Valentine’s Day. What images does the day conjure up in your mind? Love, red roses, stolen kisses red hearts, chocolates, a day out with your date or an attempt to woo someone? Newspapers, magazines and websites are promoting Valentine’s Day with a kind of hectic frenzy that does not even accompany our national festivals. Don’t worry. I am not here to take the fizz out of this ‘loving’ day. What started off as an act of kindness for forsaken lovers has over the years transformed into a large scale industry. Attractively packed chocolate boxes, some even laced with alcohol to give you that aphrodisiac on that special day. Then, there are the perfumes, lingerie, heart-shaped balloons, some lovely expensive cheese n’ wine, teddy bears and of course red roses vying for equal attention! Not to leave out the DVDs, skin lotions, funky jewelry and of course the parties that supposedly add to the charm of Valentine’s Day. Why! You can even get a wee bit adventurous and book yourself and your Valentine a day at the spa where you can enjoy relaxing and rejuvenating time together. Oh! Did I leave out the matching tattoos?

People in this land of Kamasutra believe that love can be expressed and enhanced only on Valentine’s Day! That’s the current trendy mantra for the mobile totting, SMS and MMS generation of today. Love and sex come in one package and it is certainly not limited to committed relationships. The definition of love has changed for many. Instead of being an undying emotion for one person of yesteryears, today, it is an urgent instinct to be satiated. In such a situation, Valentine’s Day comes as a blessing in disguise. No wonder Roman Emperor Claudius had to adopt an entirely different mantra when faced with the ‘basic instinct’ of humans. Helpless before the carnal desires of his soldiers, he banned weddings! So, during the period of Claudius, when the ban was imposed, a priest Saint Valentine helped the soldiers in the Roman Emperor’s army to get married so that they could enjoy the fruits of love before they embarked on their battle duties!

Valentine’s Day is celebrated in the month of February because of the age-old belief that this particular month was a time of mating for all sorts of creatures in the universe. Carnivals and festivals were conducted during this period attracting both men and women from afar. Just like our weddings and festivals wherein boys and girls search for opportunities to get familiar with one another. ‘From Your Valentine’ were the last words that Saint Valentine had written in his cell to the jailor’s blind daughter after having been jailed by Emperor Claudius for getting his soldiers married on the sly in spite of the ban. These words became popular after his demise and are being used by lovers the world over.
Sometimes, days like Valentine’s Day come as a blessing as not all of us possess the gift of the gab. So many of us don’t even express our heartfelt emotions to our immediate family, leave alone friends. We don’t need a special day to show that we care. Do we?! Still, we could use this day to show our love and affection not just for our friends and lovers but also to people who form part of our families, our relatives, strangers irrespective of age, religion or sex. What do you say?

HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY TO ALL OF YOU FRIENDS.

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