The Truth about Valentine’s Day

Every year as the calendar flips to February, everyone’s attention usually shifts to one thing: Valentine’s Day. This made-up, capitalist holiday that benefits no one. Believing that Valentine’s Day is a shitty holiday is more complex than just being heartbroken, single, or lonely. Regardless of relationship status, many people have reason to despise the 14th of February. 

The first and most obvious reason stems from consumerism. While this special day may not have gotten its start from capitalist gift exchanges, it’s become more and more commercialized. Corporations use this “holiday” as a way to market their products and entice consumers to purchase them. They bump up the prices, throw on some red hearts, then cause insecurities within relationships because your partner unknowingly bought the smaller box of chocolates rather than the large one. 

The idea of gift giving is not all bad though. Individuals should feel compelled to buy gifts for their significant other anytime of the year. Relationships that rely solely on Valentine’s Day to display their love and appreciation may have deeper issues to resolve. Society preaches that Valentine’s Day isn’t celebrated to make single people sad, and that it’s just an excuse for couples to show off their relationship. The reality of this though is that if all of the love and affection was real, would you need the excuse of a calendar day to show it off?

The issue then arises of comparing your relationship to others’. Valentine’s Day subconsciously turns into a competition to show off how “great” your relationship is. Whether it actually is great or you’re faking it, social media prompts everyone to join in. We all become victims of jealousy when this day rolls around. Everyone spends the day looking at cute couple pictures, wishing their relationship was more like that person’s, or that they had one at all. It’s a day that forces couples to question their relationship. No matter how much your partner does for you, there’s always someone else on social media who got more. 

One of the most annoying parts of this holiday is that the second you start to complain about it, you’re immediately villainized and assumed to be bitter. Not everyone has to like it, and you don’t need to feel guilty about that. If you’re single or in a relationship, feel free to voice your opinion about how much Valentine's day sucks, because it does.