The youth today choose not to waste time analysing the pros and cons of Valentine’s Day; instead they prefer to spread the message of love and friendship among their friends and family. When City Express spoke to college students, they said that they were sure of not falling prey to a commercial enterprise, but they were also not planning to limit the celebration of love. The preceding week is considered special for lovers and BFF (Best Friends Forever).
Seven days of love
February 7: Rose Day
Rose Day is celebrated as the first sign of love towards a special person. People exchange flowers across the world (mostly rose but now people prefer to gift their personal favourites) to mark the first day of Valentine celebration. Many youngsters gift roses to their girlfriend, boyfriend, family members and friends. The day has evolved into an independent festival with various organisations using Rose Day as a thanksgiving day for charitable purposes or organise rose auctions to raise funds for charity. Corporate offices in Bangalore organise exchange of roses among colleagues to build camaraderie and team building. Sometimes, this very event is used to mock the concept of Valentine’s Day.
“It is celebrated just for fun. But, there is love in the air on this particular day. Rose Day, on the other hand, is a waste of a day. A girl must get roses everyday.”
— Chitra Vinod, student
February 8: Propose Day
An anonymous quote on Propose Day goes like this: “Earlier, men were shy to propose to a girl. A group of men got together and created a day to encourage men to propose to their loved ones.” This concept has grown across borders and has hit our city.
"It is a day when boys become men. Every guy who hasn’t found a date for Valentine’s Day starts searching on this day. It is a perfect time to get into a relationship so that by Valentine’s Day, we’ll know what to gift her.”
Sometimes, this very event is used to mock the concept of Valentine’s Day.”
— Karan Singh Thapa, City-based student
February 9: Chocolate Day
Dark, brown, soft, creamy and delicious, it is the perfect gift for your special one. Chocolate Day is dedicated to sharing sweets with others. The day is celebrated on different days in different countries but February 9 is the Chocolate Day for the going-to-be” Valentine.
"Chocolate Day is a really nice concept, even though it is not practised by many in India. I feel Chocolate Day must be taken into consideration as a day to give sweets to everyone and appease hunger among the needy in the country for at least one day.”
— Pruthvi Shetty, student
February 10: Teddy Day
Teddy bears are among the most popular gifts for children and special others on Valentine’s Day, birthdays and Christmas for unknown reasons. Teddy bears are usually given by men to comfort their partners during temporary separations. There are special teddy bears designed for Valentine’s Day. They come with speakers that sing love songs and dancing lights.
"Teddy bears are the perfect gift for girls. Most girls have a special teddy to cuddle while sleeping. But, I feel giving gifts for Valentine’s Day is no longer about love but is only about gifts and chocolates. We must bring back the true spirit of love."
— Megha G, student
February11: Promise Day
Promise Day or Make a Promise Day is celebrated by sending SMSs of love poems and by sharing posters. People make a promise such as “to look after them forever” on this day. The most used line is “I promise I wont let you go.”
"Promise day is like a non-official commitment between the couple who are dating. Promises are hard to keep and I feel it adds so much pressure on people. For people who are in love, everyday is a Valentine’s Day and Promise Day. Just thinking about that special person is like an untold promise. So, this day is irrelevant".
— Deepa Suresh, student
February 12: Kiss Day
A quote on the Internet says, “The origin of kisses is still unsolved, many still question, why do people kiss?” But thanks to conditioning through mass media, kissing has a developed a narrow meaning. Haseeb Masood says, “Kiss Day is not very popular in India. Here, people believe kissing is an act of crime. We also grew up listening to parents and teachers telling us that kissing is bad and must be done only after marriage. Now, the crowd is more broad-minded.”
February 13: Hug Day
The warmth of a hug comforts many and a casual hug has become the new way of greeting friends in colleges. Many hug campaigns have been flagged off in various cities across the world on this day. People across the age spectrum give free hugs to strangers spreading the message of love. Sudesh Kumar says, “Hugging is common in schools and colleges. We hug our friends whenever we see them. Having a day just for hugging doesn’t make sense. The hug is not going to be extra special on this particular day. I feel it is nice to hug, but we don’t need a dedicated day to do it. We should do that everyday.”
February 14: Valentine’s Day
The day that hogs all the attention. From detractors to admirers, they wait for this day to get some attention. Aishwarya Mohan opines, “Valentine’s Day is no doubt in India because of globalisation and is a sign of Western civilisation. Many see this as a day to share love, while others oppose. It is a battlefield for people of our generation and the previous generation to fight about anything and everything. We are here to spread love and nothing else.”
"Many see this Day as a day to share love, while several others oppose to the concept."— Aishwarya Mohan, student