Thursday, 12 May 2011
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Do "Hallmark Holidays" Matter?
I recently had a conversation with a friend and my boyfriend about the significance of Valentines Day. I was surprised and disappointed to hear them both dismiss it as a stupid holiday, using the most common argument there is: "Why does there have to be one day to celebrate love? It's a Hallmark Holiday. You can do sweet things any day of the year, there doesn't need to be a specific holiday for it".
As someone who just experienced my first Valentines Day with a boyfriend (this boyfriend, who was now dismissing the idea of Valentines Day), I was bothered by their reaction. After all, it may be silly and unimportant, but the idea of not celebrating it just seems like senseless stubborn opposition to something that should be harmless and sweet.
First of all, it is my experience that the people that use this argument are NOT in fact, doing sweet romantic things every other day of the year. In fact, if someone was such a romantic that they expressed their love in a unique way, many other times during the year... they would probably be in favor of a holiday that was all about celebrating love and romance.
So why does Valentines Day matter? To me, it matters because it presents an opportunity to do something special, out of the ordinary, for someone you love. It doesn't mean that the same can't be done every other day of the year... but the truth is, it functions as a reminder of this. Its easy to say you will do romantic things at other times, but do you? How often do we get caught up in our busy lives, focusing on ourselves and our own goals? Is it really so bad to have a day that reminds us to take time to say "I love you"?
Now the reason this topic came to mind is that another holiday just passed: Mothers Day. This is another holiday with just as much reasoning behind it as Valentines Day. Is it necessary? No. Is it a Hallmark Holiday? Yes. Shouldn't we celebrate our mothers ALL the time, and not just need one special day for it? Of course.
But I don't hear people grumbling about Mothers Day, and I can't help but believe that its because we actually see the value in a day, a reminder, to think about your mother and to be thankful for her and her role in your life.
So why do so many people hate on Valentines Day? What do you think about these "Hallmark Holidays"?
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- From: micah
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Comments (16)
I'm all for a little Hallmark Holiday. Big up, Valentines. And as far as reasoning goes, I don't think I could have said it better myself.
I don't celebrate Valentine's Day. My boyfriend and I always do random things for each other and we've been together for 2 1/2 years. We've never done any Valentine's celebrating since then. I do Mother's Day because my mom cares about it and it means a lot to her. Valentine's Day doesn't mean very much to my boyfriend or I. Plus, December is Christmas, January is our year anniversaries, and beginning of February is my birthday. So, I think it's safer for our wallets that we don't do anything out of the ordinary on that day, as well haha.
I like Hallmark Holidays! people always hate on them by saying "oh you should always be loving" or "you should always show your mom and dad appreciation", but I don't get what's wrong with having a day solely to celebrate love, motherhood and fatherhood. I've noticed that most people who 'hate' Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, Father's Day, etc. are just bitter.
if somebody treats their bf/gf, mom or dad like shit, then obviously a Hallmark holiday won't make much of a difference. but for normal people who are appreciative and loving once in a while, the holiday is a day for extravagance, making it all about them and going all out. nobody is going to do that every single day.
I think it just depends on the person/relationship. My boyfriend is sweet all the time and I don't care about Valentine's day.
well lovers can come and go, but you have only one mother and if you have a close relationship with your mother, then I think the special day is wonderful, because old people are adorable when they smile because you bought a cake, flowers and/or card for them. my grandma said that she never received flowers before-her husband wasn't romantic at all, so her children/grandchildren treating her special makes her happy. it seems more worth it if the person seems appreciative.
I'd suprise some guys in my past and they didn't seem moved by my gestures, so after a while, I didn't bother
if they seem just as excited as me to celebrate valentine's day, then it is more fun. my family doesn't really care for christmas, but I love shopping and wrapping gifts, because I love seeing the surprised/delighted look on their faces when they open their gifts. after a while since they didn't really care to participate in the fun holiday spirit, I didn't really care anymore
so I mostly only look forward to my birthday when they have no grinch excuses
lol
i've never celebrated v-day ("with" someone), and i'm told that i'm pretty cynical--which is probably true--and even i promote the idea. the economy gets a boost, and everyone has an excuse to get laid. what's not to like about it?
more seriously though, i think you have a valid argument with the mother's day thing.
I personally don't care for any of them and neither does my boyfriend. With the Valentines Day thing we would much rather be spontaneous and not feel so forced to make one day so special. Romance cannot be forced with either of us. And Mother's Day/Father's Day are just not great for us because his relationship with his parents is not good at all and mine isn't too much better so it's just plain awkward and brings back bad memories. So it completely depends on the person and what is going on in their lives. I don't care if people enjoy these holidays as long as they don't give me shit for not feeling the same way they do.
The woman who created Mother's Day actually spent the rest of her life fighting against its commercialization.
http://www.allproudamericans.com/campaign-against-mothers-day.html
The holidays seem okay in theory, but in application they've turned into obligations that involve generic shows of "love" and false appreciation rather than sincere gestures (generally). Lame.
I don't celebrate any of this nonsense.
i like the bones episode where brennan and booth celebrate the st valentines masaacre (valentines day) by shooting the gun used in that massacre. a day at the range. seems fitting. lol. i dont need all that other crap tho. i only like christmas, halloween, and thanksgiving. the rest of the holidays i can do without.
@StillNotaPrettyGirl@xanga - That's what I try to say about it. It feels more like kissing ass and covering bases then real appreciation and love that should be shown all year around. If not, once and in awhile.
@ivarahBharavi@xanga - Most may be bitter but I have serious issues with those days. Lol I rather not kiss ass more than I have to. Lol Nor be told what I have to do on these days to show real love or appreciation.
@Hinase@xanga - Exactly. People go to the store at the last minute to get the same card and box of chocolates thousands (millions?) of other people are getting. Sooo sincere.
It's more meaningful to just ignore the obligatory BS all together, and not stoop to participating in the fake niceties.
@StillNotaPrettyGirl@xanga - Pretty much.
THANK YOU! I hate it when people use that stupid excuse, too. It's even worse when single people are groaning at me about valentine's day, but then as soon as they're not single anymore their mind miraculously changes and suddenly Valentine's Day is the greatest! Gimme a break!
The only one I can't get behind is Sweetest Day. I think that one's stupid. Otherwise, woo hoo Hallmark Holidays!
I have to say, I agree with the Hallmark Holidays being a complete waste of time and money, but that doesn't mean I want to be left out of it. Its only an obligation if you want to see it that way. In my opinion, birthdays are hardly a big deal to me but I celebrate mine (and others) because I like the interaction. I like those days on the calendar that remind you to smile and have a good time and socialize with people. I like anniversaries so I can dress up and go to a nice dinner. I like Earth Day so I have an excuse to get my hands dirty. I celebrate things for my own reasons, and it's usually just because its fun. Plus, in my group of friends, we adopted February 15th as "Steak and Blowjob Day", it seems to give the guys more incentive to celebrate V-day with their girls.