By Danielle Marshall
Feb. 14 has transformed into a day to celebrate love and spend time with loved ones. But some of the meanings of why we celebrate Valentine’s Day changed drastically over time. This day of love has become very commercial and no longer about love, but about how much people can buy for someone.
This day has become awkward for everyone who is not in love or does not have a girlfriend or boyfriend. According to listverse.com, 75 percent of suicide rates are due to relationship problems. All the stress and hurt feelings near Valentine’s Day could add on to old relationship problems or loneliness.
Only since the 14th century, Valentine’s Day has become about love. Before this, Feb. 14 was used to for a celebration of Christianity and their Patron Saint. During the Middle Ages, Saint Valentine had become one of the most important Saints that were celebrated on this day, and scholar Henry Ansgar Kelly was said to be the first person to tie St. Valentine’s day to romance. Today it has been taken from this content and put into this world of commercialism.
This celebration just makes people that are not in love feel out of the loop or awkward. It is depressing for people who are single. Also, why on Feb. 14 do we have to celebrate love? If you are in a relationship you should celebrate love all year long not just on the one day.
We should not have a specific day to make up for mistakes that have been made all year long. Many single people around this time of the year have come to blog and post about this month being, “single awareness month”. This is more evidence to prove that many people this time of the year just feel uncomfortable. More and more people are becoming more hateful towards the holiday because of what it has become. The people have taken what was a celebration of love and turned it into a multi-million dollar business. The reasons for the “holiday” being celebrated need to change, or Valentine’s Day just needs to not be celebrated.
Rachel Pugh • Mar 29, 2012 at 8:10 pm
This article pretty much sums up my view on the day—the concept of Valentine’s Day is great, but it’s become something it wasn’t meant to be. People see it as another way to impress someone by spending money on unnecessary gifts instead of putting forth a true effort to show how much that person means to them. I also agree that it can be pretty depressing for singles, although it shouldn’t be. People need to realize that Valentine ’s Day is a celebration of all kinds of love, including friendship and familial love. One of my girl friends gave me a rose this past Valentine’s Day, and I was a little shocked to be asked over and over again “Ooh, did a boy give you that???” by people who knew I was single at the time.
John Shumar • Mar 29, 2012 at 7:53 pm
This is a very interesting way to look at Valentine’s Day. I did not know the history behind Valentine’s Day before this article; and it was well written. There is a very valid point made about this day in this article, but I would have to agree with the above idea; it is just another day to make big sales. Sadly, it is a true statement that it has become more materialized, but I still think it is good to have a day to officially make your date feel wanted. To those who do not have that special person, Valentine’s Day is a great reminder/motivator! And it is okay to just give love to your family.
Nelson Leary • Mar 29, 2012 at 7:43 pm
In its current state, Valentine’s day is not a holiday it is just another day that the business companies use to rake in the cash from people. When people think of that day what would the first things that they would think about? Cupid and his arrows, hearts, choclate, roses and such would probably be the things that come to mind, not the actual Saint Valentine. Sadly what is what the business want you to think so that you will buy all of their Valentine’s reated merchandice. Maybe people will become more aware what the actual day stands for and not what it is today. Untill the revelation the day is just another day and should not be considered a holiday at all.