What is Valentine’s Day About & How Much Should You Spend?
Valentine’s Day has a long, long history. It began in 496 and has several origin stories. But Valentine’s Day, as we know, has only been around for hundreds of years, since around 1910. Despite its long history, the reason for celebrating is debated amongst historians who disagree on its origins. In modern days, people have turned away from celebrating it due to the superficial and commercial nature it’s taken on.
Overview:
- The history of Valentine’s Day
- What Valentine’s Day means
- How much should you spend on Valentine’s Day?
- How to celebrate Valentine’s Day on a budget
- Why Valentine’s Day is the worst
- Should you celebrate Valentine’s Day?
- Valentine’s Day facts
- Valentine’s Day Loan
The History Of Valentine’s Day
There are many legends on the origin of Valentine’s Day. One legend contends that Valentine was a priest who served during the third century in Rome. When Emperor Claudius II decided that single men made better soldiers than those with wives and families, he outlawed marriage for young men. Valentine, realising the injustice of the decree, defied Claudius and continued to perform marriages for young lovers in secret. When Valentine’s actions were discovered, Claudius ordered that he be put to death.
However, another story suggests that Valentine may have been killed for attempting to help Christians escape harsh Roman prisons, where they were often beaten and tortured. According to one legend, an imprisoned priest actually sent the first “valentine” greeting himself after he fell in love with a young girl. It is alleged that he wrote her a letter signed “From your Valentine,” an expression that is still used today.
Other histories claim that the holiday has its origins in a pagan ritual known as Lupercalia. The festival involved sacrificial goats (don’t they all), and women deliberately receiving lashings from strips of animal skin. The belief was that it would bestow fertility. But this more peculiar origin theory also remains unproven.
The true birth of Valentine’s Day remains a mystery but isn’t that all a part of the fun?
What Valentine’s Day means: what it’s really about
If you want to know what Valentine’s Day is about, then look no further. It’s is not just spending money to show the world (and your partner) that you care. It’s a day to celebrate love and friendship in general. In fact, the idea of Valentine’s Day as a corporate romantic day is fairly modern.
Why is Valentine’s Day important?
Despite the complaints it gets, it can be nice to have a day dedicated to showing your partner you love and appreciate them. The world is a busy place and we can all become a bit inattentive at times. So having a specific date that reminds us to look back on the things we love and appreciate about each other is nice.
Even if you don’t celebrate, you’re likely still aware of when the day occurs. And that awareness (hopefully) reminds you to be grateful for the love in your life—whatever form it comes in.
Is Valentine’s Day for him or her?
Despite the pressure put on men to spoil women, the love day is for everyone. Just take the opportunity to show that you appreciate the people in your life. Or maybe step outside the box and make it more about the guy. That’s how some countries like Japan and Korea do it!.
How to make Valentine’s Day special
Instead of thinking about the usual gifts, think about what it is your partner would really love. If you’ve ever discussed each other’s love language, then that’s a great place to start thinking about how to make Valentine’s Day special and unique. Maybe doing a surprise deep clean of your house would be the most romantic idea ever to them. Or maybe they just want some quality time together to reconnect. The key to making it special is making it about your special someone and not some generic idea of what you should do.
For more ideas on how to celebrate, see 10 creative Valentine’s Day ideas that will make an impression.
How much should you spend on Valentine’s Day?
There’s no budget to love. So whether you show it by going full out extravaganza or keep it simple, sleek, and cheap, your partner should love it either way.
How to celebrate Valentine’s Day on a budget
Here’s our number one tip for a cheap Valentine’s Day: celebrate it early or late. Chocolate tends to be cheaper just before and just after the 14th of February. The same goes for other traditional Valentine’s Day goods like roses and cards. Not only is this a great way to save cash but it brings back some of the true sense of Valentine’s Day; celebrating the love you have for someone, not just pumping more cash into the corporate giants.
Relax, take it easy, and enjoy your discount chocolate but full-priced love.
Why Valentine’s Day is the worst
As well as the positive aspects, there are plenty of reasons to hate this day for lovers and romantics. There are the usual reasons: it’s over-commercialised, superficial, overhyped, and expensive (not to mention all the lonely people out there). But here are some other reasons people feel Valentine’s Day is the worst:
- Getting in trouble for forgetting to get something
- Getting in trouble for not getting the right thing
- Forgetting it exists and being unpleasantly surprised when you try to eat at a restaurant
What can I do instead of Valentine’s Day?
Book a holiday (well in advance). The early bird gets the discounted getaway tickets. Check out our blog for some ideas for cheap holiday destinations for couples. You’ll get to escape the competitive pressure put on romantic gestures. And instead, you can focus on what really matters.
Countries that have banned Valentine’s Day
Some countries simply pay no heed to the holiday. And many other countries have their own traditions surrounding holidays about love. But a select few countries, like Iran, have outright banned celebrations, promotions, and other acts that are linked to the romantic day.
‘What is it about Valentine’s Day that is so bad?’, you may ask. Well, there’s a range of reasons for banning V Day. But the main two are to do with conflicting religious ideologies and concerns about the increasing influence of ‘Western’ culture. Specifically, the belief that by engaging more and more with western traditions the country’s own historical and cultural influences will diminish.
Iran is not the only country where the celebration of Valentine’s Day is banned. Lovers have to celebrate it behind closed doors in Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Pakistan and surprisingly, in Belgorod region of Russia where officials banned it for “going against Russian cultural traditions”.
You can read more about it in Iran’s Clerical Rulers Ban Valentine’s Day As ‘Cultural Threat.
Valentine’s Day facts
Here are some fun facts about Valentine’s Day:
- Not only is Valentine’s Day not a public holiday in Australia, but it isn’t a public holiday in any other country either.
- In 2020, 9.1 million roses were imported into Australia in the two weeks leading up to Valentine’s Day.
- We have been using romantic notes and cards for Valentine’s Day since the 1700s
- The Penny Post and invention of the postage stamp in the 1840s brought a surge in manufactured Valentine’s Day cards, instead of handmade ones.
Should you celebrate Valentine’s Day?
Valentine’s Day doesn’t have to be celebrated with a romantic partner. Single or not, Valentine’s Day is a perfect excuse to treat yourself. Why not take the opportunity to do something that makes you happy?
Instead of the usual humbug, use the day as an excuse to:
Express How You Feel
Even if words aren’t your thing, a love letter, poem or handmade card is the perfect way to express how you feel about someone.
Be Honest
It’s the perfect excuse to come clean about your secret crush.
Stay Anonymous
Or if you’re still too shy, send an anonymous e-card and sign it ‘Your Valentine’.
Make Wishes Come True
What is the one thing your partner has always wanted to do? Now is the day to make that wish come true.
Pamper Yourselves
You can stay in the honeymoon suite at a five-star hotel, visit a day spa together, shower each other with gifts or have a fancy dinner.
Take A Break
Whisk your partner away on a romantic weekend, or if you’re single, round up your friends and take a road trip.
If you are planning a grand romantic gesture to surprise your partner and need some extra funds, consider applying for a fast cash loan.
A Cash Loan can help get the perfect ring for a surprise proposal.
For some great ideas that will knock the socks off your date, check out this site.
Valentine’s Day Loan
If you’re wanting to celebrate in style this year or you want to make your getaway as a couple (or a singleton) to avoid the hubbub surrounding the day try checking out our blog on cheap places to travel to. You can finance your lover’s escape with a fast cash loan.
