f 2020 wasn’t a reminder enough, read on to know why love is so much more than its two-dimensional V-Day’s interpretation and deserves to be celebrated beyond it.
A Roman priest, Hindu College’s infamous ‘Damdami Mai,’ and Archies’ busiest days of the year all have one thing in common – Valentine’s Day! Like every holiday involving greeting cards, it’s- heteronormative, commercial, and reeks of privilege. But it doesn’t necessarily have to be so.
In a pre-pandemic world, most students would have confessed that it is hard to take a break and spend time with those you love, and the pandemic has done a great job of making people grateful for their friendships and relationships. However, some of us won’t need much time to fall back to our old ways – only hoping and wishing for some time to ourselves, or with the people, we really want to be with, rather than actually making it happen.
The hectic schedule of online classes, coupled with regular society ‘meetings,’ and the never-ending burden of internals and assignments add to the monotonous cycle of weeks passing by (did we even realise that January 2020 is already over?!). Before another semester passes by under the garb of binge-watching and mindless scrolling, it might be a good idea to make use of this Valentine’s Day to finally get that self-care session done after a long day of online classes or plan an open-air picnic with friends or family who you’ve been dying to meet since March last year (celebrate responsibly in COVID times).
For us, students, this time of the year is ideal to get on the bandwagon of Valentine’s Day-derivative holidays that are springing up all over the place, without necessarily subverting the traditional connotations of the day – celebrating a “Palentine’s Day” where you get together with friends to cook and eat your favourite food or “Galentine’s Day” for an all gal-pal trip to your favourite hangout spot. These may seem frivolous at the outset, but trying out new recipes or revisiting old memories with your friends outside of your Instagram story archives can be a great way to spend the ‘day of love.’
Having fun and enjoying yourself shouldn’t start and end on a day and can definitely be done in your own company. This V-Day, have a dose of self-affirmation and make it a point to pledge a few minutes of each day towards your health and well-being. This can be something as simple as spending a few moments being grateful and counting your blessings, or penning down your thoughts at the end of each day, or even starting a guided meditation routine. Start with something small that you think will make the next day a little better for you to take on.
Last but not least, remember that at the end of the day…this is just a day. Characterised by all the media brainwashing, the hyper-romantic portrayals, and the clichéd notions of love — bear in mind, that it is far from the reality of celebration of love. Make the most of the time on your hand to do something that you would truly enjoy and not something you’re made to think you’ll enjoy.
Read also: https://dubeat.com/2020/04/editorial-dealing-with-uncertainty-during-covid-19/
Bhavya Pandey
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