It’s that time of year again, where greeting cards and chocolate hearts rule the stores and everything is in shades of red, pink and maybe even purple. Valentine’s Day is a time where we give gifts to those we love, mostly aimed towards romantic couples. Roses, hearts, love, and Cupid are all associated with the holiday.
Though the exact origins of the holiday are debated, it’s been stated that the day itself was originally a Roman festival that had been converted to commemorate the death of St. Valentine, presumably not long after, Christianity became more popular within the empire of Rome. The time where love began to be associated with the holiday is thought to have begun some time in the Middle Ages.
There are many traditions people perform on Valentine's Day, including gift giving, dates and even marriage proposals. Some common gifts given include heart shaped boxes of chocolates, bouquets of flowers, and even jewelry. Love letters and greeting cards are common to see around this time, often with sweet love poems written in them. The most common one I’ve seen starts with “Roses are red, Violets are blue”. Since the holiday is about love, dates and marriage proposals are common to see, since everyone has the idea of love in their mind.
Even schools participate in the holiday: Elementary schools, depending on which one you went to, would allow kids to bring a bag of small candies for the class. Then, they hand it out to every student in that class. Even Mayfair has their traditions, allowing students to buy “Singing Valentines” for their friends and loving partners.
Here are the responses from some of Mayfair’s students about the holiday:
Question One: What is your opinion on the conversation heart candies?
Jaxsen: “They’re delicious, I really like them.”
Joseph: “I think they’re pretty nice, they’re nice to give someone.”
William: “I don’t like them, I don’t like them at all. They remind me of sweet tarts, they’re powdery and that’s not a good texture for me.”
Emily: “Oh I love those! Except for the sour ones.”
Question Two: What would be the best gift to get someone on this holiday?
Jaxsen: “Probably chocolates or maybe a teddy bear.”
Joseph: “Their own unconditional love. Love doesn’t have to be materialistic.”
William: “I usually don’t celebrate this holiday, but I would probably say presents or even just flowers or a gift of some sort.”
Emily: “I don’t like going too low or too high is a good idea. If you give them a big, big gift like jewelry, it’s uncomfortable but if you give them a small gift like cheap candy it can also be uncomfortable because what if they give you a big gift. So my idea is like either a bouquet of flowers and some candy or, like, a date.”
Question Three: Overall, what’s your opinion on the holiday?
Jaxsen: “It’s a pretty good holiday about spending time with loved ones.”
Joseph: “I think it’s really nice. It gives people an opportunity to show their love for someone.”
William: “It’s alright. I think it’s fine. I think it’s cute to celebrate your relationship and stuff. I don’t personally celebrate it, but if I ever do find someone who would want to celebrate it with me, I would gladly do it.”
Emily: “Slightly depressing when you’re alone. But when you have someone it’s really fun.”
Image Courtsey: Peggy2012CREATIVELENZ
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