We’re all seeing in red and pink – flowers, hearts, glitter, glittery hearts… Although I consider myself a romantic, I still think it’s nauseating. And it’s even more nauseating for those who refuse to celebrate Valentine’s Day, and instead embrace SAD (Single Awareness Day).
How did we come to associate Valentine’s Day with big red construction paper hearts and oversized, overpriced boxes of chocolate? Who is “Valentine,” anyway? The most popular legend says he was a Roman priest during the third century. Emperor Claudius II prohibited marriage for young men because single men supposedly made better soldiers than men with wives and children. A hapless romantic, St. Valentine performed secret marriages, and Claudius threw him in the can. They say it was in jail that Valentine sent the first (you guessed it) valentine to a young girl and signed it “From Your Valentine.”
Back in the day it was so simple – write a love letter, get the girl. Now there are all sorts of hoops for you men to jump through. Roses, chocolates, a gift (maybe jewelry) and a thoughtful, romantic, well-written card? Definitely overkill, but all of these elements have come to comprise the stereotypical Valentine’s Day experience.
The National Retail Federation predicts consumers are planning to spend an average of $102 on gifts this year, down from last year’s $123 per person. While poor college kids are probably going to take it easy this year, guys might feel more pressure to think outside the box (of chocolates). But most of us ladies just want a nice, romantic gesture (or two) and maybe a few roses.
Speaking of roses, guys might opt out of throwing down $45 for a dozen red roses ($85 for long-stemmed, yikes!) at Saville Flowers. Instead, those $19.99 a dozen roses at Jewel-Osco start looking pretty good. Take it from me, there’s nothing wrong with grocery store flowers.
It seems many have already made the necessary adjustments. According to my highly unscientific poll, NU couples are opting to stay in this year and rekindle the romance that has been stifled by their university’s academic rigor. These couples will try their luck in the kitchen with a homemade candlelight dinner. Some couples have decided to exchange homemade presents or none at all. See? Keeping it simple can be fun!
Even though this seems like a spending-intensive holiday, at least we’re allowed to show our affection with gifts. In Saudi Arabia, for example, the holiday is outlawed – one Saudi gift shop had to completely sanitize its shelves of red and pink because it was forbidden to sell Valentine paraphernalia starting Feb. 1. Now, Saudis are looking to the black market to score red roses for the holiday. So on one hand, V-Day here smacks us in the face like a giant, paper heart; on the other hand, lovers elsewhere have no choice but to keep their holiday-inspired affection a secret.
Don’t worry all you single guys and gals out there. If you didn’t score at Dance Marathon Speed Dating and don’t have a valentine, you won’t be feeling the crunch. That doesn’t mean you can’t treat yourself. Hey, you survived midterms, so why not splurge?
