By TIFFANY WILLSON
Columnist
As Valentine’s Day approaches, I can’t help but wonder about the roots of such a holiday. When weeks leading up to the event appear as though cupid has thrown up all over the department stores, it is hard to envision how it got to be this way.
The story of Valentine’s Day, the Christian belief, starts with the life of a martyr named Saint Valentine. While there are conflicting stories regarding his life, the most well-known story remembers Saint Valentine as a priest.
Claudius II beheaded Valentine when he was caught assisting persecuted Christians and celebrating their marriages. He is believed to have been martyred on February 14. In 496 AD Pope Gelasius officially declared February 14 the day to honor of St. Valentine and his work.
The humble holiday was erected in 496 AD but commercial valentines, as we picture today, were not produced until the 1800’s. As the years passed, the holiday flooded stores with stuffed animals and heart shaped chocolates all for customers to show their love and appreciation for friends, family, and significant others. Saint Valentines work as a wedding minister, easily lent itself to the present day meaning of Valentine’s Day.
The stigma of the date makes it feel almost mandatory to buy your boyfriend/girlfriend chocolates and flowers when the holiday rolls around. The compulsory feel February takes away the romantic and sentimental notions behind gift exchanges. Consumers feel pressured to pick the best gift, often the most expensive, in an attempt to compete with shoppers across the nation.
According to the National Retail Federation total spending on Valentine’s Day in 2017 totaled $18.2 billion and 2018 is expected to reach $19.6 billion. We have taken this celebration, and made it consumer driven, which is not what Pope Gelasius intended when he declared February 14th a holiday.
The NRF also states that three out every ten people, who claim they will not be participating in Valentine’s Day, have celebration plans. Out of these people, 3.3% will be purchasing “anti” Valentine’s Day gifts. (What constitutes an “anti” Valentine’s Day gift?) We obviously have done something wrong when we have people protesting a holiday that was founded on love and marriage.
Maybe consumerism has taken over the once loved holiday. Maybe Valentine’s Day is a mandatory and cliché holiday. Despite all of this and my obvious disdain for forced affection, getting a Valentine card would not be the end of the world!
During the month of February it is important to remember the holiday and spend time with your loved ones, but maybe, one couple at a time, we can turn away from the traditional gifts and focus on the foundation of the holiday…..love.
