Valentines Age

Valentine’s Day—once a sacred shrine to love and now a meme-worthy marathon of overpriced chocolates and Instagram-worthy gestures. Let’s take a journey through how this holiday has aged over the past 50 years.

The 70's were Simpler times. Lovebirds exchanged handwritten cards, boxy chocolates, and roses plucked from their neighbor's garden (because “romance” meant improvisation). Dinner was steak, potatoes, and maybe a bottle of Blue Nun wine if you were feeling really fancy.

1980s: The commercialization boom. Hallmark took center stage, and suddenly your Valentine wasn’t “official” unless you presented a singing card or an oversized teddy bear. Dinner plans? Swanky candle-lit restaurants, complete with power suits and teased hair.

1990s: Enter peak rom-com era. Valentine’s was about The Grand Gesture. Think mixtapes with “Endless Love” on repeat, rose petals leading to cheesy heart-shaped balloons, and dinners at TGI Fridays (because hey, flair pins).

2000s: Ah, technology’s love affair. E-cards made their questionable debut, and Valentine’s became less about love and more about a race to post proof of your bouquet on Facebook. Flash mobs for proposals? Yep, those were a thing.

2010s: Instagrammable everything. If your Valentine’s gift didn’t involve a box of artisanal chocolates shaped like unicorns or a couple’s retreat hashtagged to oblivion, were you even in love?

Today: Cynicism is king. Singles revel in Galentine’s Day or proclaim their love for pizza. And couples? They’re probably ordering Uber Eats and bingeing Netflix because love, my friends, is best served in sweatpants.

Do we move with the valentines times or do we reminisce from our early memories of love.