Super Fine Valentine

Ahhh, February. Just the mention of this month sends some people screaming and others swooning. I guess it has to do with Valentine's Day. You know, I don't really mind Valentine's Day. I mean, if it weren't for Valentine's Day, men would never get boxer shorts with oversized hearts all over them. And women would never have an excuse to eat an entire box of chocolates.

Although, there is 1 thing I never really understood. Why do people hate it so much? Some say it's a "Hallmark" created holiday that just sucks more money out of your bank account right after the Christmas rush. But that is simply not true and it sometimes makes me angry to hear such ignorance. I was reading Vogue magazine and there was a one-page article about how some "fashionable" people were celebrating Valentine's Day. Most of them trashed it and dismissed it as a commercialized holiday. As if their $2,000 Prada tank top isn't just commercialized hype either.

I am the first to admit that I don't spend a lot of money on Valentine's Day. My sweetie gave me a nice gift and I gave him one. But we didn't go over the top. It was just a special day to spend together and reflect on how blessed our bond is. It's a day to celebrate love. If you are one of those maniacs who spends thousands on some corny gift then that's your own stupidity. If you buy into the hype of Valentine's Day, then maybe you should also buy into the hype of $2,000 tank tops.

The truth is this: Valentine's Day should actually be called St. Valentine's Day. It's a Catholic feast day for St. Valentine, the patron saint of love. If you are not Catholic, you probably should not be celebrating Valentine's Day anyway. If you are not Catholic, do you celebrate Ash Wednesday? How about St. Francis of Assisi Day with the Blessing of the Animals? I bet you don't.

People who are of varying religious backgrounds don't mind celebrating St. Patrick's Day. And yes, that is also a Catholic feast day for St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. There are many Catholic holidays that were attacked by corporations in order to make a buck and that is a shame. But if you can see the true religious reasons for them, then it makes celebrating that holiday much more meaningful.

Please don't trash religious holidays because it just shows your ignorance, especially if you are not a practicing member of that faith. And if you happen to be a practicing Catholic, then Happy St. Valentine's Day to you!