By now even the most clueless must have seen the red hearts and candies and roses for sale. Just four days to go before Valentine’s Day.
I’ve had a love/hate relationship with Valentine’s Day since grammar school. Back then making and exchanging valentines with my classmates was part of the school calendar of activities. It was about fun and friendship and nobody was left out. But when I became an adult, my feelings about Valentine’s Day corresponded with the emotional state of my relationships. Let’s just say there was a dark period when I actually couldn’t wait for the holiday to roll around just so I could wear my heart-shaped pin with the bent nail stabbing the center. It certainly was a conversation starter!
That period passed and I found myself — once again — looking forward to the annual day of hearts and flowers. And, apparently lots of others feel the same way. The people who study these things say that Valentine’s Day is one of the most popular American holidays, right up there with the seasonal holidays of include Christmas, Hanukah and Kwanzaa, Thanksgiving, the family gathering, Halloween, now a pop culture event, and the biggest sentimental juggernaut of them all, Mother’s Day.
Valentine’s Day is one of the few American holidays also celebrated in many other countries though other places don’t declare it a holiday.
What began as a liturgical celebration in honor of a Christian martyr in the 5th century has centuries later morphed into a celebration of romantic love and, in truth, a retail event. Valentine’s Day is the second biggest holiday cash cow with celebrants shelling out top dollar for greeting cards, flowers, and expensive dinners for two.
All of this makes some of my love-scorned friends roll their eyes. They insist Valentine’s Day is nothing more than a commercial event with ginned up faux sentiment. I would agree that’s partly true, but it doesn’t mean that it can’t also be a warm and fuzzy pause, one I particularly appreciate in the midst of bad news and horrific tragedies.
Valentine’s day gives me official permission to reflect on romantic times gone by. Like the time I was traveling for work and my beau arranged to have roses and chocolates waiting for me when I checked into my hotel room. Or my all-time favorite, the boyfriend who brought a beautiful bouquet of roses with a card explaining that there were only 11 because as he wrote, “I was the 12th one.” Yes it was corny, but can I tell you? I loved it! Romantically challenged listeners feel free to copy.
Lovers of Valentine’s Day, proclaim your enthusiasm. Don’t let the naysayers stop you from enjoying a Hallmark moment. Embrace all the love in your life — drop a card to your secret sweetheart, sip champagne with good friends, tell your loved ones you love them. It’s all good. And what’s not to like about an occasion where chocolate is pretty much a requirement? Happy Valentine’s Day.
