Dulu saya tidak terlalu perduli dengan hari khusus yang satu ini. Tapi setelah sempat mengalaminya sekitar 3x selama hidup di wilayah Amerika Utara, saya mendapatkan nuansa dan perspektif lain atas hari Valentin ini. Terus terang hari ini mengingatkan kita semua (reminder gitu lah...) bahwa dunia ini dibentuk karena adanya kasih dan sayang antar sesama manusia. Jadi ayo sama-sama kita pelihara dan tumbuhkan terus. Dalam kenyataan memang tampak lebih banyak didominasi dengan nuansa pasangan kekasih, tapi maknanya lebih dalam dari itu. Saling bertukar hadiah, berusaha menunjukkan kasih sayang pada orang lain. Saya juga berusaha membiasakan untuk mengungkapkannya ke istri, anak, teman, dll... Tidak ada alasan yang lebih tepat untuk melakukannya selain alasan bahwa "today is 14 February..."Beberapa info kecil soal Valentine's Day...
Valentine's Day in North America (from Wikipedia)
Valentine's Day was probably imported into North America in the 19th century by British settlers. In the United States, the first mass-produced valentines of embossed paper lace were produced and sold shortly after 1847 by Esther Howland (1828-1904) of Worcester, Massachusetts. Her father operated a large book and stationery store, and she took her inspiration from an English valentine she had received. Since 2001, the Greeting Card Association has been giving an annual "Esther Howland Award for a Greeting Card Visionary".
In the second half of the 20th century, the practice of exchanging cards was extended to all manners of gifts in the United States, usually from a man to a woman. Such gifts typically include roses and chocolates. In the 1980s, the diamond industry began to promote Valentine's Day as an occasion for giving jewelry.
The day has come to be associated with a generic platonic greeting of "Happy Valentine's Day."
In some North American elementary schools, students are asked to give a Valentine card or small gift to everyone in the class. The greeting cards of these students often mention what they appreciate about each other.
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