A Reflection on Valentine’s Day: what does it represent?

By Emma Vincent, Fourth year French and Italian

The Croft Magazine // Valentine’s Day is almost upon us again and whether you love or loathe the celebration, you cannot deny its overt appearance in shops and all-over social media. But what does the day actually mean?

What is the true meaning of Valentine’s Day?

The day which marks the celebration of love is a hard one to define because it refers to a rather subjective concept: put simply, our views towards Valentine’s Day depend entirely on our emotions and experiences. I believe the very first thing that would come to mind when thinking of Valentine’s Day is romance and the celebration of a more passionate kind of love. However, as we move deeper into the twenty-first century, many people from all over the world are starting to question this concept because romantic love is not the only type of love!

When I was younger, I saw Valentine’s Day as a way to celebrate all types of love: familial, friendship and romantic. Each year I would make the appreciation and gratitude I have for my parents especially obvious on this day, because for me it was purely a celebration of love. As I have gotten older, I now celebrate Valentine’s Day with my boyfriend, and this includes buying gifts for each other, making sure we spend quality time together and perhaps celebrating at our favourite restaurant. I do believe it’s important to understand that Valentine’s Day is a celebration and not simply the one day of the year you should show your appreciation to those you love. Another importance concept as we progress into 2022 is the importance of self-love: something essential to our mental health. Perhaps we should make a conscious effort to congratulate ourselves and what we have achieved on Valentine’s Day because after all, self-love is the most important thing we can do for ourselves.

Is Valentines Day just an excuse for commercialism?  

There is no doubt that Valentine’s Day is the perfect excuse for many businesses to promote themselves through marketing. But does this mean that this celebration is completely superficial and all for show? I believe that it depends on your thoughts concerning this tradition. For me, I do like to spend the day treating my loved ones, but I also understand that it is the thought that counts. As soon as Christmas is over, many shops will display their novelty gifts and ideas for Valentine’s Day and the fact is, if there was no such celebration, you wouldn’t dream of buying most of what is advertised. Is this just a consumer trend much like fast fashion?

However, it all goes to show that, as with everything in life, as long as you and your loved ones are happy, that is all that matters!

Featured Image: Epigram/ Ania Townsin