DANIELLA BIANCHI
FEBRUARY 15th, 2022
With Valentine’s Day just passing, it seemed fitting to do this almost themed post. For many people, Valentine’s Day means being spoiled – one expects flowers, chocolate, gifts, or even romantic experiences with a partner. Many will accidentally fall into debt buying jewellery and flowers for their beloveds. For some, it may not be so joyfully inspired. Others find a way to make peace with singlehood in a society that wants everyone to partner up. On the surface, it is nice to celebrate your relationship in an extra special way, but the commercialisation of the day has ruined the genuinely nice sentiments. Here’s
Anyway, showing someone that they mean something to you doesn’t necessarily equal showering them with gifts, because really, they remember how you made them feel more so than what type of flowers you bought for them. If you’re trying to win someone’s heart, flowers are not the way, but food could be (joking, but of course, it helps 😉).
When looking at the mass embrace of Valentine’s Day by the business world, you can see how much it is being exploited. The nation’s lovers spent $415 million this year, and ridiculously, 40% of this amount was spent on flowers alone (fantastic if you are a florist). Not to mention, the dreaded, overpriced “set menu’s” at restaurants, that really feature nothing different to the norm. Now why is it fair for restaurants to charge an extra amount just because of a different date, when typically, their dishes are priced at a fraction of the price? I am just a bit annoyed that industries are capitalising on putting a price on love. I guess we are in part responsible - if we weren’t spending our money on heart-shaped chocolates, heart-shaped chocolates wouldn’t exist.
Either way, Valentine's Day is all about love — not about how much we spend on our other. So instead of mindlessly spending money all at once, try spending time thinking of how you can show love daily.
the go
on why giving flowers on Valentine’s isn’t something to be wished for. Yes, Valentine's Day is a cute tradition...
Valentine’s Day is like Christmas and other holidays, just an excuse to pay a little extra attention and give to those you love. And who doesn’t like being appreciated almost as if it is your birthday? Yet, and you may think I am a bit of a hopeless romantic when I say this, the contemporary idea behind Valentine’s Day, that of making it special for your partner, shouldn’t be limited to just one day a year. Everyday, one should be showing their appreciation for their partner in small (or big, if you so prefer) ways. It would be sad if the only time that your partner showed love for you was on a day that the rest of the world has practically been told to do. Anyway, showing someone that they mean something to you doesn’t necessarily equal showering them with gifts, because really, they remember how you made them feel more so than what type of flowers you bought for them. If you’re trying to win someone’s heart, flowers are not the way, but food could be (joking, but of course, it helps 😉).
What is it with flowers?
I know many will think differently, but the idea of receiving flowers, does not excite me. At all. I can appreciate the sentiment behind them, but instead of uprooting a plant that will die in a week, why don’t you divert those funds into organising a picnic? All in all, the picnic probably would have cost less and, in the end, seemed more thoughtful. It is probably a bit of the engineer in me too, when I try to find a functional purpose for flowers and see none…When looking at the mass embrace of Valentine’s Day by the business world, you can see how much it is being exploited. The nation’s lovers spent $415 million this year, and ridiculously, 40% of this amount was spent on flowers alone (fantastic if you are a florist). Not to mention, the dreaded, overpriced “set menu’s” at restaurants, that really feature nothing different to the norm. Now why is it fair for restaurants to charge an extra amount just because of a different date, when typically, their dishes are priced at a fraction of the price? I am just a bit annoyed that industries are capitalising on putting a price on love. I guess we are in part responsible - if we weren’t spending our money on heart-shaped chocolates, heart-shaped chocolates wouldn’t exist.
Either way, Valentine's Day is all about love — not about how much we spend on our other. So instead of mindlessly spending money all at once, try spending time thinking of how you can show love daily.