Make your own marketing ploy this Valentine’s Day

BY MONA OSMER

When the day comes, I will want flowers just like everyone else. But isn’t it funny that couples make such a big deal out of Valentine’s Day even though it’s not even a real holiday?

Plus, shouldn’t you celebrate your love for someone every day? We all want that relationship where the words “I love you” are spoken every morning and every night, so why on one imagined day of the year do we all drop everything in a big materialistic showing of affection, which has just gotten more sickening with the addition of social media?

If you do not know what I mean by ‘”imagined” day of the year, I am referring to the fact that Valentine’s Day is not actually a historical holiday.

“Each year on February 14, many people exchange cards, candy, gifts or flowers with their special ‘valentine.’ The day of romance we call Valentine’s Day is named for a Christian martyr and dates back to the fifth century, but has origins in the Roman holiday “Lupercalia,” which is actually on Feb.13, and about purifying the city.” That is the definition of Valentine’s Day, according to the Webster Dictionary.

Therefore, you can attribute the nonsense of having to please your boyfriend or girlfriend on this specific day to the hands of marketing. The world has played on our incessant need to prove ourselves to one another with money and shiny new things.

Cardboard hearts and chocolates line the grocery and convenience stores, and ads guilt you into thinking you are the worst person alive if you do not attest your love to someone on Feb. 14, which if you have not already noticed, is ridiculous.

Every kiss does not begin with “Kay,” and you do not have to put your heart on display for everyone to see on Valentine’s Day.

But go ahead, if it makes your significant other that happy, buy into the ploy that is Valentine’s Day. Rather, do not buy, but write a letter or make a sweater; just do something out of the box this year, and put some effort into it.

Sure, every other person may want something new and expensive, but I would think something meaningful is more desirable. Since the holiday is made up anyway, why don’t we all embrace it and get a little creative, just like the marketers and advertising companies did.

In all honesty, I am just like any other hopeless romantic. I want someone to stand in the rain and plead for my attention; I want my name in the sky. One may think that meaningful displays of love are purely unrealistic, but do they have to be?

Point blank: do not just fill a bag with candy and a stuffed animal. If you are one to make a big deal out of Valentine’s Day, then be unique and give it a little more thought this time. If your Valentine is truly worth it all, show them.