Sweetest Day: What It Truly Means & How I Feel About It
A holiday seldom known outside of the American Midwest, Sweetest Day has been defined as a "Hallmark" holiday which it isn't. This is where it came from and what it means to me.
Being from Detroit I first became aware of the Sweetest Day holiday as a kid around 6-7 years old. It's on the third Saturday in October occasionally falling on my mom's birthday (the 16th, HBD Mom). I was under the common impression that this was holiday celebrated everywhere as a Valentine's Day part two. Valentine's Day was supposed to be for the guys to shower gifts and love on their partners and Sweetest Day is supposed to be for the ladies to return the favor. I'll be touching on Valentine's Day when that time comes but today is about this day that I found out recently isn't recognized everywhere or even known in some spots.
The origin of this “holiday” came about in Cleveland, Ohio in the early 1920’s. A committee of confectioners (candy makers and/or sellers) who created it to drum up sales. First celebrated in 1921 to this day Cleveland is the biggest city besides Detroit that recognizes this holiday. As far as in the Motor City, you shouldn't be surprised if you see sellers of Sweetest Day baskets, flowers and candy on freeway off ramps, gas stations, some empty lots via rented U Haul trucks trying to provide people with a last minute gift for those they're sweet on in the week leading up to it. In my coming of age I've seen more guys buying their girls things for the third Saturday in October than females gifting the guy.
As for my experience with it I have neither gifted or been gifted anything by anyone. Not because I'm some pessimistic being making some kind of statement against society or social trends but because of my lack of what I'd consider a true relationship. If you came for the history of Sweetest Day this is where I bid you adieu. If you came to know how I feel about the holiday here we are. I consider myself currently the loneliest man in the world. I can (I believe) be one of the most romantic men around. Flowers, candy (need I mention love letters because c'mon lol). In all seriousness if it's one area I've seriously lacked in most of my life it's the love department. Maybe I'll find the Debra to my Ray Barone one day but as of now I'm just a lonesome writer fueled by Taylor Port (Teleport lol) and coney island.
Days like Sweetest Day and Valentine's hit harder than most for the lonely like myself but it bears the question, do we need a holiday or two in this case, to show our partners how we feel about them. Must we go to Walgreens to buy some chocolates in a box and a generic cheesy card to tell significant others we love them. In my opinion absolutely not. Like I said before Sweetest Day came from a group of candy makers in Cleveland with the purpose of using feelings to make dollars. It definitely isn't the only holiday and far from the biggest to do this. After all we have Christmas in July sales and even before Columbus Day we're getting Wal Mart commercials about Christmas.
I'm not knocking the holiday at all but I'm just saying it doesn't take all that. Maybe I do have pessimistic feelings towards it, who knows (Is there a psychiatrist in the house lol). What I do know is this. Give your partners gifts, affection and love on the days before and after the 14th of February and October’s third Saturday. Hell if I did have someone special than I'd be in the masses scouring I-94 off ramps, local abandoned lots looking for a U Haul truck stocked with the local holiday fare. So let me end this by saying to those celebrating this day, enjoy the day and each other. Thank you for those who took the time to read this and letting me share these kinda embarrassing things with you. As for me I'll probably be spending this night alone, engaging in another tradition in Michigan in October, it's also the topic of my next article. The Michigan vs. Michigan State game. With all that said Happy Sweetest Day and #GoBlue.
Before I go, if you need some “mood music” for the day go to my YouTube channel, Tom Detroit 01 and go to my music playlist titled “The Quiet Storm”. My top five songs on there are as follows.
The Secret Garden by Quincy Jones featuring Al B. Sure, James Ingram, El DeBarge and Barry White
Kissing You by Keith Washington
In The Mood by The Whispers
Inside My Love by Minnie Riperton
Back To My Place by October London