It is a needed celebration

The month of love is here and oh boy! The mood is high, people are curious to see what gifts they’ll be given and you can be sure that gift prices will go through the roof. That said, most people don’t see the need for Valentine’s Day, they believe that love should be shown every day. I see their point there, same reason that should be fronted for other holidays like Christmas, Easter, which are celebrated because of the birth and resurrection of Jesus respectively. 

Would I be wrong to say that the pomp that comes with such holidays should also be applied all year long if we think that Valentine’s Day is overrated? Valentine’s Day is a traditional celebration dating back to the Middle Ages where people honoured St. Valentine, the patron saint of romantic causes. Saint Valentine served in third-century Rome. Emperor Claudius decided that single men made better soldiers and banned them from getting married.

However, Valentine continued to perform the weddings of young soldiers who were in love, and Claudius had Valentine imprisoned. While imprisoned, Valentine reportedly fell in love with the jailer’s daughter. Valentine sent her a card and signed it, "Love, your Valentine.” Another version is that Valentine defied Claudius by helping Christians escape the torture of the Romans.

It is not overrated, as you can see; it’s a celebration of someone’s life, whose actions were so noble. Valentine’s Day is great because you can spend it with someone special. It is a romantic holiday and I feel like romance is constantly overlooked by people in our society.

Throughout the year, people do normal things; they will go out for dinner but nothing out of the ordinary. Go for a trip as planned, buy flowers for special occasions here and there. Basically, there’s nothing new about it.

However, love inspires creativity. Even if words aren’t your thing, a love letter, poem or handmade card is the perfect way to express how you feel about someone. That is the one day when such things are done.

And you don’t have to be in a relationship to celebrate Valentine’s Day. If you are single, it is the perfect excuse to come clean about your secret crush. Or if you’re still too shy, send an anonymous card and sign it ‘Your Valentine’.

If there’s no secret crush, it is the day that you remind your friends and family how much you love them by sending Valentine’s Day cards to everyone you care about. All this is an indication that although it is great to show love all year around, this day has more significance and importance than most realise. And if some people still thinks it is overrated, then many other holidays should get that label.

karemeradean@gmail.com

Love is forever

I really don’t want to sound bitter but if you are going to celebrate love, celebrate it every day. I have never understood that nonsense of receiving flowers, cards or gifts only once a year. Love should not be celebrated just one day in a year because Love is forever.

If you love someone, the flowers, cards and gifts should pour in anytime, when someone least expects them. It’s absurd that some couples only use Valentine’s Day as their time to show love then go back to being complete strangers for the rest of the year.

In my opinion, the promoters of Valentine’s Day are people who don’t value the essence of love. Celebrating love only on Valentine’s Day is like having to eat once a year. Expressing love to someone only on Valentine’s Day is cheesy because very many other people are doing it. What happened to originality?

And from personal observation, the breakups that happen after Valentine’s Day are so many, that the mere thought of the day saddens me. If there was a way this day could be scrapped, I would surely sign that petition.

I know girls who broke up with their boyfriends just because the guy didn’t bring them a bouquet of flowers or gifts on Valentine’s Day. But if Valentine’s Day didn’t exist, there would be no such heartbreak.

Another reason I really want to denounce Valentine’s Day is the culture of copying what another couple has done to express their love on that day.

I have witnessed wrangles because a girl wanted her boyfriend to do what she probably watched on TV! I think it’s sad that they have never heard the phrase from George Orwell’s famous book "Animal Farm” - "All animals are equal but some are more equal than others”. In other words, envying what one lucky girl’s boyfriend did for her on Valentine’s Day and dumping yours because he couldn’t keep up, is just silly.

And this showing off thing is a trend with girls. After Valentine’s Day they meet up and start gossiping and showing off what each of them received that day. So the one who didn’t get so much as a plastic flower gets jealous and puts her frustration on her man, creating unnecessary misunderstandings.

There is no need to have a reminder to express love. Love should be expressed every single day of the year.

doreen.umutesi@newtimes.co.rw