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Tuesday, February 5, 2013

V-Day is an excuse for retailers to rip people off!


I live in South Africa. There’s a great number of people who don’t really care about Valentines Day, well, I am not sure about the exact number. With only seven days before the lover’s day -  I look at this day and what does it really mean and its origins.

Firstly let’s look at the meaning and history of this so called V-Day - Saint Valentine's Day, commonly known as Valentine's Day, or the Feast of Saint Valentine, is observed on February 14 each year. It is celebrated in many countries around the world, although it remains a working day in most of them. It is the second most celebrated holiday around the world second to New Year's Day.


St. Valentine's Day began as a liturgical celebration of one or more early Christian saints named Valentinus. The most popular Martyrology associated with Saint Valentine was that he was imprisoned for performing weddings for soldiers who were forbidden to marry and for ministering to Christians, who were persecuted under the Roman Empire; during his imprisonment, he is said to have healed the daughter of his jailer Asterius. Legend states that before his execution he wrote "from your Valentine" as a farewell to her. Today, Saint Valentine's Day is an official feast day in the Anglican Communion, as well as in the Lutheran Church.

So with the history above, do you at least believe in it?  You'll also find those who see it as a waste of money and it should not be important at all, though to some lovers it is a day to cherish their love for each-other. 

A friend of mine whose a journalist, told me that for him this V-Day does not mean anything. To him, the day gives excuses for retailers to commercialize love which in his opinion should not be the case. He said that the same thing has been done about Christmas day. He further told me that the business sector diluted the meaning and the purpose of these days.  

“I believe in everyday love and spoiling your loved ones as often as you can. Besides, I do not like being told how to celebrate love” said Dimakatso Mokwena.

He added, “I would rather celebrate it the best way I know how without letting shops dictate to me. Gifts don't equal love. You can buy gifts for the one you love but if you cheat and or abuse the person, it cannot make up for your actions.”

I agree with Mokwena when he says we should do away with the day because stores are ripping people off just for one day.

This day for me is just another ‘belief stereotype’ – so it’s entirely up to you to tag along or not. So I know most South African’s will bring out their cultural stereotypes to condemn V-Day because they believe in blah blah and blah blah! It’s not like all and all just like marriage. What do you say?


By Buchule Raba | @BuchuleBWho's Who SA | editor@goxtranews.com 

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