Valentine's day...Is it a commercial day?
As wedding vendors, we have encountered two types of couples. One type that celebrates Valentine’s day because Love – the key to life - deserves to be celebrated and honored. And one type that prefers having random “Valentine’s days'' throughout the year, because Valentine’s day is only a commercial day to them! For us, wedding videographers, it would be a lie to say that the wedding industry is not benefiting from Valentine’s day. Valentine’s day proposals gave us, 3 Petits Points, the opportunity to film beautiful chateau weddings. It brought us to French riviera weddings, and to destination weddings. But when such a celebration can be a joy for some, for others it is simply a made up day to make couples buy flowers, chocolate and extra expensive dinners. However, Valentine’s day has actually some marks in history.
Valentine’s day has its roots tied to Christian and Roman traditions. And the existence of the person “Valentine” is still a mystery up to this day. One theory suggests that Valentine was a priest who married people illegally at a time when young men were forbidden to marry - because they were thought to be better soldiers as single men. Valentine was caught and got beheaded. The other theory suggests that Valentine was a prisoner who helped Christians escape from the Roman. Valentine fell in love with the daughter of the man in charge of the jail. Before being executed, Valentine wrote a letter signed “from your valentine”.
The celebration of Saint Valentine might have been a celebration of that “hero”, but some historian believe it is a celebration to counter the pagan festival of fertility: Lupercalia – which was celebrated on the 15th of February and which was actually a violent and bloody festival that involved sacrifices (of animals) and which ended in weddings. It is in the 5th century that the pope Gelasius officially declared 14th of February the Saint Valentine’s day, but it is much later that the French and British declared that it should be a day of love celebration, as February was also the time where birds would mate.
Whether it came from the Roman’s, from a priest or a prisoner; in today’s society, Valentine’s day is celebrated worldwide for its romantic aspect and not much for its religious aspect. But for some, the romance doesn’t have to be limited to a single where all stores increase their prices. To them love must be celebrated any other day of the year. At 3 Petits Points, we respect both opinions; we actually have both opinions within our group :-P but we all believe there is no right or wrong in that matter. For those who want to celebrate it; we would say...do as you feel. And for those who don’t want to celebrate it, we would also say, do as you feel. At 3 Petits Points, our rates will remain the same. And at the end of the day, our mission as wedding videographers is to encapsulate your most important day, whether you believe or not on Valentine's day. But what we certainly believe in, is your love...and that’s our common celebration.
What’s your approach on Valentine’s day?
source: History Channel
