St. Valentine was a Roman priest who went against the orders of Emperor Claudius II that no young men were to marry because single men made better soldiers, and he officiated their marriages in secret.
He was sentenced to death for his disobedience, and St. Valentine’s Day was made to honor his life.
No wonder the unofficial color of Valentine’s Day is red.
The death and burial of any priest would seem rather depressing, even if he died for love, yet we still celebrate the event.
Men adorn their girlfriends with heart-shaped boxes of chocolates and dozens of red long-stemmed roses. Are women really so into the gush that Valentine’s Day has become? It is a day when men praise their women, while women struggle to figure out ways to praise their men.
The sentiment behind Valentine’s Day is sometimes a bit too phony.
Here at Temple, students are deciding whether it’s important enough to celebrate extravagantly or just let it go as another day of the year.
“Sure, it’s important to me,” said Tiffany Jackson, a junior journalism major. “I leave the plans up to him, but I prefer sweet gestures over gifts for the most part.”
But not all women are passionate about Cupid’s day of hearts and sweets.
“I don’t make any plans or buy any gifts because what would I get, a teddy bear and flowers for him?” said Davina Davis, a junior speech pathology major. “He’s a male. I don’t go crazy over Valentine’s Day. I’m really just happy with a movie rental and McDonald’s by candlelight.”
Not every woman is crazy for the day, and a lot of men can’t wait for it to be over, though they would never tell their significant others. But would a girl care if she didn’t receive a teddy bear?
Valentine’s Day pressures men to rack their brains for an idea to make the day a singular event, but what is extraordinary about chocolates, flowers and plush stuffed animals? Almost every man has bought one of these items for a woman at one point.
A lot of people find the holiday depressing, just a yearly reminder that they don’t have anyone to love.
Valentine’s Day should be for people who have long been admiring each other and not for couples who have been together for months or even years. Hallmark may lose some money, but at least us poor college students can feel like we have the option to choose whether to pamper someone we admire for one day.
Tara Moore can be reached at tara.moore@temple.edu.
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