For florists it’s one of the biggest money-making days along with Mother’s Day and the December holidays. For candy makers it means millions of dollars, even during a recession.
For the wives and children who are victims of violence and abuse, Valentine’s Day is just another day of fear, dread, and anxiety.
Many women (and some men too) are hurt by the same people who once promised to love, cherish and protect them. When this happens, the fear of abuse and even death can be overwhelming.
This Valentine’s Day whether you are in a happy, loving, committed relationship or you are one of the many people who will be celebrating “Singles Awareness Day,” one of the things that you may be thankful for is a brief reprieve from domestic violence.
Although there is some evidence that Valentine’s Day is connected to a spike in domestic abuse, according to the National Resource Center on Domestic Violence, Valentine’s Day is actually one of three days where there is actually a slight decrease in reports of domestic violence (the other two are Thanksgiving and Christmas).
This is a tiny bright spot within a very dark issue that usually only comes to light when a celebrity has been caught on tape abusing their partner or because someone who you have never heard of has been killed after years of abuse.
Sadly, domestic violence is overwhelmingly common in the United States. Twenty people are physically abused by their partners every minute. Nearly 5 million women are victims of physical abuse by their partners every year and over 38 million women in the United States have experienced physical intimate partner violence in their lifetimes.
Unfortunately, there are some for whom Valentine’s Day is not a happy day at all.
Here’s hoping that you have a great Valentine’s Day full of love and affection with your friends, family and significant others.
