ESD MAGAZINE
By: LAURA SOLLA

We tell you why Valentine's Day is a day to celebrate, whether you have a partner or not.

Yes, even if you don't have a partner, this day is also for you. We tell you the full story of Valentine's Day (spoiler: no happy ending) and we discover the perfect options to give yourself or yourself on this special day. And long live love!

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February 14 is a somewhat complicated day. A date -for some, fruit of consumerism- that is supposedly celebrated in honor of lovers, and that divides the population every year: there are those who love it (curiously, they are usually the same ones who succumbed to cupid or some of those lucky 'rara avis' who live in a constant honeymoon), and those who hate it, who, coincidentally, coincide in taking advantage of this day to deny love a little bit and become a kind of improvised Grinch for a day. Like almost the entire population, I have been in both groups, and I can say without fear of contradiction that February 14 is a day to celebrate, whether we are in love or not. And if you don't believe me, read on.

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At the beginning we talked about the more consumerist and commercial sense of this day, yes, but the more romantic ones will know that its origin comes from long before the giant LED screen ads took over the big avenues and advertising took up almost more time than the movie itself. Actually, the origin of February 14 dates back to the third century in - how could it be otherwise - Rome. It was precisely in the city of love where Emperor Claudius II decided to prohibit the celebration of marriages for all those young men of fighting age, considering that being unmarried without sentimental ties they would serve better at the front as soldiers. So far it doesn't seem very 'they were happy and ate happy', but, fortunately, we are in that part of the story where 'the good guy' comes into action. This time it was Valentine, a Christian priest who decided to disobey the emperor and secretly celebrate the marriage of all those young lovers.

But, unfortunately, the story does not end here. As this is classical Rome and not a Hollywood romantic comedy, the ending is a bit more crude and less happy. Valentine was condemned to death by the emperor on the grounds of disobedience and rebellion... precisely on February 14, 270. From then on, this day was commemorated every year, as we all know, as Valentine's Day.

And after the historical contextualization of rigor, it is time to talk about why the title of this article. Yes, yes, the story of Claudius and Valentine is very Shakespearean and very romantic, but why should we celebrate February 14, even if we don't have a partner? Easy: although in Spain this day is dedicated almost exclusively to romantic relationships, in many other countries it has a somewhat different meaning and what is celebrated is love, with all its letters and connotations. Thus, this day also celebrates love in terms of friendship, family and, of course, the most important: self-love.

As there is no celebration without gifts and we know that it is not always easy to get it right, we have proposed a list of ideas where you will find the perfect gift to pamper yourself or your loved ones, whether your partner is in this group or not. From accessories, special garments or shoes to elevate all your looks, in our Valentine's Day section you will find everything you need to get out of the classic chocolates and celebrate a February 14 full of fashion and love.