Oluwabukola Odunwole
According to the dictionary definition of love, it is “an intense feeling of deep affection.”
However, the 14th of February is over the world marked as Valentine’s Day and it is a date set aside to celebrate romance and love and kissy-face fealty.
Many people in the world celebrates this day differently; some take their partners to beautiful places, buy them lovely and adorable gifts and some sees it as a day to have intimate sexual activities with their partners.
This day is largely portrayed as one dedicated to those in relationships, however, Valentine’s Day has a much deeper meaning. It is a day where you can express love in all forms – not just romantic.
Looking at the social responsibility aspect of Valentine’s Day, it should be a day of “Giving” and “Gifting”.
It should be an act of spreading love to people within and outside your environment and not only the person you have a close relationship with.
The true essence of this day is in its promotion of love, peace, generosity and gratitude. We must look beyond the commercialisation of Valentine’s Day and use it as an opportunity to thank people in our lives, whoever they are, for being there when we need them.
Taking a corporate organization for an instance, today, which is love day, the company should be to show love to their employees either by gifting them with nice things or even throw a small party after work hours. This will shown that the organization has been able to do its responsibility and this will encourage the staffs.
Individuals are also not excluded as gifts can be shared not only amongst people they have close relationships with but people who they do not know and they think they need and deserve their little token.
Valentine’s Day has become extremely commercialised, with retailers seizing the opportunity to market various symbolic goods. More recently, even the internet has been used as a source of mass marketing on Valentine’s Day
Let’s check out four ways to make Valentine’s Day sweeter by giving gifts and giving back:
- Send a Valentine to someone who won’t expect it.
Valentines and love notes aren’t just for secret crushes. This year, send one (or several!) to someone you think could use a pick-me-up. Many children’s hospitals have great, easy ways to send a Valentine online and brighten a child’s day. - Visit a local senior center.
Many older folks have lost their spouses, and the holidays can be an especially hard and lonely time for them. Just being there to listen can make a huge difference in a resident’s day. - Organize love programmes
There is nothing wrong with you picking out today you are supposed to spend with your partner to rather spend it outside and organize beautiful love programmes on the road or in a hall.
