Upcoming Fab-Feb!

No other day (or celebration or what ever you may call it,) has been witness to changes as turbulent as has our Valentine’s Day, from a little known day amongst thousands of days that are celebrated all over the year through out the world, it is one of the most awaited days in the year, not only by the youth but for everyone in the family.

In the 80s or even maybe early 70s, if I remember correctly, Valentine’s Day was not much celebrated or even recognized by many. Before this, in India, other than Independence and Republic days, only children’s day was celebrated, or rather recognized.

Initially it was assumed that the day is for lovers only, as in a girl and a boy, and was considered a taboo thing so the youth used to hide it from parents and celebrate it outside. It was more like an anti-social thing. But gradually, slowly but surely we can say our understanding changed.

Once people were familiar they embraced the day and hence forth from the mid-80s, it was celebrated with lots of fane-fare in almost all metro cities. But it also had to face the wrath of some political parties, who even got violent and nasty in some cases. Who does not remember the Shiv Sena revolts in Mumbai, then Bombay?

After being politicized and criticized, and not to mention, they got their publicity, what they had intended in the first place, it was accepted that as the day is to encourage love, friendship and peace, it shall be allowed to be.

From then on, the marketing gurus took on; the day was the 1^st amongst many to be looked upon as big spending excuses. From cards, chocolates, cute teddies (just noticed how all of them begin with C) to expensive (read profitable) options like jewelries and diamonds. The list was a long one and never ending one. I had read somewhere about properties also being sold as valentine gifts!

And Valentine’s Day became what it is today. There is no news paper, no magazine, no TV channel no web site that does not remind you that it’s around the corner, and they also give you ideas for making it special for your loved ones (I often wonder do people really take it seriously after getting out of college?)

Talking about celebrating days, I just found out (from my service provider, who smses me the dates and days, and suggests I should send smses to my loved ones too.) that in the month of February, there are so many celebrated! Here’s a list, please add if I have missed out any.

Most of us think, February is the month of love, but it is also the friendship moth, I know like you people even I was thinking then why we don't have friendship day in this month too. So that we have to buy friendship day cards and gifts twice! They are not called marketing gurus just for nothing!

Feb 8^th – 14^th is Smile day, Rose day and also Propose day. (To make things simpler, they have clubbed it so you can celebrate all these days throughout the week!)

Feb 9^th is Chocolate day, and most of the time, people send virtual chocolates, so much for management guru tricks!

Feb 9^th is also celebrated as a Flower Day; this is news to me too! It’s supposed to be Primrose and Violet flower’s day, they are like trying to compete with rose day! They are supposed to be the flowers of the month.

On Feb 13^th is the International Friendship Month, how can a day be celebrated as a month? Whatever!

 

Now that you have celebrated friendship day, internationally, on the 13^th we shall also bring in “I value our friendship” day. Someone please help me with all these dates and days! 

And finally arrives our special Valentine’s Day, need I mention the date also? But this is not the end of the celebratory week

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But not many of us know, well actually even I would not have known it had I not been writing this post, that on the 14^th we also can celebrate, Heart to heart day along with a Hug Day! I’m sure all the guys out there dig this day!

 

OK so had fun on the 14^th? Now its pay back time! On the 15^th we have the “Thanks for a great valentine day” ritual. And here I was thinking we will get a break.

 

But the best one is yet to come, on the 19^th, after celebrating and thanking your valentines, its time for a Temporary Insanity Day! Yes INSANITY DAY, thank God it’s a TEMPORARY one! There were serious chances we would be permanently insane if we go through celebrating all the above mentioned days; not to mention almost bankrupt too!  

 

And to end the month, the last week is also celebrated as the International Friendship day, yes, in case you forgot to celebrate it the whole month, you have one more chance, I shall refrain from saying last chance, as I’m confident, next month also we will be given lots of similar opportunities!

 

And the finale,(the best of the lot) take a guess people, there is Bread and Banana day on the 23^rd, followed by a cuddle day on the 25^th, will someone please tell me the difference between a hug day and  cuddle day? To top it all, on the 27^th day of the month, we have the Polar Bear day, i seriously can’t go on. I need to go out and celebrate over the head day!