Love is in the air, or is it?
Valentine’s Day is often equated with the monetization of love, but this is quite the inaccuracy. It has long been accused of being nothing more than a corporate money grab, with critics pointing to the commercialization of the holiday through the sale of flowers, chocolates, jewelry, and other gifts of the sort. However, this perspective overlooks the significance of a day that many use to celebrate people they love and the connections they have with them.
Plenty of couples and friends use the day as a way to celebrate relationships, and, like many other holidays, a natural occasion for gift-giving. Of course, these gifts are purchased, and it is undeniable that businesses benefit greatly from such spending, but to chalk up the entirety of the holiday as purely money-driven makes no sense.
As long as humans have existed, the significance of love, friendships, and relationships has been celebrated, whether that be through marriage, weddings, anniversaries, or simply going out. It is hard to argue that these commonplace tendencies of couples and friends are only made to seem important so businesses can thrive, so why is that same logic not applied to Valentine’s Day?
There is far too much emphasis on the corporate influence rather than the genuine meaning behind the holiday. When an easy-to-latch-on-to perspective begins to make its way around the internet, it has to potential to grow exponentially, especially when it contains buzzwords and easy targets. This is exactly the case for corporate scrutiny regarding Valentine’s Day. The spending reflects the emotional value placed on relationships, not just a desire to appease corporate interests.
Moreover, Valentine’s Day is not an isolated holiday in its financial incentive for businesses. Consider Christmas, a holiday that is perhaps the most synonymous with consumer spending. The Christmas season is a major retail period, driving billions of dollars in sales from gifts, decorations, and food. Despite this, Christmas is widely associated with family and care for others. Halloween, too, has become a booming industry for products like costumes, candy, and party supplies. Thanksgiving, while focused on gratitude and family, leads to a surge in food and travel-related expenses. These holidays, too, provide businesses with lucrative opportunities, but they are not viewed as cynical cash grabs. Valentine’s Day, in this context, is no different.
People want to celebrate love, and businesses supply the products and services that make these expressions possible. It is undeniable that the day benefits corporations, but it also benefits millions of couples by providing a day for showing how much they care for one another.
