Now that I have found a love of my own, many have asked if my opinion of Valentine's Day has changed. A hallmark marketing creation designed to sell cards in the coldest month of the year remains a devious holiday.
Those fallen roses (usually of such poor quality they lasted barely a day), discarded candy and chocolate boxes (more pounds to add to that obesity factor), must-have reservations to some romantic restaurant (where the prices are jacked up for this very special day).....all for what? Like Christmas and Halloween, this holiday needs to be rescued from the hands of materialism. Many countries have taken to burning the manifestations of Valentine's day citing them as evidence of the corrupting influence of the West.
This year, Mother Nature was aligned with this view. She blanketed most of southwestern Ontario, the martimes and the Northeastern USA in over 25 cm of snow. This coupled with an extremely frosty wind chill kept the holiday at bay.
Remember those kids who didn't get a Valentine card on February 14th. Another popularity contest designed to destroy self-esteem. This holiday is detrimental for singles and couples alike. The former dubbed this day as Singles Awareness Day and the latter as Extreme Relationship Stress Day. Being single is not a disease although on Valentine's day, the state of one is regarded as that of a leper. Could you go into a restaurant as a single man/woman on this day without being stared down? Couples fair no better. Men and women alike struggle to find that perfect valentine day gift...just like the perfect Christmas present search. Disappointment invariably follows the stress.
Hence, I say "Out with Valentine's Day". After all, the celebration of love (platonic or romantic or otherwise) belongs to all the days of the year and should not be hijacked by the 14th of February.
