The entire month of February has come to be synonymous with Valentine’s Day and romantic love. There are different legends surrounding the origins of the day, but here is my favorite one, which I heard from the History Channel.
Valentine was the name of a priest who married young soldiers to their lovers in secret after the Roman Emperor Claudius II forbid marriage because he believed single men were better soldiers than married ones. The emperor had the priest executed when his actions were found out.
I like that origin story because it tells of a man doing something he believes in even if it’s forbidden.
Today, Valentine’s Day is all about the red roses, chocolate and fancy dates. In the desire to have a perfect day of love, the single people out there feel as though the day offers nothing to them.
In fact, counter traditions for Valentine’s Day such as Galentine’s Day, inspired by a 2010 episode of Parks and Recreation, have popped up. Single ladies no longer have to feel as though they’re not living up to some societal standard if they don’t have a date on Valentine’s Day, instead choosing to hate and celebrate female friendship instead.
Just because you’re single however, is no reason to bear animosity towards the holiday. No one has any obligation to have a significant other on Valentines Day. It doesn’t even matter if you try to prove to the world that you don’t need a significant other by hating Valentine’s Day or making it a celebration for your friends.
All the single ladies out there have nothing to prove about their worth due to the fact that they don’t have a date on Valentine’s Day. Hating it is like saying no one else should celebrate a holiday that means nothing to you and that you can’t be a part of.
Valentine’s Day is a day to celebrate and honor romance and love, and love in any form is a beautiful thing. We need to spend more time appreciating the day for what it is, not ripping it apart for what it isn’t. I believe we need to let Valentine’s Day be a day for romantic love and not hijack it to prove that you don’t need love.
Love is never a bad thing, but when people, especially those who are single, hate the one day that is dedicated to it, they’re essentially rejecting romantic love. Just because you don’t have something doesn’t mean it’s not valid and beautiful for someone else.
To all the single ladies out there (including me!), let’s leave the day as special one for couples in relationships to celebrate what they (hopefully!) have with each other. We have every other day in the year to love ourselves and celebrate our friendships.