Like other holidays, Valentine’s Day has become one of the most commodified holidays of North American culture (next to Christmas). Did you know that Valentine’s Day is the second biggest card day of the year next to Christmas. A billion cards are sent that day. A BILLION!! And whose sending these cards? WOMEN. “Women buy 85 per cent of them. But men spend twice as much money at Valentine’s. Women are buying the cards, but then men are buying roses and chocolates and paying for dinner.” Which makes sense, I see all my little cousins writing cards for school, and multiply my cousins by more than half the elementary school population, and voila, you’ve hit a jackpot.
Recently, it’s become one of the most popular days for people to become engaged, and this may partly be marketed by jewellers who would benefit more out of this. Good marketing strategy, some of the advertisements, I mean, very brilliant.
But, where did it originate from? Here’s an excerpt of he history: “Saint Valentine is the name of a Roman Christian Martyr who was killed during the reign of Claudius II Gothicus (originally Marcus Aruelius Claudius, born May 214 A.D., in Dardainia, upper Moesia and died 27 A.D., in Sirmium). Claudius II was a Roman Emperor who strongly opposed the marriage of young men because he felt that single men were better for war. The Christian’s Martyr St. Valentine, according to various accounts was a Roman Priest and Bishop of a small province in Rome. He secretly married young couples thus breaking the law of the land set by Claudius II. He believed that he was inspired by a so-called “angel” to rebel against Claudius II’s tyrant rule. After Claudius II found out about the secret marriages, there was a massive search for all those who participated. Once the new grooms were found, they were castrated and their hearts were cut out. These hearts were sent to each of their brides in a box. Valentine was beaten by clubs and later beheaded of February 14th, during the last years of Claudius II’s reign. St. Valentine’s heart was also cut out, then cooked and eaten by Claudius II.”
So, that’s the history,a really different meaning has been given to Valentine’s Day through marketing Valentines Day to mean more than it really is. Happy Valentine’s Day!
-Anjali
Here’s an article to read for more on the history and marketing of Valentine’s Day, How to Spell Love? MONEY: http://www.ottawacitizen.com/life/spell+love/2560866/story.html
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