No one really knows how Valentine’s Day started or who the real St. Valentine was, but there is some history on how the card-giving tradition started in the United States. According to History.com, swapping greeting cards started in the 1840s by Esther A. Howland, who is known as the Mother of the Valentine. The first cards were made with real lace, ribbons and colorful pictures known as “scrap.” As for the love and chocolate that correlate with the day, it’s not really clear …
Here’s what you had to say about Valentine’s Day:
She said:
Godiva probably got together with Hallmark to create a day where people everywhere feel obligated to buy gifts. But seriously, who doesn’t like gifts? Even if it is a hoax, Valentine’s Day is the most romantic day of the year and I love it. It might be a bit commercial, but having a day dedicated to celebrating love makes for a pretty worthwhile holiday.
Maddie Tasker is a freshman news-editorial journalism major from The Woodlands.
He said:
Valentine’s Day will go like this …
8 a.m. – Wake up/cry
9:30 a.m. – Go to class
11 a.m. – Go to class
12 a.m. – Eat/cry
2 p.m. – Go to class/cry
4 p.m. – Work out
6 p.m. – Eat PowerBar/cry
8 p.m. – Eat dinner
10 p.m. – Watch roommate and girlfriend make baby-talk/cry
12 a.m. – Sleep/cry
David Hall is a sophomore news-editorial major from Kingwood.
She said:
I think Valentine’s Day is a great day to spend time with loved ones, regardless of whether it is a boyfriend or girlfriend. I think it’s a day to celebrate a special emotion that everyone has experienced in one way or another. It’s a great holiday to celebrate the blessings of love and relationships that God has given each of us in unique and unimaginable ways.
Marissa Warms is a senior advertising/public relations major from Irving.
He said:
Valentine’s Day provides the perfect opportunity for men to express true feelings about their significant other without fear of appearing less manly. Valentine’s Day provides a challenge for men who aren’t romantics to express ourselves in a way that we might not have otherwise. The whole concept is a bit silly, but so are relationships. Human courtship rituals probably look as silly as bees’ rituals – the symbolic dancing we all go through. So there it is, a silly day to commemorate the silliness that has come to commonly be known as romantic relationships.
Bradley Petty is a senior finance major from Sherman.
She said:
I must admit that I am a fan of Valentine’s Day. It’s a day to focus on chocolate and love, too, I suppose. But the important thing is to enjoy eating as many desserts as possible. My theory is, whether I have a date or not, I always have the opportunity to get a lovely chocolate cake on sale. Now that’s something to get excited about.
Hilary Whittier is a junior broadcast journalism major from San Antonio.
He said:
Valentine’s Day is a holiday where card companies guilt men into doing things they should be doing yearlong. Hallmark and other card companies have seized the opportunity to exploit the fact that men seldom tell their loved ones how much they love them in order to make money. If a guy really loves a girl, there shouldn’t be any question of his affection for her and he shouldn’t have to bend over backward to ensure that she knows it. Two people’s love for each other should be obvious. If it isn’t, there’s no hope for the both of them anyhow.
Andrew Young is a junior radio-TV-film major from Overland Park, Kan.
She said:
Valentine’s Day serves one purpose and one purpose only. Not only is it singles awareness day, but worse, it’s the day you realize your significant other is a total spare. V-Day is only for those “spare” males who don’t take their wife, girlfriend or significant other out any other day of the year. It’s like saying “Hey, I forgot that I’m supposed to like you during the year, so let’s go out on the day that everyone else is going out.” And of course the occasional excuse of “I’ll take you out after Valentine’s Day because a) things are cheaper and b) I don’t want to wait in line for a table I really don’t even want to be at” never seems to be left out of someone’s web of lies. Why have a relationship if you can’t handle being sweet every other day of the year? If you can’t take the heat, get out of the kitchen!
Patty Espinosa is a sophomore theatre and broadcast journalism major from Mission.
He said:
Valentine’s Day is an interesting holiday for me. I mean, I definitely fall into the category of one of those guys who bashes the holiday in public saying, “Valentine’s Day is so stupid. It’s just another consumer-driven holiday.” The truth is, if you called me that night you would probably catch me sitting on my couch watching “The Notebook” and eating a pint of Haagen-Dazs by myself. Don’t judge, every guy secretly thinks “The Notebook” is a pretty descent movie. My point is, don’t let guys fool you about Valentine’s Day. We love bragging about the awesome evening we have planned with the amazingly beautiful girl.
Rob Crabtree is a junior news-editorial journalism and political science major from Albuquerque, N.M.
