February 14, a day full of love, chocolates and awesomeness?
I don’t want to try to sound like every other cynical person, but for me I find these man-made holidays to be kind of unnecessary. Like most holidays, they start out as humble, well-deserved holidays. But since capitalism has kicked in, corporations have jumped on these holidays like jack rabbits; making up excuses to waste paper, plastic and our money to try to throw to other people. Oh, and creating really lame and clichéd movies that are not worth $10. So here are a few reasons why this day is so agonizing and very, very pointless:
Food is not enjoyable
Whether you’re single or in a relationship, you’ve probably dealt with this one. Are you craving a sit-down meal on February 14? Good luck! You have to schedule your appetite a few days (or weeks) beforehand. Plus if you forget to book a table at a fancy restaurant, your significant other might rage at you. Unfair pressures? Yes. Why? Because of Valentine’s Day! Honestly, can I not just enjoy a meal on February 14? I’m sure you can argue the same thing with the other holidays; sure, restaurants get a lot of business, but it’s quite bothersome to try to accommodate for something like “romance” (and by that I am referring to pressure. Read below to learn more).
Yes, romance is important but it’s not like it’s the most important thing in life. Family is definitely important (and that’s why we have Family Day), in addition to celebrating our parents’ successes. Without good parenting, we might end up spoiled or something no one likes to put up with. But there are plenty of super happy, secure and optimistic single people. Plus, relationships already have their special day to celebrate: anniversaries! So why are we giving them another day to waste money? Oh, speaking of which…
Valentine’s Day is not cheap
Yes, yes, you can tell me that people can just go old-fashioned and make gifts. But do you remember that Friends episode when Chandler and Monica try to go hand-made? It was quite hilarious… and awful. Honestly, unless you’re a crafty person (someone who creates awesome crafts, not the other kind of crafty…) or you’re just great at making home-made stuff, then you’re just screwed in this department. You still have to shell out money for materials, originality, and spend so much time searching for a guide to create a scarf! Or whatever you decide to make.
And cards. Sure, I loved getting generic cards from my classmates in Elementary, but they’re quite expensive and the pressures you get from your teachers, peers and whatnot is so unnecessary. If I like someone, I want to tell them on my special day. I don’t need society to tell me how/when I should do it. Plus, it’s kind of cheesy to admit something really personal on a generic holiday. Speaking of which, another reason why V-Day is terrible is…
The pressure and society’s silly little norms
Society, your mother, your friends, your Sims characters. They all want you to go out there and get a date. And when you’re hitting that golden age of (insert age you think is the most important time of your life), you probably feel like you should date, right? No! Stop thinking that. Erase it out of your mind or I’m going to slap you with a fish. Relationships should never ever ever be started out of convenience, loneliness or pressure. Your significant other should never “complete” you; they should compliment you! If you’ve just been dumped, don’t try to heal your wounds by getting a rebound… or a friend with benefits.
And what if that peer pressure has gotten to you and you’ve found a date for V-Day? What if it didn’t go well? Do you dump them on that day? The day after? If you did, that person will most definitely complain and whine about how they’ve just been dumped. Yes, it hurts to be dumped, but for some reason it seems like being dumped on/near February 14 makes it even more depressing… and it makes the dumpee think their reasons for self-pity and seeking-attention-from-others-to-get-sympathy-and-stuff are more valid simply because being dumped on Valentine’s Day is the worst thing in the world. Oh, boo hoo. We have other first world problems to worry about.
Plus, I’m assuming you’re about 16 (my apologies if you’re not). You do not need to be dating at such a young age, unless you are 100% prepared and have honest, true intentions. Don’t let this kind of holiday pressure you into a half-hearted attempt at a relationship. You’ve still got friendships to build, school to worry about and your record for Plants vs Zombies.
Oh, and those people who complain about Valentine’s Day
This includes me, but since I’m writing this and I just pointed that out, I think my points are valid enough. No but seriously, I’m talking about those typical whiners. Those who say that it’s Single Awareness Day, sulking over their relationship status. Just get some more self-esteem! It shouldn’t be too hard to feel secure about yourself; and besides, I would rather date a confidant person who is perfectly fine to be alone, rather than a desperate person who seeks to be in some kind of relationship all of the time (I’m looking at you, people who have more than one relationship per year!)
Anyways, that’s my shpeel for this month’s holiday. Let me know what you think about this day: do you love it, hate it, agree with me or want to stab me to death? Comment below and let the discussion begin!
