When approached with the right mindset, Valentine’s Day is a fun and worthwhile holiday, despite the complaints of its critics.
Valentine’s Day is a holiday themed around good old-fashioned love. By celebrating love, you celebrate something that brings people together, creates beautiful memories, and in many ways, keeps humanity sustained and thriving. So, you might be wondering, how is it possible that anyone could hate such a day?
Well, when conducting research on this topic, I was shocked by the number of online posts from Valentine’s Day detractors. From topical Reddit posts to student-run news sites to personal columns, it seems like everyone has a grudge against this ooey gooey romantic holiday.
Listen, I get it; a holiday centred on love is bound to come with some issues, and there are understandable reasons why it might leave some people in a dreary mood. But when you begin to look at this time of year for what it is rather than what it isn’t, you’ll find a whole lot to appreciate.
Let’s start with perhaps the most obvious criticism: not everyone is in a relationship, and that might leave some people feeling lonely on a day centred around togetherness. That’s where movements like “Galentine’s Day,” which promotes friendship between women, come into play. I appreciate that this type of movement promotes the love shared between friends, and I strongly believe this should be encouraged on an even wider scope. Spending time with friends is certainly a special and valid way to celebrate Valentine’s season, and I think more people should embrace this mindset.
But what if all your friends are out with their significant others on Valentine’s Day? Even in that case, I think there’s something to appreciate in the concept of togetherness, even if it’s something small you do for someone you appreciate or a sentiment you share. Maybe it’s an opportunity for you to hold the door open for someone, tell a friend that you enjoy spending time with them or buy a box of chocolates for an appreciated family member. Being single doesn’t mean you’re alone — it just means you might have to look outside the stereotypical, romantic notion of “love” to find the feeling of togetherness you’re seeking.
That’s all well and good, but I hear you asking: Isn’t it terrible that we only devote one day a year to loving our partners? Shouldn’t we make an effort to do that every day, rather than waiting for the arbitrary date of Feb. 14?
Yes. You should make an effort to love your partner every day. But if you wait until the 14th of February to make your partner feel appreciated, that’s not the fault of Valentine’s Day. That’s on you.
There seems to be a misconception that Valentine’s Day is somehow the only day that people show love to their partners, and while this might be true in some relationships, it’s certainly not the right way to go about things. Loving your partner is something that should be a constant in any relationship. Valentine’s Day, then, should be a day where you go above and beyond to do something special and memorable that you might not have the time or money to do every day.
But think of it this way.
In a proper relationship, someone might make an effort to tell their partner they love them every day of the year. They might spend time watching movies with their loved one, or talking about how their day went over dinner, or maybe text back and forth throughout the day or tell jokes to make their partner smile and laugh.
However, there might not be time every evening to go to a candlelit dinner or watch the sunset on the beach. It’s those sorts of special activities that Valentine’s Day provides the perfect excuse for — a romantic date night that’s more memorable than what you might do on the average day.
Again, if you choose to wait until Valentine’s Day to make your partner feel appreciated, that’s not the fault of the holiday. It’s not the calendar’s fault that you aren’t showing commitment to your partner or aren’t devoting enough energy to your relationship.
If this sounds like you, it’s something you need to re-evaluate within yourself rather than blaming a romantic holiday for your struggles.
Do you wait until Halloween to watch spooky movies? Do you wait until your friends’ birthdays to spend time with them? Do you wait until Christmas to tell your family you love them?
Let it be known that I’m not a sappy guy who believes love overcomes all and can never be defeated. I’ve spoken openly about my beliefs on the hypocrisy of prenups and my annoyance towards public displays of affection. But that most certainly doesn’t mean that I hate the idea of love, nor do I believe it’s not worth celebrating. Love is something beautiful that is uniquely shared between lots of us, and I absolutely believe it’s something to appreciate. I think the fact that we have a holiday dedicated to love is wonderful, and it’s time we stop blaming it for our personal problems.
Valentine’s Day isn’t perfect. It’s hard to fault people for feeling lonely when all their friends are going out on dates or posting sappy pictures on Instagram. But when you take a moment to stop searching for what you don’t have and start appreciating what you do, you’ll find Valentine’s Day has a whole lot to love.