Valentine’s Day - a day they say is meant for love, meant for lovers. Celebrated on February 14, it is the traditional day on which lovers express their love for each other by sending Valentine's cards, flowers, or offering other gifts. They say if you want to express your love for someone, today is the day. And before I properly get started, let me clear up one important thing. Here, whenever I use the term “love”, it is not just for one particular individual. It is for everyone whom we care for. The Mother Earth - in whose lap we were born; our country -which has made us a part of itself, not bothering about all our defects; our parents -who have made us what we are today; our partner/spouse - who believe in us, even if we have committed the worst crime; and also, love for the self: self obsession, some call it.
Now, as you saw in my first post entitled “ME!!!” (I guess with a certain amount of self obsession), I called myself “uber romantic”. Good enough. Does that mean I am going to going to celebrate today’s occasion with great pomp and show? NO!!! Why? Because for me, Valentine’s Day is nothing but another way to show how love has become commercial, and not just to show love. Why does one need a particular day to show and express one’s love for someone? Why can’t one do that the remaining 364 days of the year, 365 in case of a leap year which 2008 is?
Yesterday, I called up my elder brother back in Kolkata. He asked me what my plans for today were. I said, “Nothing”. He said, “Good. Intelligent people don’t celebrate Valentine’s Day. Why should I gift someone a rose which has been priced at 50 bucks just because it is V-Day, when I can gift her 5 roses on 5 different days with the same amount?” That was all said in good humour.
The thought that he was putting across was simple. For today’s businessmen, it has become another big-shot way to earn lots of money, on one single day. They said, “Love can never be bought”. But today it is being bought; the bigger the card, the larger the love; the redder the rose; the deeper the love; the sweeter the chocolate, more passionate is the love. And in this whole amalgam of bigger, redder and sweeter, and the many more ‘ers’, one has very very truly forgotten the real essence of love. One has forgotten that when new borns open their unworldly little eyes, all they yearn for is love, care, affection. They never ask for gifts or cards or chocolates or roses. That’s because they have come right from the lap of God, and all that they know is love, not gifts. When they grow up, with all the effects and defects that this material world lays on them, they ask for things. And this is all because somewhere down the line, love becomes materialized. They love the people who get things for them, and care a sh*t about others. This is how people love today.
I don’t know if you all agree with my thoughts, but according to me, Valentine’s Day is just another day. If you want to celebrate love, Celebrate it everyday.
You have one life to live,
So much to give,
So much to share,
There is love to be found,
Just look around,
There’s happiness there.
May love live forever!!! :)
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8 comments:
i just luvd d post...not bcoz it has a lavish language but bcoz i totally agree wid d thought n idea. V day is a very special day but not for us, its spl for d retail industry. red/pink is d color that paints d market... RJs get a topic 2 chat..... big hoardings display V day as if its a danger sign...xpensive perfumes spray love in d air. sorry ...main to apne hi ideas daal rahi hoon..a very nice post..i must say...keep it up
Thanks Arpi :)
Yet another fascinating article.. I for one do agree with your thoughts. "..Why does one need a particular day to show and express one’s love for someone?.." Hmmm.. I guess we could apply that same argument to people only going to pray in temples. Why do we need the idols when the Almighty resides within ourselves? I guess it is an inherent human instinct to require a specific outlet for emotions, a platform, a particular time and/or place when we can all come together and indulge in that particular spirit. Perhaps that intensifies the feeling in some manner. And the big-wigs are smart enough to realize this and capitalize on it in a big way.
Nothing escapes being stamped with a price tag in this world where money rules the roost. But love has its manifestations. Some of them are such that even the shadow of the banknote cannot loom about, leave alone penetrate and damage the emotion. This is love in its purest form. And it does live on. :)
@ Shweta
If you continue on what you are doing, you will very soon become the greatest 'commentator' ever :P
I must say your thoughts on how you related faith on the Almighty and faith on love and the outlet of emotions are very interesting, and i already have one of my next topics for this blog :)
And thanks a lot for your great comments yet again :)
love's love..feel it...n to feel love u dont need a day or a time or a season...i second shaz...n his opinions...v-day is nothin but a mere means to remind ur beloved:...hey!listen i love u..but den as d day gets over..d love returns to d bak of ur mind in a sleep mode...n den awakes next v-day...hey ollie u n ur article rock man..!!!keep it up...n keep goin wid ur outstandin spirits..!
Thanks a lot Purnima...very well said :)
I for the view, support the writer but will mention a point that may have been lost in the argument of commercialisation.
When valentine day started, it didnt had anything to do with retail ;) so it would be wrong to analyse anything without taking this into due account. Here's lies the importance of Valentines Day (sure, i believe u all will assent that this has a fair bit significance if not much), it caters to the lovers (primarily, boy-girl one) by simply making them await the occassion (psycologically important for weak lovers, or lovers with weak chances of success on a proposal) and thus increase the anxiety and anticipation (scientifically secretion of harmones and chemicals like phenylethylamine, or PEA) which makes the quarry (the person who is sought) vulnerable and increases the rate of success.
@shweta
the concept of idol worship, is again for the weaker and general people who need to see and touch to believe. (though bit out of context, this is the greatness of Hinduism to have both 'Saakar' and 'Niraakar' forms of worship, thus catering all). You are very right in saying that humans by instinct are followers and we follow what the order of the day is.
Sorry for such long a comment (I never meant intrusion, but you made my grey cells work, for a change). Your article deserved such long a comment. A good read, keep writing :)
Valentines day is a concept which even i cant seem to understand. If u love someone, why would you want to express it on just this day?
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