Open Letter To Couples In New York State

It’s one of the biggest days to celebrate love in Western New York, and if you don’t participate in it, your significant other may not be too thrilled. 

However, maybe you shouldn’t be celebrating on February 14 after all. 

Valentine’s Day is widely celebrated on February 14, but if you are smart, you may want to delay the celebrations. 

What Started Valentine’s Day?

The holiday is named after St. Valentine, who is said to be a priest from Rome during the third century AD. There’s a lot of theories as to what the direct connection is to St. Valentine, but if you watched the 2010 romantic comedy “Valentine’s Day,” you may remember this scene with Jennifer Garner. 

Garner is a teacher in the movie, and in the scene above, she tells her kids the origin of Valentine’s Day:

“In ancient Rome, emperor Claudius II, who was also known as Claudius the Cruel…Claudius the Cruel banned all marriages because he wanted his soldiers to concentrate on war, but there was a priest who was known as Valentine, who secretly married everyone anyway because he believed in love. 

Claudius found out about the secret marriages, and he threw Valentine in jail…On February the 14th, Valentine wrote a note to his beloved and he signed it ‘Farewell, from your Valentine.’”

You can see more of the holiday history when you click here. 

Is The Holiday More Of A Money Grab Now?

It’s a question that most of us already know the answer to. Valentine’s Day has taken on a commercial meaning now more than ever before. After all, St. Valentine unintentionally sent the first Valentine in the form of a short letter. 

So now a card or a love note is not enough? In fact, most people don’t even get cards anymore, but rather they are replaced with chocolates or flowers. 

And don’t get me wrong, those are nice and thoughtful…but is it really necessary to spend as much as we do on the day? 

According to the National Retail Federation, this year will be the most we have ever spent on Valentine’s Day. In total, the spending on significant others is expected to reach a record high of $14.2 billion this year. 

You may have noticed too…everything seems more expensive than usual, right? While cocoa costs have increased over the years, it really comes down to supply and demand. Valentine’s supplies are in high demand leading up to the big day, which means there will be less supply than usual, so prices are higher.

So…may I suggest an alternative?

Stop Celebrating Valentine’s Day 

Let’s just stop celebrating Valentine’s Day, and choose another day to show your love for your special someone. After all, it shouldn’t be the only day of the year that you go out of your way for the person and the people you love. 

Valentine’s Day is every day when you are with the right person, and since it lands on a Wednesday so inconveniently this year, maybe you choose to celebrate the day on Friday night or the following week? 

I bet you will be able to make those reservations a lot easier. ;)

Plus, most retail stores drop the price of their Valentine’s Day merchandise by 50% starting on February 15.  

Happy (not) Valentine’s Day, and spread the love – every day of the year!