Vindication that Marketing Makes Holidays and Valentine's Day Mussings

Usually, Valentine's springs to mind with visions of jewelery, big soft bears holding pink hearts, chocolate, cards, and flowers or lonely Misses with Ben and Jerry's and a chick film.
The true origin of Valentine's Day may often be lost on today's couples that get more caught up in the commercial nature of it all. "I have to remember to get my girlfriend flowers this year" or "I hope he'll get me something really special for Valentine's Day, becuase I hand made a gift for him" In fact, the roots of Valentine's Day really depend on which belief you hold. A pagan holiday adapted by Christianity, a priest that died while trying to secretly marry couples to avoid a war draft, the day birds pick their mate, or Hallmark's Ultimate ploy...
I think we all probably remember designing Valentine's Day boxes to hold our cards from fellow classmates, and sorting through the candy and chocolates. We all remember, "Everyone in the class must get a Valentine from everyone else." But you know you gave your friends and secret crushes the best pieces of candy.
I have sucumbed to the world of Valentine's Day cards for many many years...giving them to friends even in college. I'm not jaded, per say. I like reminding people that I care, and that Valentine's Day should really be like any other of the holidays ( a chance to party or hangout with friends/loved ones)
But You see, I have been single for every Valentine's Day except for this one, and the last. And now, it seems my still single, or newly single friends, aren't calling me a "turn-coat" or something, but it seems just below the surface. Because I am now a happily relationship'd woman, I can't possibly understand their pain, heartache, and loneliness.

I have done the following things on past Valentine's Days:

* Made a protest t-shirt that read "Chocolate, My only boyfriend"

* Avoided phonecalls from a stalker, who called to tell me he was sure I had three or four dates lined up that evening, and when I said, I had no plans as ofyet, he tried to invite himself over to where I was dogsitting. I responded kindly that the "puppy is my Valentine this year"

* Went to an art museum with a friend

* Was given a poem of friendship from someone I once had a crush on, but no longer had any feelings for

* Was meant to get a carnation delievered to my 6th hour English class via the HighSchool's fundraiser, and instead, the boy I thought was a friend and only saw as a friend, showed up at my house door at 3:35 with the carnation and a card that read "Love" - to my credit I almost threw up on his well-intending shoes, not from disgust mind you, but because I hadn't gone to school that day as I was wrecked with a 104 fever and the stomach flu.

*the ever loving 5th wheel on a blind date, set-up by another well-intending friend and her boyfriend. My match "made in heaven", ran into his ex-girlfriend and invited her to join us...And yes, the date was already going so badly that I welcomed her addition

*teeth cleaning at the dentist

This year was a lovely and calm celebration. Erik and I went to Fired Up! (as mentioned before). We had fun, and he created a very lovely stick bowl for me to use when I visit him (it says turtle in Japanese on it, and the inside looks like a turtle shell). So, when my mom and I went for her birthday, she created a utensil holder with a cat stamped to the side, and I went a little "star crazy". I wanted to design a stick bowl to compliment Erik's for me, by making one with something he's interested in. I had to go across the street to the ICPL to check out a constellation book because I had initially thought I'd stick the line drawing (star chart?) of the Big Dipper on the inside of the bowl. Unfortunately I quickly realized I didn't know the exact number of stars in the Big Dipper. Having an astrophysicist be the receiver of a bowl that says "Astronomy" in Japanese, and isn't accurate would be plain folley. So, armed with a Summer Constellations star chart, I put Hercules, Draco, Ursa Major, Ursa Minor, and a few others in the bottom of the bowl. I was surprised and pleased it turned out as well as it did (I had to scratch the drawings into the glaze, rather than just paint them on)
I also had a good time going to the Habitat for Humanity Valentine's Day celebration with Laura. Chocolate-covered strawberries alone would have been a big enough draw to get me there, but knowing that the organization does a world of good by not only building literal houses, but metaphorically building communities, made me quick to say yes. (On a huge sidebar - if you are in need of a charity to donate to, I'd suggest Habitat -they take cash, checks, older working appliances, new appliances, and will gladly accept your time)
So, as you can see my relationship with Valentine's Days past is tenuous at best, But, that's not quite the point here...and my relationship with the present Valentine's day was amicable, also not the point. The point, my friends, is that I've been introduced to ANOTHER version of Valentine's day. Not just it's history, but the actual day. Sort of a "bizzaro" world Seinfeldian day....
Korean White Day happens on March 14th, and is the "opposite" of Valentine's Day, or at least the opposite of Valentine's Day in Japan. In Japan on Valentine's Day the women give the men candy/chocolate. White Day was imported from the Koreans, and it represents sort of the Saddie Hawkins' of holidays. The men give the women candy/chocolates, and it's suposed to be three times as great, in honor of all the wonderful things the women do for them. According to Wikipedia, and some other sources (speaking of, Wikipedia has now been banned from being cited as a source at a certain small liberal arts college, consult, okay, cite, noway) this was done initially by a marshmallow maker in one Korean town, soon it morphed into chocolate companies and candy shoppes weighing in. So, a holiday perpetuated by marketing? Can't imagine who would believe such a thing exists.
Our White Day was spent at a korean place in Chicago with Melissa and other JETT alum, and then Karoke next door, which was also alot of fun to listen to...and yes, I did actually sing "Goodbye Earl" with Melissa.
For those of you wondering about the single people. Rather than saying Valentine's Day is "Single's Awareness Day" you've got your very own day in Korea/Japan. It's called "Black Day" and you eat black noddles with other single friends, and the couples can't join in. ;) I think the asian cultures have it all figured out then. 3 days should keep everyone happy. Now, if only I could figure out what I'm doing for St. Patrick's day as someone 1/16th Irish...