‘Tis the season for joy, gift giving, kissing under the mistletoe and for some people… a holiday engagement. However, scrolling down my Facebook feed, I see more people complaining about holiday engagements than I see people actually getting engaged. Why are people so bitter? Why must people feel the need to dull the shine of happy couples?
It’s as if getting engaged anytime through Christmas, New Year’s, or Valentine’s Day is considered cliche. But let me remind you something: Christmas actually is the time for gift giving. If a couple decides to give eachother the gift of love, commitment and lifelong happiness, then what is wrong with that? The New Year actually is the time of a new start, so why do we look down on couples who start the New Year engaged? Valentine’s Day actually is the time of going above and beyond to show love for a person’s significant other. Making a promise as significant as an engagement shows this love and commitment. If people sat around waiting to become engaged to please others, then a man who decides he is ready to propose early in December has to wait three whole months before society deems it an “acceptable” time to get down on one knee. And then what? What if her birthday is in March—is it cliche to propose during a birthday, too? Would he have to wait until April, just to please society?
There is no valid excuse for getting annoyed with people who get engaged this time of the year. They didn’t do anything to try to annoy you, they just made a big step in the relationship and wanted to share their news with their family and friends on social media. They are not actively trying to infuriate you. When I see people who rant about how couples shouldn’t get engaged this time of year, I wait for a reason… but there isnt one. This means that these bitter feelings that people have towards holiday engagements are rooted in jealousy. Some people just don’t like to see other people happy.
“But there are sooo many people getting engaged for Christmas! It’s so cliche!” This is the basis for most of the arguments I read. Let me paint you a picture: you get an Apple Watch for Christmas. Five of your closest friends and a few of your Facebook acquaintances also recieved an Apple Watch for Christmas. Do you like the Apple Watch any less just because it’s “cliche” to get an Apple Watch for Christmas?
Say you don’t get an Apple Watch for Christmas, and you didn’t ask for one. But many of your friends do, and they each happily post their Apple Watch to their social media feed, showing it off. Do you rant that everyone is getting an Apple Watch, and that you’re so glad you didn’t get an Apple Watch because then you would be following the crowd?
Probably not. Why do the tables turn when it’s an engagement in question? People can get engaged any time of the year, and they don’t deserve our criticism for it. Am I wrong? I would love to hear someone’s argument on why people just cannot get engaged during the holidays. Go on, try to convince me.
Ladies, if you have just gotten engaged this season, congratulations! I’m so happy for you, and I know plenty of other people are, too. Don’t let the negativity of others bring you down during this special time.