Yes, the title’s harsh, I know, do I actually hate Valentine’s Day? Not really… but I do think it’s dumb, so come along for my explanation as to why.
First off, as an Advertising and Public Relations major, Valentine’s day is both a blessing from God, who is a woman of course, and a curse from Hades himself…*winky face to my fellow smut girlies*
The “holiday” is a great thing to cater to with your products, like all of the cute stereotypical boxes of chocolate you see lining the aisles immediately after New Years, but then the very next day all of those aisles are marked down for clearance, and most of those boxes of chocolate, which are causing a climate crisis alone, will be thrown out and wasted along with their excessive packaging.
Aside from the influx in packaging waste caused by Valentine’s Day alone, I also just don’t like how forced the day feels. Yes it’s nice to see a big bouquet of flowers waiting for you outside your door on the 14th, but do you know what’s even nicer? Coming home after a stressful day at work or school and seeing a little handwritten note from your partner, or a small bouquet they picked up while they were out just because they thought it’d make you smile, or even just a cup of your favorite coffee waiting for you.
This isn’t a lecture, and I love the concept of celebrating love itself, I’d just like to see more genuine displays of affection. Instead of buying a bunch of mass-produced materials, shop at a small local place or go do something with the person, or people, you love instead. I know I personally always value and remember experiences and meaningful gestures over objects.
Did I still buy my boyfriend the cutest boxers with hearts all over them? Maybe, but I’m choosing to honor the historical Valentine’s Day with that purchase, which was actually Lupercalia, a sexy Pagan fertility festival on February 15th that supposedly brought about Valentine’s Day as a way to Christianize the time. However, there are many origin stories to Valentine’s Day, so please take them all with a grain of salt and believe whatever makes you happy.
…Sexy Valentine’s Day rituals anyone?