Valentines Day!!!! A day highly commercialized by the card companies, soft toys and flower industry in the initial years. Today it is commercialized by any business or industry who is in any way directly or indirectly related to this day.....just yesterday I saw a Valentines Day special offer by Go Air giving special discounts if traveling with your partner....How is air travel and valentines day related? we would wonder........but there is the relation put up by Go Air.... travel with your loved one and get a discount on the second ticket purchased (still not able to get the connection between air travel and love)
Valentines day gained prominence in India mostly over the past 10 to 15 years and this can be attributed to the opening up of the Indian economy and the FDI flowing in. The day is so much commercialized today that there are write ups and offers for the day lined up even months before the D-day. It has influenced the young minds of India so much that we see little kids at school too celebrating the day spending stupendous amounts on buying gift for the ones they claim they love (rather early I would say to have found their soul mates in class 1). They start their Valentines day by buying flowers and chocolates (budget constraints) and move on to buying jewellery, electronic gadget, diamond and other expensive as they grow up.
Instead of it being just a day long celebration ...recent years show that it has turned into a weeklong celebration and I am sure not far away is the time when the whole month of February would be celebrated with offers and special discount for travel, food and clothing and anything which can be related to this day dedicated to Love.
I often wonder if any other Saint in Christianity has attained so much popularity around the world....and if any other day other than Christmas in Christianity has gained such popularity among all faiths around the world. Also wondering if any of those who celebrate this day with great splendor know that 14th of February is the feast of St. Valentine and we are actually celebrating his martyrdom for helping people who loved each other.
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