As Valentine’s Day approaches, it seems like everything becomes increasingly more pink and covered in hearts. Some really love this time of year and buy into the cheesy scam of sending all their friends and loved ones candy, flowers and treats, while other people are not as into it, and this is usually because those with anti-Valentine’s sentiments feel bitter they have no one to share it with.
According to History.com, the origin of this holiday comes from the legend of St. Valentine who married lovers in secret during the Roman Empire. From this, the idea of Valentine’s Day as a day of love and admiration grew. However, in the present culture the idea of the holiday has taken a much more commercial, materialistic turn.
Sure, other times of the year have the standard pressure to be in a relationship, but as Valentine’s Day rolls around, the stakes get higher. Single people find themselves in a state of sadness and loneliness seeing everyone around them spending the day with someone they love.
It really is hard to see all the cute, cheesy festivities and not have the feeling of missing out. For just about most of February, movies, candies and cards all scream the message of spending the day with your significant other.
After all, Valentine’s Day is a huge source of revenue in the U.S. According to Anna Hecht with CNBC, Valentine’s Day 2020 expenditures were expected to fall just short of $27.5 billion. For something as minor as a holiday having to do with love, that number is astonishing.
This just goes to show the amount of importance people place on Valentine’s Day, and no matter what you do, you cannot escape its reach. The holiday and the pressure for one to succumb to its customs are simply everywhere, in every store and in every commercial.
Valentine’s Day creates a toxic environment for those who are single and looking for love. There is so much pressure leading up to it, yet when the day designated for grand romantic gestures actually arrives, it is disappointing for a lot of the people who had hoped it would finally be their year for love.
According to Stephanie Pappas of Live Science, people who are more anxious tend to have more negative feelings toward Valentine’s Day, especially if these people are also not in relationships.
The good news, however, tends to show how even though nervous people harbor negative emotions about Valentine’s Day, the day itself is not quite as bad as they had anticipated.
Many people have a bad attitude toward Valentine’s Day, and that is okay. There is nothing wrong with being single, especially in college, and even if you do not get that ring by spring, there is so much value in being independent and learning about yourself.
Even if you do not have a boyfriend or girlfriend to share it with, there are so many other ways to celebrate Valentine’s Day in a more platonic way. You can have a get-together with your friends, a “Galentine’s” Day or just spend it with your family.
However upset and down you might feel at the prospect of being alone on Valentine’s Day this coming week, know many others feel the same, and the whole idea of Valentine’s Day has been marketed to sell Hallmark cards and chocolate. Save those feelings of shame and well-needed wads of cash and spend some quality time with platonic loved ones.
