mardi 15 février 2011
Falling on a Monday, Valentines' Day 2011 was made discrete this year. With the roses that invaded some shops, advertisements on radio and television and posters at every street corner, it was nevertheless difficult to miss this event. Valentine was formerly constitued of a declaration of love written by the boyfriend or girlfriend and a present made by the said lover. Nowadays, all that is left behind for gifts; it's like a mini-Christmas.Also, the sites offer a service of virtual cards with messages of love each more beautiful than each other. Indeed, many people do not feel being like a poet and then are ashamed of their handwriting. For example, "I'm looking for answers, I find your smile." There is also "Each day without you and my heart crumbles into melancholy" and " Words mourn their inability to face my love." These last two are good for the Dracula inside you, love being dramatic and partially dead.
"When one loves, one doe not count!" According to a new dating site, the lovers are far more generous in the U.S than in France. The majority of French people is willing to pay between 20 to 40€ (59%) to please their partner for Valentine's Day, when Americans (60%) are easily up to 60 or 80€. The French rely on sound values, traditional gifts: flowers (22%), restaurant (19%) or chocolate, jewelry, perfume or watch (8%). These gifts are mostly symbolic. Valentine's Day has a commercial connotation that often annoys the French...
Love is so now marketing that a feast of love is less important. Now, love is almost programmed, the festival has a little side compulsory... However, doesn't love need to be celebrated? A feast of love is a bit beta, love, it is lived every day, every night, all life. A single day to say I'm in love is a bit suspect, those who celbrate Valentine's Day may have something to be forgiven)))
If there is an attractive idea, it is to celebrate love every day, instead of reserving the little touches to the single day of 14 February. But then, if in theory this idea fills us, in practice it is rarely enforced. Make around you a quick survey : how many women regularly receive a bouquet of flowers from their lover? How many of them receive a daily message of love?
It is for women that this tradition of Valentine's Day has its raison d'être, for women who are affected by the attention that they lavish... but are too rare. One day a year to think about the cover of flowers or soft words, it is a minimum, otherwise it's a safe bet that many women would spend the year without any bouquet! So let's be clear: will be exempt from Valentine only the champions of daily attentions! For others, no excuses will be accepted! ;)
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I like this article and I agree completely with some of the points raised here ;)
Indeed, this celebration is for women who are deprived of attention during a year. But, even if I have the attention of my husband more than once a year, I still like this attention. And, this celebration really glorifies love, because without love there is nothing. With love in his heart, a man can flourish and wither without it. Love is a driving force. So, let this Valentine's day be, if it warms the heart.
Come on, Valentine's day is what you make of it. It can be as meaningless or meaningful as you want. And putting one day aside a year to celebrate love is not such a bad thing. We spend so much time commemorating tragedy, I'm glad we also have a day for love. That doesn't mean that love is confined to that day.
And what's this idea about chocolate or jewelry being more 'symbolic' than other gifts? Is a diamond ring somehow more meaningful than a DVD? Don't tell me that going out to a restaurant is a symbolic act. If you're going to give me a gift, then stuff the jewelry, the perfumes and the watches, and give me something I will actually enjoy.
Of course celebrating love everyday is preferable to celebrating it once a year, but I sincerely hope that no woman (OR MAN) would stay with someone who only showed any affection on St. Valentine's Day. I believe the idea is the same with all holidays. Should a person's life not be celebrated and appreciated every day of their existence? Yet why is this confined to their birthday? The same with Easter or Hanukkah or Bastille Day or Memorial Day. Perhaps they should all be abolished since really they ought to be in our hearts every day of the year.
Finally, what's all this talk about women at the end? If you think that giving women attention is the raison d'être of Valentine's Day, I suggest you read history. It seems to me, it's always been a bit more mutual. Moreover, you chastise men who fail to deliver flowers and love letters throughout the year. What about women? Don't they have an equal responsibility to dote upon their lovers? Don't you ever crave a loving word or a kind gesture? Don't make it out as if it's some peculiarity of the weaker sex.
That's what they call a scathing critic! Yet, in the conclusion of this post, you could guess that our views are not so different. But, I guess I should have make it appear more clearly and be less subtle.