Commercialisation

 On the 14th February every year we are encouraged to buy red hearts, chocolates, cards and flowers. For weeks before the shops turn into a love nest and everywhere we go we are bombarded with reminders to buy frivolous gifts for our valentine's.

The origin of this day is from two Christian Martyrs, namely Saint Valentine of Rome and Saint Valentine of Terni. The 14th of February was a day on the Roman Catholic calender to commemorate these martyrs. Although very little is known about these saints there was no romantic connotations to them. Geoffrey Chaucer romanticised this holiday in the middle Ages in his poems and prose. In 1847 an industrious entrepreneur, Esther Howland started producing Valentine's cards. By 1969 the 14th February was removed from the Catholic Calender.

So now here we are in the 21st century spending too much money on gifts to "show our love" for our significant other. Is it only on that day that we should do this? How many heart covered mugs, jugs or bugs do you have?

I strongly believe that we should show our love for each other every single day in every way possible. Not with gifts but with kind thoughts, words, deeds, action etc. These are often forgotten as the days and years progress in a relationship. When the first bloom of romance fades we take each other for granted. I often sit and observe people and am saddened by the lack of physical attention couples give each other. How harshly they speak to each other, the hurtful words!

Let us celebrate our love for each other each day for it may disappear in the blink of an eye.