February 14, Valentine's Day, is an annual celebration of love, which takes its origin from a Christian celebration of a martyr named Valentine.
To those who believe in it, the day affords lovers, family members and friends the opportunity to practically demonstrate their love towards one another.
Aside from its rich and characteristic romantic content, over the years, exchange of gift items such as cards, letters, flowers, clothes, shoes, bags, jewelries and cars, among others has become an integral part of the Valentine ritual.
Romantic meetings where cozy and sumptuous meals are the main item in a homely spot of choice are also top on the Valentine Day's schedule. To demonstrate its uniqueness, red is the preferred symbol of Valentine's Day. This is revealed through the fashion sense of diverse Valentine disciples and apostles who adorn assorted red stuff. Hence, to a large extent, Valentine Day could be said to be a red letter day!
Valentine's Day is typically associated with giving, going to the movies, lighting red candles, going out to dinner, and having a little extra fun for lovers. It goes without saying that these activities demand significant financial outlays.
There is a huge economic angle to the whole Valentine episode. Hospitality and entertainment sectors are mostly affected. Since love and romance are involved, it is only natural that those in the hospitality and related businesses benefit hugely from the smell of love that is in the air.
To really catch on the economic prospect of the day, many restaurants, nite clubs, cinemas, relaxation gardens and hotels usually put-up special tantalising offers on Valentine Day, all in a bid to attract good business. As a result of the flurry of activities for the day, these spots are often busier than usual as many people go out for a date with their spouse, partner or prospective lovers.
With the soaring cost of living, many Nigerians preferred to have a low-key Valentine's Day celebration.
Price increases have been recorded in transportation, feeding, housing, raw materials and health care, among others.
The situation is worse for most Nigerians living from hand to mouth, which means they spend virtually everything they earn to sustain themselves daily, with little or no spare cash left for other things.
With soaring inflation, millions who want to show their partners how much they mean to them on this special day may be unable to afford a gift box for the items they wish to gift their partner.
While there is never a wrong amount of money to spend on your loved ones, the rising cost of products and services in the country have left very little to cheer about.
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