You can’t help but notice when Valentine’s Day comes around. The stores start to display an abundance of teddy bears and overpriced chococlates. Let’s not forget the fact that every decoration is heart shaped and/or covered in red and pink. Valentine’s Day has become a huge deal in our society and has become, in my opinion, a little blown out of proportion. Don’t get me wrong, I like the idea of Valentine’s Day as being a day of showing the people you love how much you care about them. However, most of the time, that’s not the main focus.
It’s Too Materialistic
People in relationships always seem to expect gifts on Valentine’s Day whether it’s teddy bears, chocolates, or fancy jewellery. When someone in a relationship doesn’t receive a gift, it leads to disappointment and even arguments. On Valentine’s Day, giving and receiving a gift to or from your significant other is sort of a requirement that comes with the holiday.
Obligation
These grand romantic gestures we often see on Valentine’s Day are done more out of obligation than a genuine expression of love. The holiday brings with it a necessity to do something extravagant for your significant other. People in relationships feel pressured to do something big for the other person to ensure they feel appreciated and loved. In addition, they may feel that if they don’t plan something grand, negative consequences could follow. Genuine expressions should not stem from obligation, but from legitmately wanting to do something special for the person you care about.
Single People
This holiday divides those that are in relationships and those that are single. It makes those who are single feel left out, depressed, and envious of those in relationships. For single people, the day hardly has meaning; it’s merely another day. The only difference is that love and heart-shaped items are constantly being flashed in their faces.
Love Should Always Be Shown
The holiday is meant to put an emphasis on love, but in reality it makes it lose its meaning. Love should not be reserved for only one day of the year. It should always be shown. We should not have to rely on a holiday to show the people we love that we care about them. We should always appreciate those close to us and show them that we care, whether that be our friends, family, or a love interest. We should always make our intentions known and show people that we love them.