Songsoptok
Interview
Valentine’s Day – myth or reality?
SONGSOPTOK: Valentine’s Day has become
one of the major festivals these days, comparable to Thanksgiving, Christmas,
Diwali, Id, Rosh Hashanah or Chanukah and observed by men and women
irrespective of religion. Do you agree? How important is it in the country you
live in??
SIAMIR: Yes,I do agree.It is
beacause this Valentine’s day is a
special for the young generations or other people,who may be concerned with so
as toimprove the human relation in terms of loving each other in this
Universe.Actually,it is very important in my country whereas most of the youths
like and feel very interesting to celebrate it,but the Governments in my
country do not agree if the youths and young generations as well as to
celebrate the day of the Valentin’s day caused by the religious factors.
SONGSOPTOK: There are several different views about the history and origin of
Valentine’s Day. Which is the version you know about?
SIAMIR: Historically,the history of the origin of Valentine’s day has different
versions as i know that Valentine’s day
is a special day or people,who may be concerned with has been in the love
,whereas people send their love message and the gifts to one with another
related to the greatest name Santo Valentine,who died as a hero kept up and
strengthen his belief.In another side,the origin history about Valentine’s day
is that it was regarded as one of the celebration days by Romans,who had a strong belief of their religion to worship
the statue since 17th Century B.C. so as to worship the deitiy,Lupercus
considered as the deities of vertility.Mean while,since the death of Christian
Priest,known as a helpful doctor,named as Valentine in 14 th,February,269 A.D. became
the major talk up to day.
SONGSOPTOK: Why do you think Valentine’s Day has become so important all over the world
irrespective of the political, social and religious dimensions? Do you think
that the anxiety and stress related to modern day relationships have
contributed to its growing popularity all over the world?
SIAMIR: I think
Valentine’s day has become so impotant to all over the world because it
concerns with the improvement of human relation,even in the dynamic improvement
of the political,social aspects and religious dimensions.I do not think so that the anxiety and stress related to modern
day relationship contributed to its growing popularity all over the world
since Valentine may
not be regarded as a negative aspect in the lives of man.
SONGSOPTOK: Do you celebrate Valentine’s Day? In what way? If you don’t, will you
please explain why not?
SIAMIR: No,but i just only joined my best friend in
my country to celebrate Valentine’s day.He invited me and we just made a happy life
for keeping good relationship between one with another.
SONGSOPTOK: Do you feel obliged to do something special for your spouse/partner on
Valentine’s Day or it is similar to and as natural as celebrating birthdays and
anniversaries? In other words, is there any peer pressure to conform to the
traditions associated with the modern version of Valentine’s Day?
SIAMIR: No,do not feel obliged to do something special for my partner on
Valentine’s day except when it is the day of her birthday,and i surely suppot her to celebrate and invite some of our friends to come,which is similar to
Valentine’s day.In other words,there is no any peer pressure to traditions
associated with the modern version of Valentine’s day that is meant by.
SONGSOPTOK: According to you what, if anything, is
special about Valentine’s Day? Does it play an important role in romantic
relationships? Why? Is it important for you to surprise your partner on
Valentine’s Day? What would be your preferred way?
SIAMIR: In my opinion, the special thing in
Valentine’s day is to keep up a good loving between one with another so as to make a
very good human relations among people .Of course,it plays an important role in
romantic relationship ,especially for the youths to keep more friendship among
them since human relation is one of the important things to share ideas beside
something regarding positive .I think,no so because she knows everything about
this.I would like if she and i have a mutual understanding about this so as to avoid negative thinking.
SONGSOPTOK: Do you buy gifts on Valentine’s Day? What type of gifts do you normally
buy? Do you think it is important to follow the norm and go for the traditional
gifts like flowers, chocolates, cards, perfumes etc.? Please share your
motivations or lack of them with us?
SIAMIR: Oh,yes,sometimes i buy gifts on this day.Well,i
sometimes ‘Gold Ring’,and sometimes i give flowers,and perfumes.I do think so
because following traditonal gifts as is meant may not be separated from human
lives ,and it should be.I used to share my motivations by giving them a
spirit,and a mutual understanding concerning with these all.
SONGSOPTOK: Marketing Gurus often dub Hallmark as the official sponsor of Valentine’s
Day in the USA. Do you have any equivalent in your own country? Do big consumer
good companies carry out an aggressive promotion campaign for Valentine’s Day?
What are their preferred channels? Do social media play an important role in
this respect in your country of residence?
SIAMIR: No, i do not have as what is meant as the
official sponsor of Valentine’s day in the USA.No, i don’t have any in my own
country.Not very much they carry out as what is meant for Valentine’s day.CNN
channel that they mostly preferred.Yes, only a few social medias play important
role in this respect of my own country residence.
SONGSOPTOK: What are the popular customs related to Valentine’s Day in the country you
live in? What do you think about them? Do you think that men and women actually
enjoy and look forward to 14th February or is it just a matter of keeping up
with the Jones’??
SIAMIR: The popular customs related toValentine’s
day in the country i live in is that going along with friends to friends’ house
or going along with friends visiting a recreational place.I think that no mater
if they are conducted as long as they might not bring negative impacts.I think
so,they are mostly to enjoy and to look forward to 14th February or with no a
matter of keeping up with the Jones.
SONGSOPTOK: Do you think that there is actually a social stigma for single, unattached
people who do not celebrate Valentine’s Day? Do you think that the Valentine
Day extravaganza may have a negative impact on their psyche, moral and
ultimately their well-beings? What is your own experiences? Would you please
share it with us?
SIAMIR: No, i do not think so that there is actually a social
stigma for single unattrached people who do not celebrate Valentine’s day.I
do not think so it may have a negative
impact on their psyche,moral and ultimately and this depends on their own
personality whether they tend to do the negative impacts dealing with the
immoral things ,which are not suitable for Valentines day.My own experience
about this is so wide for joining valentine’s day as a day of keeping good
human relations with other people in my country seem to be fair and brings
happiness in the lives of sharing ideas between one with another whereas it
creates a new world of lives sharing the love,who may be concerned with.
SIAMIR MARULAFAU was born in Nias, North
Sumatera-Indoesia,May 17,1958. He is A
lecturer in English language and literature at the University of North Sumatra. He is a poet, a short story writer. He has been writing many
poems English and Indonesian language and
some of his works were published such as “Humanity”(A Poem
Anthology,2015);”Lighting”(A poemAnthology,2016),etc.
Aparajita
Sen
(EDITOR)
Songsoptok
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