I've never been a big fan of St. Valentine’s Day.
First, I've always felt awkward when I had to demonstrate my feelings in public. From childhood, when I had to go "give auntie a kiss" to adulthood, when even my wedding kiss at the end of the ceremony, in the presence of five people and repeated for the camera, felt a bit like torture.
Second, I feel irritated when I notice that I'm manipulated into consuming more than I already do just for sake of it. And I totally get it, how else can sellers keep the sales going? That's how our economy and our society are in general, and that's fine. But the motivation to "consume because others are consuming" doesn't give me the joy and satisfaction of purchasing something.
Not only that, but I also lose the drive of giving gifts when it becomes customary. And I love giving gifts; it's something that makes me genuinely happy. But I don't like giving something useless just because it's that day of the year.
Every month all bigger stores have a section upon entering that turns colour and fills with hundreds, if not thousands, of items that are meant to be used once or become those senseless gifts. We go from Thanksgiving to Halloween, to Christmas, to St. Valentine's, to St. Patrick's (with some of the stores) and then into Easter and Canada Day.
I respect and appreciate the values some of these holidays carry, but others feel a bit like a spangle to me. And St. Valentine's belongs to the second category.
I was raised in a family where if you love someone, be it your partner, relative or friends, you got to remember to show it as you go because it might be too late if you wait until special occasions. We all are like that. I remember how my husband was a bit shocked when, for the first time, he saw how my 27-year-old brother gave a kiss on a cheek to my dad when saying hi or bye. I then used that situation to explain to my tough farmer that in some families, people's emotions and feelings are always up close and they show it to each other every day, rather than keeping those to themselves. (Not that he adapted that behaviour, but I think he started understanding my needs a bit better).
I haven't done anything for St. Valentine's Day since I was 15 or 16. It turned into a regular day, and I just ignored pink piles, gigantic stuffed animals populating store shelves every year in February, and tried to avoid restaurants for that one day, going out for supper before or after instead.
I can't say that I created a personalized Valentine's Day or other traditions in my family. No. Love rather took a routine spot in our house. It isn't a special occasion; it's just one of the everyday habits. I guess that sense of "something special" that holidays like St. Valentine's Day give you is what you lose when you don't follow the drill.
Anyways, the big pink love day just shaded from my life until this year when we and a couple of friends decided to try out the Estevan Exhibition Association's special evening.
With everything said above, I didn't expect anything. I just wanted to do something different. And I was pleasantly surprised with the emotions that lovely night out gave me. I guess for me it was more about having a good time with good people in a beautiful place (and I mean a really beautifully decorated and thought-through place) surrounded by well-dressed and happy people, enjoying haute supper and listening to quality music. All while also being catered as opposed to getting your own food and drinks as it often is during fundraiser suppers.
I'm fine with the regular routine, but I tell you, it did feel different and really nice to be taken care of.
It's been a while since I've been in such settings. And I absolutely loved it.
It wasn't all about pink hearts, balloons and other exaggerated manifestations of Valentine's Day, which seem to be more and more on steroids every year. It was elegant, well organized, really festive but also pretty natural. Every part of it fell into place, turning the night into a finished and rich experience.
I wouldn't say that evening made me change about the holiday in general, but it did remind me that there is something really valuable in putting busy life on pause and making that break special. It also reminded me that beauty, be it in other people, nature or things, is something that lights up the world around up and ourselves.
It was a beautiful night. Thank you, EEA for putting it together.
