As each day approaches the number of statuses dedicated to Valentine's Day increases along with the depression or excitement of celebrating the holiday. "What are you doing for Valentine's Day?" or "What should I get him/her for Valentine's Day?" become some of the most popular questions near the end of January (for the early birds) and the beginning of February. It's one of the many made up holidays with stories behind them that none of us are 100% certain about (despite the information we're given about its relation to pagan beliefs and rituals). We adapt to the expectations, practices, and norms for holidays.
You (typically) either have the "So excited to celebrate Valentine's Day!" or the "I'm single and life is over because of this ONE day of the year and I envy all of you" type of person...but...then there are the people like me: okay with having a Valentine and okay with not having a Valentine. I appreciate the holiday for older partners and the friendships among children more so than any other age group. It seems the most genuine then. I mean, I definitely see the presence of love and appreciation among some couples in my age group and up...and I see the statuses made expressing love for someone all on social networks. I see the gifts in the stores, I see the cards and I hear the conversations, but I also see people scurrying to purchase gifts at the last minute. I see competitions among people to decipher whose gifts were the best, and I see the lack of effort and the pressure of expectations rather than the joy of the holiday between partners. I'm not blogging to bash Valentine's Day; I'm blogging because I wanted to share my thoughts and questions. Are effort and creativity put into the gifts and events for Valentine's Day? Are materialistic gifts always necessary? Do some males loathe the holiday because they feel it is solely to please the woman? Do some women dislike the holiday for the same reason as men? Does ANYONE think this day (along with Sweetest Day) is unnecessary?
To the people rushing into store a day or two before Valentine's Day: Is a gift that has no thought put into it any better than not having a gift?
To the braggers: Bragging about gifts only expresses how much more relevant the items are than the relevance of the relationship between the partners. Have we made items the main expectation of the holiday?
To those that only hate the holiday when they're without a partner or Valentine: it's not the end, I promise. You don't have to sink into the sofa, shove a dagger through your heart, back-hand the invisible Cupid, or Grinch out Valentine's Day. Who decided that Valentine's Day is the only day to express the relationship between partners through heart-shaped gifts,flowers, and huge teddy bears? Why can't you treat yourself? The complaints aren't necessary. I mean, almost all of us have been there. Sad or a tad bummed because of the pressure of the holiday, but...being negative about the day isn't too effective. You could go old school and have a Valentine's Day gathering where everyone purchases Valentine's Day cards (you know with the best cartoon characters on them and those cute little messages on the inside) and exchanges them like we did in grade school. You know...Power Rangers, Powerpuff Girls, Scooby-Doo (with Shaggy's cute self on the front), etc.! BUT don't allow negativity to surround your day because of a holiday that acknowledges love (typically) through gifts when love is present everyday! Make it YOUR type of Valentine's Day and move along. The candy goes on sale the day after (mmhmm) and Cupid's aim is pretty terrible from the looks of it, so don't trip.
Basically, If you are a participant of this holiday, be a participant. Put effort and creativity into the day for you and your partner. Excluding the gender, there should be effort for both partners. I respect those that embrace the holiday, but I admire those that don't need a holiday to purchase a gift or plan something for their partner because it's already done sporadically. I love that. And if you're an "IDGAF about Valentine's Day" type of person, then don't give a crap about Valentine's Day. I mean, it's cool and all, but it's on a Friday this year which means it's the WEEKEND!
One more thing: This image below...is totally not true for all of us. I do NOT want some of that stuff and I know I'm not the only one!! Sure, there are people that appreciate and adore PINK items and other items in the below image and it's perfect for them, but naahh, not all of us. I know someone allergic to VS's sweet scented lotion AND fruity spray, I can't fit Abercrombie's clothing (Lol), one of my homegirls hates flowers unless she's picking them apart (plant killer), and another one of my friends hates the color pink...so unless we aren't females, the generalization in the caption of the image is a fail. Also, when I seen this image posted on a website, I seen a lot of comments by women and men that objected to the gifts in the photo. I don't believe store purchased gifts are always necessary. Home-made cards or home-made gifts, good ole mudding, a trip to the lake, or something similar to those are just as good for some of us. Ungrateful and picky? Maybe some..but if you know the person you're purchasing gifts for then you should also know what they like if you're gift-friendly for this holiday.
Enjoy your holiday, enjoy your non-holiday, enjoy your weekend.
With Realness,
Bee Elae
2/11/2014
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