Selina
There are cynics in the world that try and make out that Valentine's Day is a holiday thrust upon us for commercial reasons only, that to embrace the said day is not only a waste of time and resources but somehow lowers our value of everyday love, the love built in reality. Well in my opinion they couldn't be more wrong.
If you are lucky enough or if we speak truthfully, active enough to put romantic effort into your relationship within the sometimes blinding reality of everyday life, between picking the children up from school, bathroom cleaning and work deadlines, then Valentine's Day shouldn't be viewed as a lazy option but rather a grand finale - like a boss battle in a video game.
There are a lot of traditions for the day, people receive flowers (yes men can and should receive flowers too), chocolates, jewellery perhaps and a romantic dinner is always on the cards, whether that's at home or out on the town. One of the most vital traditions is the giving of Valentine's Day cards, which ranks above gifts, above a good time and is truly essential, this alone shows the real importance of Valentine's Day the world over, because it's the message of love that truly matters.
As someone who enjoys writing, my greeting cards are always filled with personal messages and tangible encouragement but not everyone is comfortable or able to do that. Ergo it's not in everyone's nature to open up their feelings day in and day out and there are plenty of couples that are happy like that.
So one day a year Valentine's Day pushes those people out of their comfort zone and allows them to express themselves, whether that is by reading dozens of cards to find the one that rings true or by giving a lot of thought to what gift would be perfect.
If the critics are saying that Valentine's Day is a mockery and that relationships should be romantic all year round instead, I'd like to ask what is Valentine's Day doing to stop the romance. Can a day that is dedicated to celebrating the person you love truly hinder a relationship? Or is this the talk of people too jaded, too serious and altogether too pretentious to see that a holiday can bring joy into people's lives or serve as a reminder of what they should do more of?
Valentine's Day is no more corporate than a lot of other holidays in the world, except this one, unlike many religious holidays all over the globe hasn't lost touch with what it is meant to be celebrating and that's simply the person you love, so in reality what can be wrong with that?
So to all the cynics that roll their eyes at heart-shaped supermarket products, who say flowers just wither and die (mine don't because I dry mine out and keep them) or that Valentine's Day is just another way for companies getting money out of us - you have obviously missed the point. In modern life, there are so many ways companies do try and swindle us but I'd rather be swindled by treating the person who brings so much joy into my life than for any other reason.
The thing about this specific holiday too, is that it is universal. It doesn't matter what religion you are, what culture you are from, it doesn't even matter if you are single - I'm talking Galentines and Brolentines day here, to embrace Valentine's day is to embrace the universal truth that love is what we all as humans need and want, whether as individuals we have the ability to express it in obvious ways in everyday life or leave those tokens for one day. Valentine's Day matters because relationships matter, even in the modern world where building a side hustle or having the most Instagram likes seem priority - love is the universal language and no matter how you feel, you cannot shun that thought.
