Engulfed in the sickly sweet scent of floral arrangements and romance, I hardly need a calendar to see that the season of love has finally descended upon us all. And while half of our school population is out planning some daring display of affection to bring the whole day together, the other half is silently dreading the fast approach of the worst 24 hours of the year.
Valentines Day has long been celebrated among the youth of America, displayed in every way from little decorative boxes filled with candy from your friends to making out in the cafeteria just to show everyone your spoken for. But on a day so thoroughly commercialized and superficial, it’s hard to say what Valentines Day is really about.
It started as a Roman celebration, reveling in the coming of spring and months of fertility ahead. Women spent the day doing one of two things: being wooed by the most eligible men in town or wishing that they were being wooed by the most eligible men in town. Needless to say, not much has changed in that respect from then to now.
But the sentiment behind Valentines Day for most people these days usually involves some murky story about Saint Valentines, paper hearts decoratively strewn about, and rose petals scattered throughout the day. Generic, yes, but accurate? Most definitely.
Valentines Day has been charmingly advertised our entire lives as the day of love. And yet why should there only be one day? We spend all our time preparing for this one moment to show our friends or families or significant others how much we enjoy them. And how better to do it than buying them a pink heart shaped box of chocolates on a day we’re obligated to do just that?
Love is about being spontaneous, never ending, and genuine. It’s about the flowers you bought her just because or the meal you made him just to have a nice Sunday dinner. Instead of buying into the stuffed animals and frills of a day whose sole purpose is to sell, buy into each other, and celebrate the love you share at every moment, not just because it’s Valentines Day.