Now that Valentine’s Day approaches everyone feels the need to express their extreme opinion about this little holiday. It seems like people either want to buy and receive flowers, chocolates, balloons and rainbows on Friday or they want to light the Valentine’s Day card section on fire in the pharmacy. Both are wholly unnecessary, especially lighting anything on fire.
Hating this holiday is a huge waste of energy. Don’t have a want or need to celebrate? Don’t. No one is making you. Cupid is not beating you over the head with arrows.
If you have a significant other, there is no need to panic or stress about making it the perfect day. Talk about what the two of you expect out of the day, and be honest. Want to go full out? Make dinner reservations, buy flowers and dress up.
Want to be creative? Get crafting, get baking, get writing or do something totally unique to your significant other. To me, Valentine’s day is not an obligation to be amazing in your relationship; it is an excuse to celebrate it. Celebrate it however you both want to celebrate it.
Awkward couples are not the only Valentine’s Day haters I want to convert. If you’re Valentine’s Day hating, you probably fall into a couple categories, and I have a solution for each one.
You might hate being asked about your Valentines Day plans. To lower your blood pressure, every time the small talk turns romantic just look at those questions the same way you look at people questioning your spring break plans. Use the tried and true “No I don’t have any plans, just relaxing/drinking/studying as usual” or “No, but I wish I did have plans!” There is no need to be offended by polite conversation if you can’t respond with “Yes, I am proposing on Friday.”
If you do not feel any connection to the holiday, it is okay. There is no family or social obligation. This is not a holiday where you have to spend a long weekend with your family, pretending that you actually like that weird book your aunt bought you.
This holiday’s significance holds no weight if you choose not to give it weight. If you do not want to throw red and pink confetti in the air, treat it like it doesn’t even phase you; be respectful in your indifference. Worst case scenario your significant other wants to celebrate and you do not. If that is the case, make the most of it and maybe even learn something new.
Anyone who claims Valentine’s Day was invented by greeting card companies obviously never did their homework. It is a very old holiday, deeply based in religion like almost every holiday. It has become materialized like Christmas or Halloween. It is thousands of years old, but the fact is it means nowhere near what it used to. Thus, you can make it mean whatever you want it to mean.
Maybe you would love Valentine’s Day if you had a special someone but you pretend to hate February 14 because some people need to hate what the can’t have. Do not freak out, get together with a group of friends and do whatever you want to do come Friday. If that doesn’t work out, you do not need to seek anyone’s permission to bring cupcakes to class or cards to work. Go crazy, anyone hating your celebration nature needs to get off their bitter bus.
It is a big waste of time and energy to hate an abstract and inconsequential holiday. Whether or not you believe that the day is important, Valentine’s Day is unavoidable. If you are in a relationship, it would benefit you to remeber that treating your sweeheart extra special will only stregnthen your relationship. It seems simple to me; celebrate or don’t celebrate. No need to get Cupid’s bow in a knot.
How do you feel about V-Day? Tell us all about your elaborate plans or lack there of. Please send all feedback to opinion@dailycardinal.com.
