Commercial festival or real day of lovers, February 14 is a day that leaves no one indifferent.
A not-so-old party
Regularly associated with cherubim and more particularly Cupid, Valentine's Day has no ancient origin. The first traces of the feast of lovers date from the fourteenth century in an England still very Catholic … But celebrating a holiday without any religious connotation. Indeed, the day of February 14 was named "day of lovers" because it seems that the birds began to pair in mid-February.
Subsequently, the Church strongly condemned this practice… But ironically, this feast took the name of Valentine of Terni, a saint appointed by Pope Alexander VI. Over time, Valentine's Day will eventually be celebrated on all continents.
Valentine's Day, a commercial holiday
It's hard to break the myth, but Valentine's Day is definitely a commercial holiday… Like all parties! This day of ode to love is no longer a simple exchange of sweet notes because the notion of present is deeply anchored. Chocolates, surprise trip, dinner at the restaurant, … Everything is a pretext to justify his love by a concrete act on this day. And that's great for the economy! Indeed, the price of the rose explodes as the 14thday of the second month of the year approaches and florists thus make a considerable part of their profits. Similarly, some popular destinations such as Venice are seeing their number of tourists explode, thus reactivating the sometimes latent economy of the region. The traditional chocolates are also sold by kilos… And the same goes for lingerie. Many brands agree that their peak sales are undeniably correlated with the approach of two key periods: wedding season and our beloved Valentine's Day!
To celebrate or not to celebrate Valentine's Day?
… The answer is unique to each individual. Indeed, a vast majority of the population celebrates this day by tradition, seeing it as an opportunity to mark the occasion with an intimate or sumptuous day.
However, choosing not to celebrate Valentine's Day is not a crime. Many, by religious belief or simply by desire not to format themselves on a common practice, decide not to participate in the festivities! And there's nothing wrong with that.
So, will you be celebrating Valentine's Day this year?
