Valentine’s Day has come and gone, and once again I had to go through a lot of messages and reminders from my friends on how this was a “commercial holiday.” After going through most of the profiles and relationship status from my friends there was one thread in common – they were all single!
“Anti-Valentine’s Day is the love child of two powerful dynamics, (1) a discontent over being bereft on a holiday celebrating coupling (whether the discontent is generated by an unrequited longing for romance or by the perception that single people are considered deficient or pitiful in this culture) and (2) a revolt against the commercial and arbitrary nature of the Valentine’s Day holiday.
. . .
The description in this excerpt from Be My Anti-Valentine: Rallying Against Cupid’s Corruption by Rebecca Lazarenko1 is representative:
Customarily reserved for bitter singles and broken hearts, anti-Valentine’s Day sentiments are slowly being echoed by everyone from the voluntarily unattached to the happily married. Anti-Valentine’s Day and the newly created Singles Awareness Day are following in the footsteps of anti-commercialism giants like Buy Nothing Day and D-I-Y Christmas. The out-of-nowhere attack of these un-holidays is hitting corporations where it hurts the most – espousing the existence of inherent narcissism in such red-letter days and attempting to reverse their ever-broadening commercial appeal.” Anti-Valentine’s Day – 1st Commercial Holiday Based On Opposition To A Commerical Holiday
Calling Valentine’s Day a “commercial holiday” is not that far out, but singling out as the only commercial holiday then, well that’s just crazy! Valentine’s Day (V-Day) is often accused as being a holiday creating by greeting cards companies and flower companies . . . hum . . . really? I could use that exact same argument for Mother’s Day. I can also say that Halloween was created by candy companies and Thanksgiving was created by Turkey farmers!
Valentine’s Day is a Holiday where we remember a priest called Valentine who served on third century Rome.
“When Emperor Claudius II decided that single men made better soldiers than those with wives and families, he outlawed marriage for young men — his crop of potential soldiers. Valentine, realizing the injustice of the decree, defied Claudius and continued to perform marriages for young lovers in secret. When Valentine’s actions were discovered, Claudius ordered that he be put to death.
. . .
According to one legend, Valentine actually sent the first ‘valentine’ greeting himself. While in prison, it is believed that Valentine fell in love with a young girl — who may have been his jailor’s daughter — who visited him during his confinement. Before his death, it is alleged that he wrote her a letter, which he signed ‘From your Valentine,’ an expression that is still in use today. Although the truth behind the Valentine legends is murky, the stories certainly emphasize his appeal as a sympathetic, heroic, and, most importantly, romantic figure. It’s no surprise that by the Middle Ages, Valentine was one of the most popular saints in England and France.”
Now, what makes a commercial holiday? I’m guessing that is a heavy commercialized “event,” where stores sale go through the roof and said event lacks any real meaning. So it is my pleasure to introduce you to Christmas. Christmas is when christians, catholics and every other religion who believes in Jesus Christ as their saviour gather to celebrate his birth. This holiday is one of the most important Holidays in the christian faith. Right now, the state of Christmas is a “Godless Christmas” were the image of Jesus has been substituted by Santa Claus. Don’t believe me? Check these christmas ads below and share your opinion:
Still don’t believe me? Well here is Christmas by the numbers:
The Christmas Sales begin – - now
Christmas sales salvage December’s retail footfall as retailers win brinkmanship battle
Christmas Sales: The Worst Growth In 33 Years
And so is every other holiday from the ones you expect like Thanksgiving (need I mention Black Friday and Cyber Monday?). What about Mother’s Day?
“Consumers will spend $15.8 billion on Mother’s Day this year, with the average expenditure of $138.63, down slightly from last year’s $139.14, according to the National Retail Federation (NRF). Phil Rist of marketing research firm BIGresearch, which conducted the NRF survey, attributes this year’s dip in spending to rising gas prices and other economic issues.
Of the 84.2 percent of consumers celebrating Mother’s Day this year, most will buy one major gift for mom. And this is very apparent in the jewelry category, according to the NRF. Consumers planning on buying her something sparkly will spend a total of $2.7 billion, compared to $2.1 billion last year.” Tapping Into Customer Emotions Drives Mother’s Day Sales
If it makes all those Anti-Valentine people/groups happy then here’s some good news:
“A National Retail Federation study estimates consumers will spend an average of $102.50 on Valentine’s Day gifts and merchandise this year, a 16 percent decline from last year’s $123 per person. Reduced sales are forcing some retailers to cut back the hours of employees, hitting workers in their wallets.” Recession shoots arrow into Valentine’s Day sales
Sadly all Holidays are commercial and if you truly want to do something about it, then make it your own. Boycott every store that promotes Santa Claus instead of Jesus, boycott every Black Friday and Cyber Monday Sales, get your mom a big gift just for a regular day and celebrate Valentine’s on the best way you can with your sweetheart and continue to do so the others 364 days of the year.
