I’ve been single for three years. Yes, three years. I've had only one date in those three years. So that means three years worth of birthdays, Christmases, New Years, Valentines Days, and other random holidays being spent alone. Well, no, not alone, I have friends. So three years worth of holidays as a single women spending them with her friends. Despite these three years, I always hated Valentines Day. Yes, I said hate. Hated it since about high school. Why? I think it’s the most over rated holiday that we have on our calendars. I know this question was raised before: Why do we have a holiday spent to obligate our significant other their love for us?
Well, one legend says St. Valentines day was to commemorate the anniversary of St. Valentine, a clergy man from Roman who was executed on Feb. 14, around 270 ad. He was executed for secretly marrying couples which was in defiance of the emperor. Another legend has this holiday started in as a Roman fertility festival.
It started in the US and England in the early 1700s. The idea of sending Valentines started in 1797, when a British publisher issued The Young Man’s Valentine Writer, which was composed of suggested sentiment verses for someone who was unable to write their own. Paper valentines became popular in England in the early 1800s when companies started to mass produce valentines as well as a better postal service rates. In the United States, the first mass produced valentines were produced by Esther Howland in 1847. Her father operated a book and stationary store, and after Esther received a valentine from an a man in England, had used this as an inspiration, and started selling their own valentines. Currently, 190 million Valentines cards are exchanged annually.
So on this Valentines Day, I hope you all enjoy your significant others. While I sit at home and baby sit 5 kids all under the age of 8, I hope some of you out there will enjoy it enough for me. While the idea behind this day is sweet and well meaning, I’ll keep my distance from any Hallmark holiday.
Email Nikki
Friday, February 12, 2010
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I have been single for four years and I can't wait for Valentine's Day this year. I have great plans. I'm going to lunch with my mother and then I'm going to make hot cocoa and curl up in front of the TV and watch the Olympics. Yesterday the girls at work have been asking me what my plans are for Valentines Day and when I told them they looked at me like I had three heads but I don't care. I'm going to have fun and I don't need to find a man to make me happy this year!
ReplyDeleteNice essay, Nikki. There's at least one thing to dislike about all holidays in this country -- at the very least, what corporations and retailers try to make of them. I think what the hapless citizen needs to do in each case is remake the day for himself and his loved ones as best they can, so that it suits them, rather than following the money-grubbers' marching orders. As for you . . . treasure your friends, keep your mind and hands busy, and someone will come along. I was alone for more than four years - basically, all the way through college - when I was close to your age. Then things started to get real interesting
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