Day, so being kind and considerate to one's classmates was enforced, thankfully. But a quick survey of some of my grade school contemporaries demonstrates that my folks were early adopters when it came to the 鈥渆veryone gets a card鈥� movement.
听听听听听听听听听听听 And maybe that's what Valentine's Day is really all about-and perhaps why some people on the planet even risk dire consequences to celebrate the sentiments surrounding the day. Maybe for one day- whether we're passionately in love or not- we can spread some sweetness and be a little kinder to each other.
听听听听听听听听听听听 So why not do so? Or at least, eat some chocolate...
听听听听听听听听听听听 Happy Valentine's Day!
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Valentine鈥檚 Day: a commercialized holiday
By Kelly Running
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听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Well, it鈥檚 February, so what鈥檚 a better topic for Lynne and me to look at than Valentine鈥檚 Day.
听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 With a little research it turns out Valentine鈥檚 Day is an enigma. There are actually numerous Christian martyrs named Valentine and the two that are most associated with Valentine鈥檚 Day are Valentine of Rome and Valentine of Terni. There was also a third mentioned that was martyred in Africa, but there is very little information about him.
听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 The legend surrounding Valentine鈥檚 Day, however, is as follows: a priest was imprisoned for succouring 鈥� helping 鈥� persecuted Christians. Roman Emperor Claudius II imprisoned Valentine, attempting to convert him to Roman paganism. Valentine refused and in turn attempted to convert the Emperor to Christianity instead and was executed for doing so. However, prior to his execution the legend says that Valentine had fallen in love with and healed the blind daughter of his jailer, which led to the jailer and the jailer鈥檚 entire household 鈥� family and servants included 鈥� converting to Christianity.
听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 The legend also says that on the night prior to Valentine鈥檚 execution he wrote a letter to the girl he had healed, signing it 鈥淵our Valentine.鈥� The girl would plant a pink-blossomed almond tree at Valentine鈥檚 grave symbolizing their love.
听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Valentine, in the legend, was said to have worn a purple amethyst ring with the image of Cupid engraved on it 鈥� an image which was legal under the Roman Empire 鈥� this symbol, however, was one that told others that he was a Christian bishop and as such would conduct marriage ceremonies for people. The purple ring is said to be that of amethyst, which is the birthstone of February and is associated with love.
听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Additionally Valentine gave out hearts cut from parchment or paper as a reminder to men of God鈥檚 love giving them to soldiers and persecuted Christians before he was jailed and executed.
听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Although that鈥檚 the legend of St. Valentine, if we look at what the day is today, I would have to say it鈥檚 not quite what it once was. Yes, obviously it was always about love, but the legend points mostly to God鈥檚 love and very little to romantic love, after all even the love between Valentine and the jailer鈥檚 daughter involved God鈥檚 love in that the girl was healed through a miracle, through God.
听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Today, although in the West religion doesn鈥檛 seem to be as popular as it once was, Valentine鈥檚 Day is definitely associated with romantic love with people sending cards, flowers, chocolates, and other little gifts to each other. Taking someone out for a romantic supper or planning a romantic rendezvous in general.
听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 I had to laugh the other day watching The Office. The character, Dwight, was talking about his perfect Valentine鈥檚 Day鈥� 鈥淚鈥檓 at home, three cell phones in front of me, fielding desperate calls from people who want to buy one of the 50 restaurant reservations I made over six months ago.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Although Valentine鈥檚 Day is tradition, and tradition is good to have, it surprises me how commercialized it has become. Which is why Dwight鈥檚 quote is funny, it draws attention to the commercialization of the holiday, especially when the tradition is rooted in an individual who simply did good things for others. Valentine risked his life to conduct marriage ceremonies for people and to remind people of God鈥檚 love.
听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听听I鈥檓 personally very much looking forward to Valentine鈥檚 Day鈥� I鈥檒l be playing volleyball, which means I鈥檒l be doing something I love with a good group of friends.听
