For one day a year, we are bombarded with pink and red decorations as far as the eye can see, roses are bought in bulk, and everyone is stocking up on chocolate like it’s going out of style. We profess our love to our friends, family, and significant others with gifts and hope for the same in return. It seems like a simple concept, but even as someone who loves love, I’m not all that into Valentine’s Day.
Listen, I really do love love. I am a huge fan of rom-coms (even a few poorly written ones), I love romance, and sweet gestures, but I think that using the concept of love to promote and sell chocolate, roses, and expensive dinners is pointless. I will admit that I am a little biased in that I have never had a “proper Valentine.” The one Valentine’s Day that I was in a relationship, me and my then-boyfriend were not on great terms and actually broke up less than a month later. I got a cute card though.
I’m going to be real: I’m cheap as hell. I don’t like spending money unnecessarily and it makes me uncomfortable when other people spend large amounts of money on me. Maybe gift giving just isn’t my love language. I don’t think things are a super genuine way to show love, especially if those things take the form of crappy Valentine’s Day candy, flowers that no one is going to tend to, and teddy bears that are just going to end up at the back of a closet.
Another problem I have with Valentine’s Day is the sincerity of it. If you reserve showing love, affection, and/or appreciation for one day a year, I would question how much you really like that person. Are you doing these things out of social obligation or because you want to show me that you care? If you love someone you shouldn’t wait for a holiday to show it. Doing small things to show your love often are much more impactful than a grand gesture once a year. Even though I will be opting out of the flowers and chocolates, consumerist celebration of Valentine’s Day, I will be enjoying my singledom and watching whatever rom-coms my parent’s Netflix subscription has placed at my disposal. If you do plan on opting for the flowers and chocolates, or any other form Valentine’s Day themed gift-giving, make sure that the person you are giving those things too gets a little love from you throughout the year when V-Day is over.