Velatimes day

Again there has been the usual uproar over Valentine's day. Some angry mobs have burnt Archies cards and raised a furore over the collapse of Bhartiya Sanskriti, etc etc.

Valentine's day is another epitome of a typically Western fad " Loving someone on one day is enough to ameliorate the guilt of a year of neglect ". Its not just about Valentine's day, its about all their other days Fathers day, Mothers day. So if you give a card to your mom or beloved on one day, they will forgive all your sins ( like leaving wet towels on the bed) . The better the gift , the better is your compatibility outlook in the short-term. Its a classic commercial exploitation of a personal space. At a deeper level, it just trivializes something that has greater depth and meaning. As Mr.Timetable pointed out in Dil Chahta Hai, a couple has the option of remembering so many days that they can relate to rather than be a slave to the calendar. Valentine's day can never be as important as an anniversary.

As for the loads of frust junta, this day is another opportunity to date someone. If there is enough pressure from both sides not to spend Valentines day at home watching Kyunki or Friends, then a date is a very mutually convenient option. But even in colleges, Valentines day cannot match Rose day. Rose day atleast when I was a student was probably the most important event in college, putting all other days to shame. It would usually happen 4-5 months into college time, which would give enough time for screening, scanning, preening , leaning , and whatever. Rose queen was a babe's permanent claim to fame. For the boys, roses are pretty inexpensive and light on the pocket. Again Valentines day has limited appeal.

As for busy executives , its the best excuse to scoot home early especially when the boss does his motivational bit for the entire quarter "Arent you going to spend some time with your beloved on Valentines day?". And then you step out of office and spend 3 hours to reach home since half of Bombay has done the same.