Valentine’s day–A festival of Love

When we think about valentine’s day what comes to our mind first, Love letters, Bouquet of Flowers, Boxes of Chocolates, Romantic dinners, attractive gifts, etc.. Have we ever wondered who created this Valentine’s day?  The historians differ on this.  From the Ancient Rome to the middle ages and to the present times, what we love about Valentine’s day is gift shopping for our partners. For some valentine’s day is love and Romance but for some it is just the opposite. For the youth this is a Crazy day, but for some this is a day of Self love….

 As the Valentine’s day is approaching and the valentine week is already going on, I approached some college students to know their plans who are demanding a Holiday.  Well we don’t want to come to college, we want a Holiday on 14th feburary, some students of Amity University said.  For me Valentine’s day is a complete Holiday, My Boyfriend is taking me for dinner, says Shefali an IT student. “I think valentine day is more Fun, I am taking my girl for a Movie date, said Rehan.  Most of the Delhi University Students who have still not seen their favourite filmstar’s movie are going for Pathan.   

For some Valentine’s day is just like any other day, why couples should show their love to each on just one day, it’s just buying expensive gifts and wooing your partner, it should not be a holiday, feels Shivani a school teacher.

Valentine’s day is over-publicised in the society. I don’t know from where it originated but I take advantage of the great deals that many companies offer, says Anurag, a video Editor. Though it is overrated but I still enjoy this day feels Shruti , an English teacher.  50-60% percent discounts on online shopping, 30% discounts for dinning in many Restaurants, what else one wants, she added. For some it’s just love but for some it’s full Enjoyment, “My mother’s Birthday falls on 14th Feburary, so it is a double celebration for us, I take my wife as well as Mom for dinner.” Says Divakar Rai Sharma, an Advocate.

It’s not that only individuals celebrate this day, some organizations also celebrate this day in their own way. DHANAK an NGO in Delhi celebrates this day as their Annual function day. This NGO felicitates those couples who are into interfaith and inter caste marriages. For them Constitution has given its citizens a “Right to Choose” so they make this day special by honoring such couples. They also distribute Roses to people on the streets. Love is a beautiful feeling , it knows no borders, community, caste and religion, says Asif Iqbal, Co-Founder of Dhanak.

According to a Wellness Expert, Khushboo Jain, Valentine’s day is our own day, we should love ourselves first, if we can love ourselves, we can love others also. For her it’s a day of self love and self care. All we can say is that this day gives an opportunity to young lovers, who are exploring relationships. This day holds more attractions for youngsters, she added. Several colleges have also transformed this day into Rose day, where they gift roses to each other. The gift shops are flooded with chocolates, greeting cards, and teddy bears.  After all it’s a festival of Love, enjoy it in whatever way it suits you.