Topic : Cultural Texts
Source : Valentine's Day
Plus, an article I read online :
The Fashioning of a Modern Holiday: St. Valentine's Day, 1840-1870
Leigh Eric Schmidt Winterthur Portfolio , Vol. 28, No. 4 (Winter, 1993), pp. 209-245
Published by: The University of Chicago Press on behalf of the
Henry Francis du Pont Winterthur Museum, Inc.
Article Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/1181508
Relation : On page 20 of our ANTHRO textbook, the author describes a cultural text as anything that carries meaning. The author also states that we both read and maintain cultural texts in our everyday life. I find that particularly true with Valentine's Day because I can read into what the holiday is all about and start to hate it but I just can't resist cutting out a red paper heart or giving a gift !
Description : With all the Valentine's Day hype lately, I find myself wondering « why ? » and I inevitably start deconstructing it as a cultural text. It's easy to be cynical about Valentine's Day but it's also pretty easy to fall into the ritual gift-giving, chocolate-eating, and heart-shaped fun. The article I found online was a very thorough (albeit long...) description of how Valentine's Day came to be what it is in it's current form. According to the article, gift-giving originated from the « courtly model of consumption » in which the noble court-goers would give elaborate gifts to their valentines, often a person chosen by drawing lots. The rejuvenation of the holiday in the mid-19th century in the United States comes closer to how it is celebrated nowadays ; that is with mass-produced trinkets of affection. Every store that you walk into during the month of February has something related to Valentine's Day. And they would be stupid not to, it is a huge area for profit. But is it really meaningful to pick someone up a mass-produced gift just because you are obligated to do so according to a cultural holiday ?
Commentary/Analysis : The tradition of gift-giving on Valentine's Day is truly indicative of our capitalist consumer culture. I think that giving a gift when it is unexpected (not on a holiday) is more meaningful to the person receiving the gift. As humans, we do like unexpected circumstances, as long as they are positive. I think Valentine's Day says a lot about our culture and how we like to attach meaning to an abstract day of the year, or how we like to hold onto old traditions. It also makes us seem kind of lazy. Why do we buy something cheap and not at all unique to express our love and deep sentimental feelings ? Valentine's Day also says a lot about gender roles in our culture. It is typically the male's duty to bring presents (candy, roses, etc.) to the female on Valentine's Day. This is a manifestation of typical gender roles with the male being the main breadwinner and the female being the one prone and won over by sentimental gifts. All of these things tied together make Valentine's Day an interesting cultural text that is hard to ignore.
I'm really glad that you posted about Valentine's Day, because I have also been wondering lately the history behind it all. It is valid to say that of course, Valentine's Day has become another opportunity for even further consumerism in our capitalistic country, yet I do think that it can be a fun way to show appreciation for your significant other. I agree that all of the hearts/candy/stuffed animal-y stuff gets really cheesy and old (especially walking around stores anywhere near the month of February), but in my own experience...I use Valentine's Day to have a special dinner with my boyfriend, we give each other small meaningful gifts that actually pertain to our personalities, and I usually bake some kind of dessert. It's nice. So yes, it can be extremely lame and unnecessary when it gets all hyped up, but it does feel good to have that nice day with someone at least once a year.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading this blog, I hadn't even thought to consider holiday events as cultural texts! I appreciate how you pointed out how much consumerism reflects Valentines Day, during pretty much every major holiday the stores re-decorate and re-stock to follow. Also, the fact that we're picking up gifts because consumerism society made it so we felt "obligated to do so" is depressing. You make a good point saying gifts out of the blue are more meaningful, I'm not sure why it'd be true, but I definitly feel like I'd be happier with a surprise gift than to look at a wrapped box under a christmas tree with my name on it for weeks.
ReplyDeleteGreat post!
Your blog was awesome and I enjoyed it very much. I really liked the history and how you tied it back to how Valentines Day is looked at now. I agree with you on the fact that ever store you walk into has something with hearts on it or heart-shaped chocolate during the month of February. But why do you think this so called "holiday" was created? Why do some people say that they "hate it so much"?
ReplyDeleteI think that using Valentine's Day as a cultural text is very creative and unique. Something that stood out to me was when you brought up a point bout gender roles in our society. I totally agree with what you had to say. Typically on Valentine's Day it is the guy's job to but a gift for a girl and no vice versa. You really used your critical thinking to depict this cultural text and I really enjoyed reading it.
ReplyDelete