A R T S AN
Consumers in the United States are
expected to spend $19.6 billion on
Valentine’s Day this year, according
to the National Retail Federation.
Marketers use this day to sellmore
items like Valentine cards, chocolates,
flowers and jewelry; but this wasn’t
always the custom in today’s society.
Valentine’s Day originated from a
Roman festival called Lupercalia in
the middle of February. It was a ritual,
but it celebrated fertility and coincided
with spring coming.
It’ s called Saint Valentine’ s Day
because during the Roman empire,
Romans executed a Christian martyr
of the same name. There are various
legends, but one is that Emperor
Claudius II made it illegal for Roman
soldiers to get married because he
believed that if they remained single
men, they would be better soldiers.
However, Saint Valentine, a Christian
clergym an, was still conducting
marriages for the soldiers, so he was
executed for breaking the law.
Now, this holiday is concentrated in
the United States, but in some places,
it has spread internationally.
Dr, Ivan Mancinelli-Franconi is a
psychology instructor at Clackamas
Community Collegej and he said he
remembers sending Valentine gifts to
his family, but since he’s from Chile,
he doesn’t really celebrate it because
it’ s not a part of his culture.
“ In Latin cultures, we have a lot of
extended fam ilies; we have village
parties, a bunch of collective activities,
a lot of holidays where people get to
interact and meet other people,” Dr.
M ancinelli-Franconi said. “ In this
culture, we’re very isolated, and it’s
only when these holidays come up that
we get to come together.” j
5
point during the year, have some
kind of a celebration or festival'that
celebrates love,” Keeler said. “ In many
cases, it celebrates both romantic love
but also celebrates friendship. ”
their classmates and teacher, and it is
based on friendship.
Many places hold events that people
can participate in on Valentine’s Day.
-O n e way to get involved is at the
college.
C C C ’ s Associated Student
g rap h ¡c by Sa m Weston
Government organized an event called
Heart for a Kiss which runs from Feb.
12-14. It’s an event where someone
can find a heart on campus and turn
in the heart to ASG for a bag of kisses.
Once having the chocolate, there is
the option of keeping it for yourself
or sharing it with someone you care
about.
Many students on campus have
their own opinion on the holiday.
Alexa Short, a student at Clackamas,
said, “ There’ s nothing wrong with
the holiday that yoti want fo have a
special day with your special someone;
but, if you don’t want to celebrate it,
there’s no problem with it either. A
E v e n - lot of it is just consumerism, but if
though it you are thoroughly sentimental about
allow s people it and like to. go out of your way for
to openly express special people in your life, I think
feelings of love, it can that’ s great?’
also trigger feelin gs o f
In the end, even if it is considered
lon eliness in people who á holiday on the calendar, students
don’t have a significant other, don’t get time off from school and
Dr. Mancinelli-Franconi said.
most companies don’t give a day off
To combat those feelings, some to their workers.
people give a gift or words of positive
Just like other holidays, companies
affirm ation to a friend, m other, can take advantage of the amount of
father or sibling because it’s a way of profit they can make, but Valentine’s
demonstrating that people care about Day creates an incentive fo t people
each other.
to get together and express their
In elementary school, many students feelings.
craft cards and candy to exchange with
“A lot of it is just consumerism, but if you are
thoroughly sentimental about it and like to go
out o f your way for special people in your life, I
think that’s g re a t"
-A le x a Short
In
0 t h e r
c o u n t r ie s
and cu ltures,
V alen tine’ s Day is
not celebrated at all.
R o b e rt K e e le r , an
anthropology instructor, has
read a lot about different cultures.
He said that in some places, this
day is seen as an explicitly Christian
holiday and in places like India,
conservative Hindus or Muslims don’t
celebrate it because it’s not part of
their tradition.
“ Even in places that don’t celebrate
V alen tine’ s Day in the middle of
February, they almost all, at some
COMIC BY DATE
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February 1 4 , 201S