Valentine's Day Madness: The Commercialism of Holidays Continues

The commercialism of Hallmark holidays is getting more ridiculous every year. Enough with the flowers, candy, kinky underwear and jewelry on Valentines Day. Some Americans are tired of seeing all drug stores and grocery stores decked out in pink and red as soon as New Year's is over. As if Valentines Day is the only day to say 'I love you.'

The truth is, people have bought into the materialism of the holidays. Christmas used to be a religious holiday marking the birth of our savior. Now, if gifts are not given on Christmas it's almost taboo, and people want to know why they received nothing on this holiday that's not about them, but about Christ.

Valentines Day is even worse. This so-called holiday seems to have come out of thin air - or from card and flower companies. Gifts are given on this day because somewhere along the line in life an unknown person told people they need to give flowery gifts to the person or persons they love on this day. And it better be done, because if it's not a person, especially a guy, could be burned at the stake for forgetting this holiday.

It's true, there is a universal need for love and emotional intimacy around the holidays, but why wouldn't people want this kind of treatment everyday, all year? Of course it is normal to want to feel as special as the next girl by having your man send you flowers for your desk too. Everyone wants to jump on the bandwagon and say they received something for Valentines Day, but the gifts are not the important thing - the love is. Some women would rather have a boyfriend on Valentines Day, and be single the rest of the year. How pathetic.

Valentines Day is sweet and nice and everything, but why put that kind of pressure on someone for one day that won't even matter the day after. If things were done different Americans would be a whole lot richer in the months of December and February. There are people who are still paying off debts from holidays two years ago when they charged too much to a credit card to please someone for the day. It's time for this to stop.

The cost of this holiday commercialism affects all, not just men. Women and children also feel obligated to buy gifts for friends, family and loved ones. Americans and people all over the world who may indulge in this imperialism need to wake up, close their wallets and open their hearts on these fake holidays and show their love by actions not money.