Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day!

I have mixed feelings about Valentine's Day, as I do about other holidays.

By definition holidays are ritualistic celebrations of either an event or a certain spirit.

Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Jesus and the spirit of giving.

New Year's is a commemoration of the beginning of the new calender year and symbolic of a fresh start.

Valentine's Day is a day when lovers express their feelings for one another, a day of romantic expression.

Ideally we wouldn't need a specific day set aside as a holiday to express the spirit of giving, the idea of starting anew or the spirit of romance.

Christmas (and birthdays) shouldn't be the reason to get somebody a present. There is something to be said of getting a friend a gift out of whim.

New Year's shouldn't be the reason to make resolutions and start anew. Every day can be that day, that turning point.

Valentine's Day shouldn't be the reason to be romantic. You can be romantic at anytime really.

I am sure most people understand this idea and don't truly view the holidays as sole occassions for the aforementioned ideas. Some people may even disregard some of the holidays, notably Valentine's Day (and Sweetest Day) as Hallmark Holidays that benefit certain retailers and some may feel such holidays are silly, unduly stressful and unnecessary. While this can be true for some of us, there are other considerations. Some people lead very busy lives, constantly on the go and get wrapped up in their own doings and as a result inadvertantly forget certain ideas or spirits. So an actual calender day, an actual holiday that is meant to celebrate things such as romance should not completely be discounted.

Personally I am a romantic at heart, so on the one hand while Valentine's Day is not the only day I will be romantic (and possibly over the top romantic) I still enjoy the day for what it is, though if I had a romantic interest who didn't find the celebration necessary I would understand, hey I am adaptable.

I am currently working on a few pieces of romantic poetry that I will post to honor the day...