Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Valentine's Day does not mean relationship day | The University News

Valentine?s Day may be the most scrutinized ?holiday? known to man and over the years it has garnered a bad reputation. Although many have good reasons to dislike this day, it doesn?t make much sense. Since when is the day of love meant to be negative?

Let?s begin with a history lesson. Valentine?s Day began when a saint named Valentinus was imprisoned for performing weddings on those who were forbidden from marrying. The day was first associated with romantic love in the Middle Ages when love began to flourish. In the 1500?s, lovers began presenting each other with flowers and cards, which began being mass-produced in the 19th century.

It?s understandable why many people dislike this so called ?single?s awareness day,? but the true message of the day is often overlooked. Valentine?s Day is a day to show love. Simple as that.

Fathers give daughters gifts, friends give each other gifts and so on. Remember in elementary school when you used to decorate a shoebox and everyone in your class would fill it with cards and candy? I completely forgot about this until a customer at work reminded me. Back in the olden days when everything was simpler, Valentine?s Day was not known as a day of romantic love but it was a day to show love in general.

Now days Valentine?s Day is definitely marketed so Hallmark can cash in big time, but this is no reason to hate the day in general. Christmas is also over marketed, but that doesn?t mean everyone stops celebrating.

Even when I was single, I loved the feeling of Valentine?s Day. Everything seemed so happy and pink was in the air. Literally. It is impossible to go into any store without being bombarded with pink. Lucky for me, I love pink. And chocolate. Lots and lots of chocolate. See how could a day get any better? You get the excuse to pig out on junk food while acting overly sentimental and staring at large pink stuffed animals. This sounds like a perfect day to me.

For those in relationships, you have the opportunity to say ?I love you? a thousand times without being judged plus get presents just for being you. Really? How could it get any better than this?

For those not in relationships, you have the opportunity to watch a cheesy romantic comedy and mock it from start to finish (in order to hide your secret love for it) while stuffing your mouth with chocolate. I really can?t see what?s wrong with this day. Sounds like an awesome excuse to be a cynical pig to me. Also, going to a place highly populated with couples, such as any restaurant or movie theatre, can be an entertaining mocking exercise as well. Try to decipher between the awkward first dates and the serious relationships. It can be quite entertaining to watch how normal people quickly transform into fools.

If you don?t fit either of these descriptions and have decided to hate Valentine?s Day no matter what then I?m sorry. You are missing out on some great chocolate and the opportunity to look like an idiot without being judged.

In summary, everyone loves somebody. Whether it is a parent, sibling, significant other, pet or your best friend?s significant other, take this opportunity to show them. Love should not be stereotyped only to romantic relationships. Plus, you can?t go wrong with a holiday that classifies chocolate as a food group.

egolden@unews.com

Source: http://unews.com/2013/02/12/valentines-day-does-not-mean-relationship-day/

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