Valentine’s Day is a day for cute couples to parade their cute-ness to the world, and a day for those who are “unlucky” enough to be “forever alone” to mope around miserably and eat all of the themed confections we give to each other.
A new trend is calling Valentine’s Day “Singles Awareness Day,” which is something I believe is disrespectful and hurtful. Although I will be in a relationship this Valentine’s Day, I have been mocked for not being in a relationship in past years.
There should not be a day dedicated to people either in relationships or who are pursuing a relationship with another person. Love is an open concept, and yet Valentine’s day somehow manages to be constricted in its meaning.
Love is an abstract concept, one that cannot be definitely defined. Is it possible to dedicate a day of love and affection to such an intangible concept? I don’t think so.
The addition of Valentine’s day to our calendar brings with it a different kind of discrimination–discrimination between those who are single and those who are in relationships. Who cares if you’re in love or not? Who cares if you have a boyfriend or girlfriend?
Taylor Swift once said, “I believe when it comes to love, there’s something intangible about who we are attracted to, and I don’t think I have a pattern.” Valentine’s Day is a day for people to declare their “love” for each other, but why must we conform to the status quo and force ourselves upon those who might not want us?
Valentine’s Day has become a consumerist holiday where men are challenged to buy overpriced jewelry, chocolates, and adorable stuffed animals for their “significant others” because they are “in love.”
Although I hate the holiday, I do have a “significant other” and I’m therefore somewhat required to celebrate it. While shopping for Valentine’s day cards, I came across one that said, “What do you say we skip the whole heartfelt and sentimental greeting card thing and just celebrate Valentine’s Day the way it was meant to be celebrated?”
I believe this to the fullest. It shows how people are supposed to feel for each other: genuine love and affection for one another. Everyone should let go of the societal standards placed upon us to be a part of a “perfect couple,” and not feel the pressure to buy gifts for their loved ones. Without the pressure to meet the societal standards of Valentine’s Day, people will no longer feel as if they must bend over backwards to find someone they can pretend to like for 24 hours.
