Valentine’s Day is overrated

Today, Valentine’s Day is a time to celebrate romance and love and kissy-face fealty. However, the origins of this festival of candy and everything pink and red is actually very dark and bloody. According to NPR, ancient Romans would celebrate the feast of Lupercalia from February 13 to 15. For these days, the men sacrificed a goat and a dog, then whipped women, who were auctioned off in a lottery, with the hides of animals they had just slain, in belief that it would make the women fertile.
Bringing it back to modern-day, I still don’t believe it’s any more to celebrate now than it was back then. This “day of love” that we celebrate seeks only to leech money from its love-struck victims. Somehow, when February 14 rolls around on the calendar, everyone becomes more passionate and more in love as if the calendar reading “February 14” actually alters the feelings of anyone. There are 364 other days during the year to celebrate these sentiments that society pressures to be celebrated on this day specifically. Sometimes, all the pressure put on the holiday can make the gestures feel insincere and forced. It’s the unexpected little surprise gifts that feel the most sincere.
Why save all of these sappy acts of love for this specific day? Random little gifts or acts can mean more on any random day rather than saving it for this socially constructed ideology.
Why can’t we do things like this every day? Why do we need a day to focus on those we love?
Valentine’s Day is a great thing, don’t get me wrong. But why should it be confined to one day? We should be doing little things every day that show someone we love them.
So, instead of saving up your money for a dozen of those expensive roses or a night out at an expensive restaurant, make dinner once a week with your significant other or tag-team chores instead of waiting on the other to do them. These are some everyday things that can be done to show someone you love them.
A ridiculous amount of pressure is also put on the gifts. As if birthdays, anniversaries and Christmas wasn’t enough, Valentine’s Day has proclaimed that all people must purchase yet another present for their loved ones.
Not to mention that it’d better be good enough for an Instagram or Snapchat post, because your entire relationship (for some reason) rides on your capability and creativity to get a romantic trinket or pretty flowers simply because the calendar tells you to.
Elementary students have it right. Everyone has fun decorating their own little shoe box and everyone contributes a pile of candy to them. Most importantly, everyone actually gets something. It’s just another Halloween (except pink). For them, it’s a day of celebrating friendship, candy, and sharing, and that is something worthy of celebration.
So unless we can wise up and be second graders on Valentine’s Day again, it will continue to be a day on the calendar ordering us to fork too much money on a dozen roses and professing our love to someone, and rather than out of our hearts, it can feel out of obligation.
But hey, “February 14” on the calendar has a big heart around it, so that makes it totally alright, doesn’t it?