Most holidays are supposed to be fun. You receive presents, you are given an excuse to get absolutely hammered, and you get to spend time with the people you love the most. However, the one holiday in our lives that should not exist is Valentine’s Day.
I know, I sound like a bitter, sex-deprived, single woman who’s devastated about not “having a valentine” this year, or that I am “alone”. But actually, I feel the complete opposite – I feel super content with how I will personally spend my Valentine’s Day, as the single gal I am. Yes, it may be nice to spend this day with a special someone, but I feel it would be absolutely disrespectful to complain about how no one wants to spend quality time with me this Valentine’s Day.
Photo Courtesy of Listverse
You see, most people aren’t educated on how this “romantic” day started. Sure, it’s a time to celebrate romance and love, but in reality, the origin of February 14th is actually dark and bloody. According to NPR, the Romans celebrated the feast of Lupercalia, a pastoral festival that occurred in the city of Rome. Men of the city sacrificed a goat and dog, followed by lining up women to beat and couple off with them, believing that it would make them fertile. These dark origins of Valentine’s Day may seem sexy to some freaky people, but blood and gore do not sound romantic to me, personally (unless you’re Christian Grey). It’s crazy to see in this generation that we believe in such a “romantic” holiday, except when you look more deeply into it, the history isn’t so lovey-dovey.
If the horrific and unacceptable tradition of the Roman Empire still hasn’t convinced you that Valentine’s Day isn’t so special, let’s think outside the box and ponder it on an emotional and spiritual level. Most girls (and maybe boys) complain how they don’t have a significant other to shower them with gifts and love, when they don’t have to worry about it any other day. Ladies, if you fit in this category, please do me a favor and shut the f*ck up. Think about other days that occur within the year. There are individuals that don’t have a mother on Mother’s Day and/or a father on Father’s Day – how do you think they feel when they see everyone else with their family on those days, and they aren’t? Valentine’s Day has turned us into greedy b**ches where we believe we should be showered with gifts and love, and because of this, we are losing touch with reality and forget who and what we already have in our lives. What we possess currently in this moment is truly what matters the most.
This “special” day shouldn’t be labeled “special” at all. Yet, if you do have a special someone to spend this “holiday” with, you should already be treating that SO with love and respect every day of the year. Today, take a moment to think about and spend time with the people who you personally love, significant other or not, and really think about how much they have already impacted you in your life. We shouldn’t let Valentine’s Day make us materialistic because all it is doing is brainwashing us, making us think we’re rubbish if we don’t celebrate this day. Don’t let materialism make you lose touch for the ones who really do love, you, holiday or not.