There are scores of days which the people have especially borrowed from the West just to further their spirit of mirth and joy. But the best part of the amusement is that each and every young boy and girl who dots the happening circuit of the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi does complete justice to each so-called day particularly the (St.) Valentine’s Day, which falls today.
Valentine’s Day—some love it, some hate it, some romanticise the stereotypical idea of it, and for others it’s just another day!
“The current trend of celebrating days such as Valentine’s Day, Father’s Day, Mother’s Day, Flower Day and many more reflects the way western culture has caught the imagination of our younger generation. Although parties and get-togethers are planned with a lot of enthusiasm with the trend of celebrating festivals yet a very few are aware of their significance,” said Sultan Ahmed, a college teacher.
However, for those who would rather mark their calendar, the twin cities as usual have lined up a profusion of events.
“Our youth today is just crazy about the Valentine’s Day without knowing the spirit behind the celebration of this festival; they are out to celebrate in their own way. It has come to light that young boys act in an indecent manner i.e. chasing girls thereby scaring them and creating in them the feeling of insecurity. This is not the way to mark the festival,” observed Mohammad Yasin, 70, a trader in Raja Bazar.
Hence, it is the time of the year again to express those heartfelt feelings, to make that someone in your life really special and celebrate the feeling of being in love—a day of proposals, acceptances, bunking college or simply freaking out. There are numerous ways to open your heart to the one you love, like or simply admire like a glossy card with those flashy hearts, a heart-shaped cake, a box of chocolates or a bunch of flowers.
Gone are the days when love used to be a sweet sentiment expressed by those twinkling eyes. Now, you express love with the best gift your pocket can afford. With the passage of time, love has become a big business. It is not just gift and card shops that are luring buyers with their attractive packages; figures of hearts, bows and arrows appear on tin boxes, greeting cards and various confectionery items besides arranging dances, candle-lit dinners, parties and exchanging flowers, gifts and greeting cards have become synonymous with the day.
With a blooming flower trade, florists increase their supply of red roses, popular for their long association with romance.
“Our business goes up during Valentine’s Day festivities every year. Ninety-nine per cent orders are of red roses on the day and most of the customers are youngsters,” recalled Ashraf Shah, a florist at Banni Chowk in Rawalpindi.
With the residents turning flower conscious, the florists are having a boom time. In fact, it is a big business if the mushrooming of florist shops is any indication. And a substantial rise in the prices of flowers, it seemed, had not dampened the spirits of the residents particularly youngsters.
“It is normal for suppliers to increase the price because of the demand during the Valentine’s Day,” commented Majid Ali, another florist at Banni Chowk.
With the passage of time the greeting card industry cashed in on such events and witnessed a mammoth growth. Various greeting card companies have flooded the market with new designs.
“Wherever there is youth, love will find means of expression and the Valentine’s Day serves as the perfect occasion. Despite the prices of cards going up, there has been no let-up in the demand,” said Mohammad Ilyas, a greeting cards vender at Urdu Bazar, Rawalpindi.
With increasing competition and sale of cards, the messages conveyed in the cards have been changing too. While some youngsters may have shifted from cards to costly gifts, most of them still prefer to express their sentiments through cards and there is a wide range of these available in the market.
All major confectionery companies have jumped on the bandwagon by offering heart-shaped chocolates and candies.
While a few of youngsters can afford to pick up a stuffed toy, most of them are going in for small hearts, which they send to their near and dear ones after inserting the greeting cards.
“It is time we educate our youth to celebrate the festival with the sanctity which it carries. Media can play a very significant role in educating our youth. TV can play a very important role. The idiot box can do a lot in keeping up the spirit of all the festivals. I personally feel that if any festival is not celebrated with dignity people should be persuaded to abandon that festival,” commented Raja Usman, a university teacher.
–The writer is a freelance contributor.