Valentine's Day should be about love, not a big show

Here we are again, coming up on the special day that some people love and many love to hate— Valentine’s Day.

Who can blame them? What sane person would normally spend money on flowers out of season or want to buy a box of cheap chocolates? On Feb. 14 we all get the reminders thrown at us.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s not that I have no romantic notions. Those who know me can attest to the fact I am a sap when it comes to love. But there’s the rub—Valentine’s Day should be about love and not about feeling obligated to keep up with the trends or make the biggest show.

Maybe a big show is something you love, but if so, I would think you would want to stand out and not be part of a whole room of big shows.

One simple blossom with a handwritten note can mean much more than a whole bouquet from FTD.

Speaking of the silliness of Valentine’s Day, why do we have a holiday that is focused on couples? What about all the single people? Can they not celebrate too?

Who says we should only demonstrate our love for one person?

I am all for using Valentine’s Day as an occasion for reaching out to all my loved ones, and to pay it forward as well. It’s one of my favourite days of the year to volunteer.

The history of Valentine’s Day seems to attest to the convoluted nature of love. To me, it’s a perfect example of why we shouldn’t worry about following the current conventions of how to celebrate.

Valentine’s Day has been the subject of many varied rumours through history, most of them with no evidence—just plenty of chatter.

February has been a time of a rowdy pagan festival, at least one real fellow named Valentinus who died in February (maybe even on the 14th) and plenty of legends as to what Valentinus did before he died (defying an authority, performing a miracle, falling in love with someone he cured, etc.)

The tradition of sending Valentine’s love notes is probably inspired by Geoffrey Chaucer in The Canterbury Tales.

He connected the February celebrations to the mating of birds that happens as spring approaches (hence the expression, “love birds”). The English people took this idea to heart and began writing notes during this mating season. Shakespeare had Ophelia refer to herself as “Hamlet’s Valentine”.

You too can take heart if you have not bought into this holiday. Chocolatier Bernard Callebaut once told me he was amazed to discover that people buying chocolates on Feb. 15 spent much more, perhaps feeling guilty they missed the so-called deadline.

Just remember this: There is always time to say you love someone.

Even if Feb. 14 goes by before you remember that, better late than never is a good way to look at it.

Write it on the steamed-up bathroom mirror if you have nowhere else; just make sure you say it.

This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.