I’m not buying into Valentine’s Day
A rant
Today’s newspaper is filled with ads and articles related to next Tuesday, Valentine’s Day. Recipes, gift ideas, clothing for romantic dates, it’s all there to help us remember that we’re expected to participate in commercial activity in honour of … love?
Or profit?
I am pretty much allergic to commercial holidays, and as far as I’m concerned, this one is one of the worst.
According to my new favorite oracle, Chat GPT:
“Valentine’s Day has a rich history that dates back to ancient times. The holiday is named after Saint Valentine, a Catholic priest who lived in the third century. According to one popular legend, Saint Valentine secretly married couples in love during a time when the Roman Empire had banned marriages in order to have more soldiers for their wars.”
Hmm. So how does that link to conspicuous consumption?
“Another popular legend associated with Saint Valentine is that he wrote the first “valentine” card while imprisoned for performing marriages in secret. Some believe that he wrote a letter to a young girl who visited him in prison, signing it “From your Valentine.” This letter is considered to be one of the first Valentine’s Day cards.”
