Editorial
Is Valentine’s Day worth celebrating?
All too soon Valentine’s Day (usually called Val’s Day) is here again and come Tuesday February 14, 2023, the Day will be celebrated in diverse ways all over the world.
Usually, weeks before the celebration, shelves of stores are decorated in red, white, and pink. Reports indicate that the streets of Accra is already flooded with red, which is usually associated with love, in preparation towards Val’s Day and traders are taking advantage to cash in on the event.
Some restaurants, hotels and entertainment centres have not been left out but they are also making feverish preparations to welcome and entertain guests all in the name of Val’s Day.
Despite the history surrounding Valentine’s Day, when a Priest named Valentine was executed for breaking the law and secretly performing marriages for young men which was forbidden, the Day has now evolved into a day when lovers take the opportunity to renew their love, friendship and admiration for one another.
While lovers spend quality time together to reignite their love with families and friends others exchange gifts such as chocolates, bouquet of flowers, greeting cards, toffees, dresses, food and drinks.
Although the celebration of Val’s Day has become a commercial venture sometimes with its related stress, one needs to be mindful of the fact that showing love can be a token, which is not so expensive. What is more important is the acknowledgement of love and admiration to keep the relationship vibrant.
Sometimes the expectations from some partners may be so high that eventually it leads to disappointments but one needs not spend lavish gifts to express love. If you cannot afford lavish gifts, celebrate it in moderation.
It is surprising that despite the noise made about Valentine’s Day some Ghanaians are not perturbed at all by its celebration which is observed all over the world.
Some are of the view that partners need to express their love everyday and should not wait for Val’s Day before they do so. Others consider it a ‘taboo’ and would not even dream of celebrating it.
The Spectator is of the view that whatever it is Val’s Day is now celebrated as National Chocolate Day for the consumption of chocolate to promote made-in-Ghana chocolate and other cocoa products, which has caught on well with many Ghanaians and that in itself is refreshing.
Valentine’s Day is now a Day for love and chocolate so more people buy chocolate to share with their loved ones on this special day. It is no more a Day when most of the youth engage in promiscuity; it is a day to eat more chocolate and promote Ghana’s chocolate products.
We say a big thanks to Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey (of blessed memory), the then Minister of Tourism in 2007 who spearheaded this great initiative and announced that Val’s Day would be replaced with the celebration of chocolate.
So whether you are in a relationship or not the Day offers a good opportunity to take time off your busy schedule and spend time with your family and friends to share happy moments and eat chocolate.
The Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) must also ensure that made-in-Ghana chocolate is available and affordable for people to consume chocolate and its other products to stay healthy.
Let us be kind and share what we have with the needy in our own small way to make Valentine-Chocolate Day worth-celebrating.
Dear Editor,
It is often said that a healthy nation is a wealthy nation. However, this saying becomes worrying when the health of citizens is threatened by the conditions under which the food they consume daily is sold.
In Ghana, the conditions under which food is sold is quite disturbing. Over the years, I have observed that the environments where food is prepared and sold are often unhygienic.
In many cases, containers holding food such as rice and waakye are left uncovered or not properly covered, exposing them to contamination.
While many Ghanaians paid little attention in the past to the conditions under which food was sold, the narrative seems to be changing in recent years.
I recall an incident during my days in Senior High School (S.H.S.) when my friends and I went out to buy food. At one location, some of us chose not to buy because we assumed the food would be expensive due to how neat the place looked.
Unfortunately, we ended up purchasing food from a different place that was somewhat unhygienic. We overlooked the poor conditions because we believed the quantity offered was better than at the cleaner location.
However, I am certain that my friends and I would not repeat such a mistake today, as we now understand the health implications of that decision.
While public education is important in addressing this issue, I believe it is time for regulatory and law enforcement agencies, such as the Food and Drug Authority (FDA), to crack the whip on food sellers and vendors who operate in unhygienic environments and conditions.
As citizens, we must also be mindful of where we buy our food to protect ourselves and our families from diseases and illnesses. We should choose ‘quality’ over ‘quantity’ and prioritize our health.
From Syram
Oyarifa
Dear Editor,
I write to express concern and call for improved security measures before and after every football match.
The recent robbery attack that led to the tragic death of a player, on their return from a Match day 29 game against Samartex, is both shocking and heartbreaking.
The incident, which reportedly occurred around 10:30 p.m., highlights the growing risks faced by players and team officials while traveling.
Football is meant to unite and entertain, not to expose lives to danger. It is therefore imperative that authorities, the Ghana Football Association, and security agencies put in place adequate protection for teams, especially during late-night travels.
I strongly urge all stakeholders to treat this matter with urgency to prevent such unfortunate incidents from recurring.
From Eugene Ampiaw
Accra
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