Valentine's Day Don't Commercialize, Personalize

 Jacob Tucker, feature editor

It is that time of the year again, and love is in the air. 

Valentine’s Day is approaching very quickly, and I am dreading what effect it might have on our campus.

Many of the sophomores here at South Plains College may remember my first opinion story.  I bashed Valentine’s Day and called it a “corporate holiday.”  Shortly after the article was printed, I got a girlfriend.  She completely changed my life, and has been a gift from Heaven.  However, my opinion on the holiday still has not changed. 

Corporations began pushing the sales of their products shortly after New Year’s Day.  Internet websites began posting huge ads for jewelry stores around the country.  Many times these ads would not bother me, but when they continuously popup to remind me of that one holiday that really should not be a holiday at all, it gets a little annoying. 

Due to the extra push in their advertising department, candy companies, floral shops, and jewelry companies have raked in the money from many love-struck men and women. 

According to the American Census Bureau, $13.5 million worth of chocolate was shipped out of factories for this holiday.  Americans consumed 24.7 pounds of chocolate throughout the year.  In 2004, $43 million was the wholesale value of domestic roses in America alone. 

The Census Bureau counted 28,527 jewelry stores in America in 2003.  Last February, these stores sold a staggering $2.4 billion in merchandise. There are now 192 million Valentine cards exchanged annually, not including children’s valentines for classroom exchange.

People do not realize that the holiday had simple roots that were deeply entwined with the love of two people.

For those who are clueless as to where the holiday began, you have to look back to the Roman Empire.  During the reign of Claudius II, his empire was constantly under the threat of attacks from the Germanic tribes of the north.  Claudius thought that a man would be a better fighter if he did not have a family to go home to.  He issued a law that prohibited any single man to marry. 

A certain Roman priest, Valentine, saw this as an injustice and continued to wed young couples in secret.  This priest was caught by Claudius and sentenced to death. 

While in prison, Valentine fell in love with the jailer’s blind daughter.  Before he was executed, he miraculously healed the blind girl and gave her a letter, which professed his love for her.  It was signed with a now famous line, “from your Valentine.”

The story of his love spread throughout Europe and eventually traveled across the ocean to America.  We have forgotten this story of pure and true love, and have begun to look at this holiday as one of lust and possession.

Many of you are now saying that I am a bad person for dogging Valentine’s Day, but I guarantee that I am not the only one out there who thinks that this holiday is highly overrated.  I am not totally against the day, I just want it to go back to the way it used to be.

The holiday was simple, and actually meant something to people.  I want to set things back to those times, back to a time when you loved someone, and it did not matter to your loved one whether you had money or not or what kind of present they got. 

This Valentine’s Day, do something special.  Make it simple, yet memorable.  Take your Valentine to a park for a long walk, where you can be alone, and all you do is talk to them.  You could even do something as simple as make a traditional card to give to them.  These cards could be similar to those that you used to make in elementary school.

Guys, make your girl a nice homemade dinner.  If you can’t cook, make it something that you can do together.  You also could make them a small basket of goodies. Its contents could range from DVDs, CDs, homemade candy, or just whatever you think is important.  Everyone likes things that are made from scratch.  This gives your significant other the impression that you put forth a bit of effort this Valentine’s Day.  Another good idea is making a photo album or frame of pictures that would chronicle the time that you had spent with each other. 

These are some of the ways that you can make this lovers’ holiday a little less corporate.  The things that I listed are surefire heart-stoppers for your significant other this Valentine’s Day.  I have given you a few ideas that could put a little more sentiment back into the holiday. 

Remember to make this holiday simple, and I guarantee you will feel the difference.