Valentine’s Day is overrated

Growing up, Valentine’s Day was the best. In elementary school we got to decorate and customize boxes that we would later receive our valentines in from classmates, and we would put much thought and time into which valentines card went to what person.

Of course the teacher provided a list of names for everyone in the class and required each student to make sure everyone got a valentine if they were handing them out, but getting home and opening your box to find 30 valentines and possibly even some candy from your classmates made this holiday special.

It was a holiday that celebrated feeling love from those around you until I realized it’s a pointless holiday and we are taught it is something that needs to be celebrated at an early age.

In many cases, the history of Valentine’s Day isn’t learned because there is no definite answer and is shrouded in mystery as to the past of St. Valentine, history.com stated.

So why is it such a huge deal to celebrate this “day of romance” if it has no meaning to many of us?

Because society tells us to.

Year-after-year department stores, grocery stores, and many other companies use this day to increase sales. Everywhere you look, companies change their color scheme to red, pink, white and purple, hearts and lips are freaking everywhere, and lingerie makes its way front and center. 

It has become a day where we are forced to show our loved ones that we care about them. It’s “required” in many relationships that you have to exchange gifts to celebrate this day.

No, I’m not bitter, heartbroken, or emotionless, but the idea of Valentine’s Day has become so materialistic. People don’t just give a nice little love note, pick wild flowers or make something homemade anymore. It’s expected in many relationships that you have to go out and drop hundreds of dollars on this day.

Again, because society tells us to.

We are constantly seeing advertisements on TV, in newspapers, magazines, and billboards that are telling us we need to get our loved ones something extravagant.

Of course it’s nice to be reminded that you are loved every once in a while but the fact that as a society we have made it about more selfish things than love is where my problem with Valentine’s Day occurs.

As lame as it might sound, I have seen a relationship go through the rocks because of Valentine’s Day because the celebration wasn’t up to par.

Like really people? (Facepalm.) This is supposed to be a day about love and romance, spending a little extra time with your valentine and loving them a little harder for a day, not who can out-gift who.

This is what Valentine’s Day is doing to society, creating an ideology that you need to buy your valentine something nice in order to make them happy and satisfy them.

I don’t know when Valentine’s Day became more about what you get/give rather than love and romance itself but I guess that’s just the world we live in these days.

Don’t fall into the marketing trap. Send your reminder that you care for someone on a random day rather than a day that the world around us says we have to celebrate. There are 364 other days in the year, pick one of those to honor your loved ones.