When I was little, I knew Valentine day as a day for the grown ups. It was the day when my mom and dad would go out alone for diner and came back with a smile on their faces. And if I was a good girl, perhaps the next day, mom would give me one of those divine chocolate from that even more divine box which I would hope to add as furniture to my doll house. When I became a teen, Valentine day could be a day of utter annoyance. That is when I could not claim a boy friend to celebrate it with. However never in my little girl or teenage girl memories, was Valentine day that mega commercialized celebration it has become today, officially a Hall Mark holiday in the US (Hallmark being a leader in cards and greeting items). Now Valentine Day is not solely the day for lovers (as I knew it as a child) but the day for friendship, in short a day for every body. Which is cool really except that it certainly gives distributors of Valentine themed items ammunition to bombard a larger target market.
Being in the stationery business, I of course hope that Valentine Day can help me generate more profit. After all, I sell personalized stationery items (more memorable I think) which separates them from the generic crop offered in stores . But albeit the potential for profit, I cannot help deploring that mega commercialization of the occasion. Valentine day is now a cash cow, an annoying expense for some (as parents like me well know), and perhaps even a source of stress for others not inclined to celebrate it but who must still endure all the Valentine Day related hooplah. I wonder if in the face of all this advertisement, Valentine Day will not eventually totally loose its original meaning. End of year Holidays like Christmas and Hanukkah are
heavily commercialized but still remain their deeper religious significance. Valentine doesn’t have such a strong fundamental significance.
So for Valentine this year, I want to rediscover its origin. And I invite you to do so by checking those historical facts:
Of course, whatever your opinion on the occasion, keep in mind that a nice word, deed, or gift to your better half, sweetheart, parent, colleague, or friend will always be appreciated if it comes straight from the heart. And this doesn’t have to be done only on Valentine day by the way.;-)
Valentine Day – Is it really love or just plain marketing?
February 7, 2007Labels – Valentine Theme
When I was little, I knew Valentine day as a day for the grown ups. It was the day when my mom and dad would go out alone for diner and came back with a smile on their faces. And if I was a good girl, perhaps the next day, mom would give me one of those divine chocolate from that even more divine box which I would hope to add as furniture to my doll house. When I became a teen, Valentine day could be a day of utter annoyance. That is when I could not claim a boy friend to celebrate it with. However never in my little girl or teenage girl memories, was Valentine day that mega commercialized celebration it has become today, officially a Hall Mark holiday in the US (Hallmark being a leader in cards and greeting items). Now Valentine Day is not solely the day for lovers (as I knew it as a child) but the day for friendship, in short a day for every body. Which is cool really except that it certainly gives distributors of Valentine themed items ammunition to bombard a larger target market.
Being in the stationery business, I of course hope that Valentine Day can help me generate more profit. After all, I sell personalized stationery items (more memorable I think) which separates them from the generic crop offered in stores . But albeit the potential for profit, I cannot help deploring that mega commercialization of the occasion. Valentine day is now a cash cow, an annoying expense for some (as parents like me well know), and perhaps even a source of stress for others not inclined to celebrate it but who must still endure all the Valentine Day related hooplah. I wonder if in the face of all this advertisement, Valentine Day will not eventually totally loose its original meaning. End of year Holidays like Christmas and Hanukkah are
heavily commercialized but still remain their deeper religious significance. Valentine doesn’t have such a strong fundamental significance.
So for Valentine this year, I want to rediscover its origin. And I invite you to do so by checking those historical facts:
Of course, whatever your opinion on the occasion, keep in mind that a nice word, deed, or gift to your better half, sweetheart, parent, colleague, or friend will always be appreciated if it comes straight from the heart. And this doesn’t have to be done only on Valentine day by the way.;-)
Posted in Commentary | Tagged day tradition valentine, history of valentine day, personalized valentine day gift idea, valentine day trivia |