St. Valentine's Day Versus Other Days

Most of the programmes and events on valentine's day are well attended. I am sure this year shall be no different. I am again sure, as I am writing this article many of us are busy looking for the best gift to express their undying love for their partners. The attention valentine's day received year after year is tremendous. You may agree or disagree but valentine's day has consciously or unconsciously become one of the most important single days in Ghana.

If you disagree, try to remember the dates for these all important international days World Cancer Day or Malaria Day, Children's Day or Water Day to mention but a few. I am sure by now you realize you do not know the dates for their celebration. This is to tell us just how much as a nation we have overlook our developmental problems for short term pleasures. As I was thinking about the topic of valentine's day and the other days I remembered days like Independent Day, Republic Day, Africa Union (AU) Day, Founder's Day, Labour Day and Farmers Day. As I remembered these days I panic because Valentine's day is gradually overtaking these national days in terms of attentions and programmes.

If you also doubt this assumption then ask a basic school pupil the date for valentine's day and be sure she or he will get it spot on. Ask the same child the date for AU Day, be sure the pupil will struggle to remember. Most of us adults barely remember or prepare for such days as AU Day. On our calendars such day as AU Day are simple mark public holidays. Valentine's day stand shoulder to shoulder with these meaningful days in Ghana and even beat them to attention, awareness and programmes. The only international day that stand or may stand with valentine's day in terms of attention, awareness and programmes perhaps may be Mother's Day.

World Cancer Day, Malaria Day, Children's Day and Water Day are also international days celebrated worldwide like Valentine's day but come and go with little public interest in Ghana. These days are left for government or private institutions concerned. Most often media houses give such important days some few minutes on their morning shows and in the evening news bulleting tell such so and so institutions held a seminar to commemorate for example World Malaria Day or International Children's Day. Yet Malaria is the leading killer of our citizens, child trafficking, labour and abuse are still prevalent in society.

So just what is it which make the 14^TH of February special than any of the other single days mentioned above. It is never a public holiday in Ghana nor the rest of the world but Ghanaians especially the youth welcome it with gusto. I have observed through the years that, it is celebrated by both believers and non believers without questions. In others words valentine's day is no more a day for Christians alone. It is a national phenomenon thanks to its central theme of " LOVE" and the media.

Love is a subject everybody can relate to in our society. Fathers, mothers, children, the young, the old, the rich, the poor, the haves and the have-nots, believers and non believers can and do all relate to love. Perhaps love knows no religious or ethnic boundaries thus valentine's day is a rare day where our difference countless. But so is a day like International Children's Day, Malaria Day or Water Day.

These days also know no religious, ethnic and political barriers. They are also days everybody can relate to in Ghana. For example which Ghanaian community have not experience water shortage before? Which Ghanaian born and bred in Ghana can tell me she/he have not been treated of malaria fever before? Which Ghanaian can also tell me she/he cannot relate to the plight of children schooling under tree? If we as nation do relate to the questions above why then do we celebrate valentine's day better than the other days? I am certain it is not only because of it central theme of love nor is it only because it is celebrated by believers and non believers alike. Other days like Malaria Day is a day celebrated by all.

The answer to why valentine's day received more attention than most days afore mention lies in us. Yes we are the reason behind valentine's day becoming more important than for example World Malaria Day. We made it happen, it is no miracle and this is how.

First and foremost we have or are becoming more and more materialistic and capitalistic in our orientation. The media have help deepen this orientation. This means that anything that can be branded well for money is good business and everybody jumps on it. Go round the city of Accra, count the number of shows and programmes organized to celebrate valentine's day. You will be surprise at the number.

Look into the shops around your neighborhood and see the valentine's day franchise that just arrived. From valentine's day branded cards, teddy bear, to shirts, red paints and dresses. A walk through the major malls in Ghana and you will experience at forehand what I am saying. Huge companies, retail, floral and gift shops and event organizers have capitalized on the subject matter of valentine's day for their gains.

To companies and shop owners it is a day to sell as much as they can. Valentine's day may be nothing but a lottery jackpot for shops and event organizers. To these people valentine's day have no business meaning after the 14. Nobody buys anything after the 14. Therefore they do their best to maximize profit. For them the day may have no significance beyond the 14. The day end in itself and it might even end before it start when sales are below expectation.

Fortunately or unfortunately our love is gradually been reduce to material relevance. People expects gifts from their lovers to show just how much they care or love them. I am not saying it wrongs to receive or send gifts on valentine's day. I myself enjoy gifts on such day and I love them. But let face reality love on valentine's day has been materialized. Go to our high schools and universities and you see the troubles students go through to prove their love for their boyfriends/girlfriends.

Let me use my days in school as example. In my days in secondary school/high school, in the early 2000 the post master was still very much relevant. Every class had a post officers or representatives. These post officers meet once or twice very week to sort letters for their various classes. On valentine's day class post officers became more important. And day students even become much more important.

The schedules of class post officers are change for students to received their gifts mostly cards from their girlfriends because I attended a boys school. Woe to you if you did not received a letter or a card. And even worst is the boy that send to a girl but never received anything in return. That whole week you shall be the topic for discussion most of our free time and at preps. The laughter they endured only God knew how they felt.

In the university I remember a friend suffered a similar fate. In his attempt to win a girl he bought a very expensive gift by our standards for the girl but to his surprise not even a call to say a received you gift. I perceived similar events happen in many schools and places. I took you back to school days to demonstrate just how materialistic our love on valentine's day has become. Perhaps Mother's Day stand toe to toe with valentine's day because of our material and capital orientation.

You may agree or disagree but we cannot deny the fact that valentine's day and mother's day received greater awareness than any other day. Come to think of it how many people will buy treated mosquito nets for needy children on World Malaria Day or how many companies will exploit World Cancer day for their profit. It is not so easy making capital gains from such all important days like World Cancer Day and Children's Day.

May be this is the reason days like World Cancer, Malaria or Water Day have received less awareness and publicity. To conclude I must say that this is not a article against valentine's day. After all there are other programmes that build and develop our society like blood donations, relationship and marriage seminars organized around the country. Rather this article is to put all of us in remembrances of our material and capital celebration of valentine's day which is not suppose to be so.

To remind us of the very basic needs of our society like water. This article is to make us aware that a celebration of true love must transcend into celebration of life not material gifts. A true celebration of love in my opinion should catapult us into a mood for the celebration of days like Malaria Day, World Cancer Day, International Children's Day and the likes. These days are days that allow for progress analysis of our institutions and systems.

They also exposes the weakness in our lifestyle, health system, educational system, environment and finally our developmental plans. Valentine's day is celebrated better than most of the international day because we only in reality celebrate our new version of valentine's day. The valentine's day as we have created it, a capital and material valentine. If this was not so I cannot understand why a people who celebrate love with gusto neglect International Children's Day or World Malaria Day or even World Water Day without remorse.

Dominic Bonsu

(Mphil, Development Geography).

SK 4018 Spintex Road.

Mantse Ayiku Avenue

Accra.