Roses Are Red, Violets Are Expensive

"Will you be my Valentine?” It is a tale as old as time. Every year for as long as one can remember, Valentine’s Day has been celebrated worldwide with flowers, chocolate, cards and professions of love. No one questions why it is done. It is now simply culturally (and commercially) accepted to adopt a “valentine” every Feb. 14, and if you have a significant other, it is highly expected to go all out in expressing your appreciation for his or her existence. Has the commercial aspect tainted its enjoyment for all who choose to partake every year? Throughout the centuries, the Christian holiday of Valentine’s Day was not associated with love. By the 14th century, however, it became a romantic holiday, as per a poem written by Chaucer, who wrote a poem to celebrate Richard II’s engagement to Anne of Bohemia. By the 18th century, both America and England were sending “valentines” to people, first hand-made and then later in the 19th century, produced on a mass level. According to Statistic Brain, 180 million cards are exchanged annually in the United States, with the average annual spending for Valentine’s Day ranking at more than $13 billion. 61.8 percent of consumers celebrate Valentine’s Day, but 53 percent of women, when surveyed, said they would end their relationship if they did not receive anything from their significant others on Valentine’s Day. There are 24,600 florists nationwide, with 198 million roses cut for Valentine’s Day. 27,484 jewelry stores sell $2.2 billion worth of revenue annually from the holiday. Has Valentine’s Day, as some may argue, been over-commercialized? It is really up to individual opinion. Some may argue Valentine’s Day is a special time set aside for people to appreciate one another, while some may say people should treat others like every day is Valentine’s Day. Whether you believe it was once a pagan holiday intended to increase fertility, or a religious holiday celebrating the life of a heroic man, Valentine’s Day is still a well-loved tradition worldwide that helps honor and remember the idea of love in all of its forms – commercial or not. The beloved Valentine’s Day poem can be found in the book of English nursery rhymes, “Gammer Gurton’s Garland,” written in 1784: The rose is red, the violet’s blue, The honey’s sweet, and so are you. Thou art my love and I am thine; I drew thee to my Valentine: The lot was cast and then I drew, and fortune said it shou’d be you. Happy Valentine’s Day!