Make Valentine’s Day family affair
Valentine’s Day is a time for people to show love, affection and friendship. It is celebrated in many ways worldwide and falls on February 14, each year and already that month is here with us.
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As we mark the day, airtime on radio and television has been filled with messages over the celebration of the Day.
Shops all over are displaying Valentine greeting cards and there is excitement and abundant love in the air.
Besides showing love to people around you on Valentine’s Day, it is also a day to show appreciation to people who you love or adore.
Some people take their love ones for romantic dinners in restaurants while others choose to propose or get married on the day.
Also on the day, gifts including greeting cards, chocolate, jewellery, flowers, particularly roses are presented to one’s partner or admirers.
To me, Valentine’s Day is a day to express love to the family and friends. It is a period to be celebrated with food and music. It must be enjoyed as a fun-filled occasion and celebrated with one’s social circle of friends.
In Finland for example, Valentine’s Day has come to signify “friend’s day”. It is more about remembering friends rather than focusing solely on romance.
St Valentine’s Day in Guatemala is known as ‘Day of love and friendship’, quite similar to the way the day is celebrated in the United States.
Unfortunately in Ghana, Valentine’s Day has come to signify a day for indiscriminate sex. Chocolate is another addition to the day.
And so apart from Valentine greeting cards, there is the new craze of chocolate inspired themes such that now even chocolate flavoured condoms are produced around the globe.
Interestingly, nations, rights groups and faith-based organisations are offering their youth who engage in adulterous behaviour free condoms to ensure that they play it safe.
It is so disappointing that many people especially the young have associated the day with immoral acts.
In my estimation the day is one that ought to be set aside for families and friends to show love, cherish and value each other.
It should be a celebration of love not intimacy.