Valentine's day Rip off!

Here comes another so called valentine's day! This day is eagerly awaited by all businesses to make the golden kill. Right from greeting card companies to Hotels and eatout joints, they all seem to have some or the other offer on this particular to squeeze out that money from your wallet. The mass hysteria on this day has to be seen to be believed! Yet another intelligent plot by the corporate suits to con the common man and make him truly believe that all the love in the world comes out in open on this day and all it takes to show your love is few mega bucks from your pocket! How gullible are the masses? You don't need anyone preaching you how/when to show your love and appreciation to your loved ones.

Scanning through newspaper today had me in splits, seriously, almost every tom dick and harry establishment seemed to have some "offer" going on for the love couples. Right from the cheesy "take you valentine to the best dining experience" to "gift your valentine an everlasting symbol of love" (diamonds!) and not to forget the funny ones like the one from one of the health spas which claimed to have slashed their rates for couples herbal theraphy to few fitness gyms asking wives to enrol their fatsy hubbies in to some valentine special scheme of turning them back in to shape regime. Malls ofcourse have variety of activities, they claim that you can win a diamond necklace by playing "know your valentine" game, then there is another ridiculous offer of winning a limo ride with your loved one if you answer some shitty questions.

The whole consumerist approach towards this lovey dovey thing makes me sad. The whole concept of love is being weighed in terms of how much money you can blow on your sweet heart today. Aren't we missing the point here? love doesn't cost money, it just needs nuturing, small guestures, appreciating your partner's efforts, making her feel special by saying "thank you" for the Routine things she's doing for you etc, doesn't all that count? should i take her to a mall, spend megabucks in shopping and blow money on candle light dinner eating dishes which are "specially" priced (meant jacked up prices) for this day? Well, peer pressure comes in, your partner won't appreciate if you don't do anything "special" for her today and she won't have the bragging rights with her pals about "you know, he took me to such and such place, we had so much fun, he surprised me by presenting me xyz , blah blah "

Or you risk being called a miser, to whom money is more important than the relationship. I fail to comprehend why people can't see through this consumerist noise generated today and realise that it's all nothing but corporate generated lovey dowey syndrome. As i said earlier, i don't think i need to be told when and how i should show my love to my loved ones. No, iam not buying anything today or taking her out for shopping or such crap, call me what ever, iam a practical person and don't subscribe to this bullshit.

These fuckers haven't spared stags either, so what if you don't have a special one of opposite sex with you? why don't you appreciate your parents! give me a break! for god's sake, spare your parents! You want to make them feel special? Be good to them and appreciate them once in a while, don't be rude to them! Gift them on their birthdays and anniversaries, send them off on vacation if affordable, but spare them today please! Next what? they will drag your pets and brothers and sisters in to this crap. Any one practical enough in life, will realise that all the hype surrounding this day is bullshit!

This is a western concept borrowed by mncs and pushed down our throats so they can make money. So what's the big deal in it? see through this crap and rise and shine!
St valentine must be turning in his grave!