Today $13.19 billion will be spent on impractical gifts for the largest consumer-based holiday of the year-Valentine's Day. Furthermore, 18- to 24-year-olds will account for much of this spending, averaging $154.65 each on their partners. The commercialization and materialism of this so-called holiday is exemplified by the purchase of primarily disposable gifts like candy and flowers, which involve little meaning and cause one to consider why this day has become so important to the average American.
The romantic ideal has been lost entirely through its association with this one particular day. Instead of encouraging partners to display their appreciation for each other continuously throughout the year, Valentine's Day has pressured men and women nationwide to package their love into one day of temporary and insincere gestures. Even those who are completely content with the single life begin to doubt their independence in the hopes of receiving a special display of admiration from a secret admirer.
Among my own friends, we have proved that this special day can create more stress than it's worth. Couples attempt to set spending limits for each other while secretly hoping their loved one will outdo them in some extravagant way. Thoughts begin to shift from the heartfelt significance of a gift toward the monetary worth.
Having a special someone can even turn into a display of status. Being attached causes a person to want to rant and rave about their plans for celebration. Singles, however, are slow to reveal their plans to spend the holiday alone. For once, a holiday isn't about family, friends and appreciation, but instead about how much love can be given in a heart-shaped, chocolate-bearing box.
For those who think Valentine's Day has simply lost the allure it once possessed, they stand corrected. Pure coincidence does not explain Valentine's Day falling in what used to be one of the slowest shopping months of the year. Retailers and manufacturers don't hesitate to drastically raise the prices on flowers and chocolates and admit the holiday gives them a much-needed boost when sales begin to drop after Christmas.
Don't get me wrong-Valentine's Day can truly prove its significance if celebrated in the right way. Homemade presents, the gift of time, even a special display of friendship can add much-needed excitement to a relationship, but even college students admit the day has the potential to be overdone.
It seems ridiculous that many young couples plan not only to spend today together, but to extend the celebration a couple more days being dubbed this year as \Valentine's Day Weekend."" If couples are so afraid that one day won't be enough time to show their appreciation for one another, perhaps they should begin to wonder if their relationship is credible the whole year round.
The attempt by industries to capitalize on the emotions of citizens has been an unfortunate success. Jewelry companies elaborate their accessories with chocolates and crystal roses, making an ordinary pair of earrings an instant craze. Simple gifts are accompanied with free gift wrapping to appear more thoughtful in presentation. Candles are paired with scents like chocolate dipped strawberries and Valentine Truffle. And the consumers? They eat it right up.
Valentine's Day, therefore, is only what you make it. One can choose to fall victim to the glaring appeal of retailers or be the first to offer the gift of originality and thoughtfulness. So if you're considering giving one of those heart-shaped boxes of chocolate today, don't worry. You're only one of 36 million.
opinion@dailycardinal.com.
