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Valentine's Day Gifts

Ours was a marriage arranged by our families and we hardly knew each other before marriage. It was that era not-so-long ago when there were no mobile phones, letter writing was out and men were conscious of the may-be-hovering-around- after-taking-the-call dads, to talk for more than 2 minutes :D
A couple of months after the wedding, Valentine's Day was nearing and I was wondering if I should be gifting something or ignoring? During my growing-up years, V's Day was something that Archie (of the comics) had to deal with. Just as I was getting out of college, Archies - the greeting card folks had begun to target the college crowd here, in South India.
Strictly speaking, of course, V's Day is to acknowledge passing fancies/ one-way love/ romance that cannot happen (like St.V's), etc. That's why, the traditional V's Day gifts are perishable goodies like chocolates and flowers. Clever marketing has now turned the gift giving thing into a serious, expensive affair - something that folks married to each other are encouraged to indulge in! I think, the marketing festivities should be shifted to Holi (Festival of Madana, as Amar Chitra Katha calls it). Our culture has been boisterously celebrating spring/ love for aeons and cloaked in the culture garb, things would be so non-violent - more lucrative, probably.
Anyway, coming back to my dilemma - it was solved one evening while watching news on TV. The anti- V's day group was making threats and noises and quite naturally, it became our topic of conversation for the evening. It turned out that while I had a neutral attitude, the man had slightly anti- leanings! The rhetoric I endured made the decision - 'No wishing / gift-giving (or receiving!)'. And, that's how it has been through the years.
For Feb 14 this year, however, I wish a 'Happy V's Day' for the enthusiasts, 'gussa- control' wishes for the 'antis' and a very peaceful Sunday to the fence-sitters :)
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Comments

  1. Nandhu10 February, 2010

    u seem to have an option, so u are generous with ur wishes. what about those with no options?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Soumya11 February, 2010

    'Grin and bear it' wishes for those with no options :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. https://wordpress.com/home/mukhamani.wordpress.com14 February, 2010

    I wish all the moral police would give people their choice to follow their options!!
    Valentine's Day is being celebrated for a long time , so I really cannot understand all the big 'galata' about it.

    ReplyDelete

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