{"id":2594,"date":"2015-02-08T19:04:00","date_gmt":"2015-02-08T19:04:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.theswitch.us\/blog\/?p=2594"},"modified":"2015-08-19T17:47:03","modified_gmt":"2015-08-19T17:47:03","slug":"valentines-day-history-consumerism-feelings-order","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/switch.us\/blog\/valentines-day-history-consumerism-feelings-order\/","title":{"rendered":"Valentine\u2019s Day: History, Consumerism & Feelings. In that order."},"content":{"rendered":"
Love is in the air at Switch \u2013 and we have Saint Valentine to thank for that. Let’s explore the tragic past and rose-colored present of the holiday that celebrates l-o-v-e.<\/address>\n

 
\nSaint Valentine\u2019s Day. Singles Awareness Day. Hallmark\u2019s Reason for Being. Whatever you call it, Valentine\u2019s Day is approaching fast. And maybe it\u2019s just the transparent, soap-boxy nature of the Internet Age, but it seems that every year, people find new reasons to complain about February 14th. It is a corporate scam, it\u2019s forced and fake, it\u2019s sexist, it pressures people into buying overpriced flowers just to comply with social norms! The feelings are strong. And while we hear \u2018em, we at Switch are kind of in love with this saccharine-sweet holiday. Valentine\u2019s Day is when love gets activated. So we want to liberate the hearts and glitter…and eradicate the hate*.<\/p>\n

A Brief History of V-Day<\/h1>\n

Let\u2019s kick off with a short overview of this day\u2019s origin, which to be honest is a bit muddled.\u00a0 We do know of at least three versions<\/a> that have been twisted, tweaked and passed down over the past 18 centuries or so. It happens. One of the narratives involves St. Valentine, a priest in 3rd<\/sup> century Rome who illegally performed marriages between young men and women. Emperor Claudius II had outlawed unions, as he figured single men made superior soldiers than those with a wife and kids. But Valentine performed the ceremonies anyway \u2013 in secret \u2013 until Claude found out and sentenced him to death.<\/p>\n

Another possibility involves a different St. Valentine who rescued Christians from imminent death in ancient Roman prison cells. He fell in love with one of the guard\u2019s daughters and allegedly signed a love note \u201cFrom your Valentine.\u201d (Aw100<\/sup>.) He was also murdered.<\/p>\n

Whatever the true story is, you can\u2019t deny St. Val\u2019s legacy of love and martyrdom. In the 5th<\/sup> century, Pope Gelasius officially declared February 14th<\/sup> St. Valentine\u2019s Day, and by the Middle Ages, folks in England and France were associating the holiday with love.<\/p>\n

We love to love (and buy things)<\/h1>\n

Since then, Valentine\u2019s Day has evolved into a whirlwind of red and pink that\u2019s strongly steeped in commercialism. (But what holiday isn\u2019t?) Each year, more than 151 million cards are exchanged, 224 million roses are grown and more than 18 billion dollars are spent on gifts. All in the name of love. Or maybe so the recipient can get that perfect Instagram shot. #Taken #BestBoyfriendEver #MyValentine<\/p>\n

We pulled a few favorite items from various websites \u2013 in case you need some inspiration for an unconventional gift.<\/p>\n

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  1. Pixel Heart Heat Changing Mug<\/a> (a nostalgic treat for a coffee lover)<\/li>\n
  2. Heart Egg molder<\/a> (for the person who has literally everything, probably even this)<\/li>\n
  3. Fifty shades bear <\/a>(when you want to send a message that is subtle\u2026 yet pretty clear. It even comes with teeny handcuffs.)<\/li>\n
  4. His and hers Khal and Khaleesi robes<\/a> (for the Game of Thrones-loving person who has literally everything)<\/li>\n
  5. Club sandwich tent <\/a>(because what\u2019s more romantic than being mauled by bears?)<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Or take your final chance to order something from SkyMall Magazine\u2026 like that neck pillow everyone makes fun of but secretly wants.<\/a><\/p>\n

    All you need is\u2026<\/h1>\n

    Switch takes great strides to incorporate love into our culture. Anyone can be too cool for something. Anyone can be mysterious and closed up and \u2026safe. But here we realize that the workplace is a second home. We spend a lot of time around the people we work with. Might as well enjoy it, right? We want to know each other and love each other.<\/p>\n

    This is a real relationship. We eat lunch together. We travel together. We create together. We debate together. We grow and win and fail and experience life together.<\/p>\n

    Every so often we throw around the term Switchnificant Other. It\u2019s defined as a work best friend, someone with whom you have a connection. Someone you go to lunch with, someone you share non-work-specific moments with. This week we put together a video to promote an upcoming internal event to connect Switch \u201csingles\u201d with their Switchnificant Other. You can check it out below.<\/p>\n