The Online Reflector

When a new year rolls around, there is one holiday that may strike fear into the hearts of many: Valentine’s Day. Why? Valentine’s Day is a day meant for showering that special someone with candy, flowers and gifts.

This centuries-old holiday has come a long way since it began in ancient Roman times. Because there was more than one saint named Valentine, there are a few different stories on how Valentine’s Day came to be.

The most popular story is of a priest named Valentine who lived in third century Rome. The emperor decided to outlaw marriage because he felt single men made better soldiers, and if the soldiers did not have families back home, they would be more willing to go full-force into battle. When the young soldiers finally realized how wrong this was, many went to Valentine to marry their lovers in secret. When Valentine’s actions were discovered, the emperor ordered him to be killed.

In another story, Valentine was the first person to send a “valentine” greeting. He was in prison when he fell in love with a young girl. Every day she would visit him, and before he died, he wrote her a letter signed “from your Valentine.”

The stories show that St. Valentine was heroic, compassionate and a romantic figure. Not surprisingly, he became one of the most popular saints by the Middle Ages in England and France.
In England, Valentine’s Day became popular during the 1600s. A century later, lovers and friends exchanged notes and small gifts as common practice.

By the end of the 1700s, new printing technology made printed cards more common to exchange. They were an easy way for people to express their feelings when society discouraged direct expression of emotions.

In the 1840s, Esther A. Howland sold mass-produced valentines in America. According to the Greeting Card Association, one billion valentines are sent each year, making Valentine’s Day the second-largest card-sending holiday, behind Christmas.

Over the years, Valentine’s Day has become more about how much one person spends on his or her special someone.

Recently, a car commercial was aired that said, “Show how much you love her this Valentine’s Day by buying her a Lexus.” If a guy needs to buy a car for his girlfriend to show his love, that relationship is doomed to fail quickly. The fact that a car company is trying to boost sales on a day meant for people to express their love and appreciation for each other is sad.

What’s wrong with saying “I love you” and spending the day together, without having to buy over-priced cards, chocolates and other gifts?

Valentine’s Day has become a pressure for not only couples, but those who are not in a relationship. The giant teddy bears, heart-shaped boxes of chocolate and red decorations are everywhere, and they only draw attention to loneliness that some people who are not in a relationship feel. It is not wrong to not be in a relationship, and a holiday should not make someone feel that way.

Walk down the card aisle next time you go to Wal-Mart. Right now, there are two to three aisles with Valentine’s Day cards. There are cards for husbands, wives, children, grandparents and even ones from the family dog.

When we were kids, one of the best days of the school year was the day of the class Valentine’s Day party. Everyone in the class would make Valentine bags to put candy and cards in and spend the day eating and playing Valentine’s Day games. What is wrong with going back to the simple times? Those times seem to always be the best in a person’s life.

Valentine’s Day needs to go back to that.

Do you really need your lover to buy you a stuffed pink bear that you will probably shove in your closet?