It’s that time of year again. Hearts around every corner, roses, chocolate kisses (and new this year, slow jams) are sold in the LC, and the reservations at all the restaurants on Market Street are booked up. Love is in the air. Well, maybe not for everyone…
If you’re in a relationship on Valentine’s Day, life is pretty good. You have a date, maybe a nice dinner, flowers, presents, or some chocolate. Plus, PDA is much more acceptable because it’s the most romantic day of the year. And then there are the single ladies, who don’t want to see this PDA and instead choose to put on their pajamas, get together, flip on Netflix and bury themselves under a pile of half-eaten chocolates. Too dramatic? No, maybe not. Valentine’s Day is another reminder to the single ladies that they don’t have a significant other. Yet, the actual day tends to sting even more because of the hype.
There is hype around Valentine’s Day. It starts at the beginning of February and lasts a whole 14 days – no actually, it starts right after Christmas. Poof goes Santa Claus, and in flies Cupid. Yes, there is Cupid with his bow and arrow, surrounded by hearts and chocolates galore on every single shelf. Every. Single. Shelf. I dare you to walk into CVS; you will be seeing in pink and red and everything will be heart shaped. It’s a little overwhelming. Add all this to the goodies sold in the LC and you could cover every square inch of your room with chocolates, hearts, and rose petals.
If you are in a relationship, the hype is even greater. There is an expectation that your significant other will go out of his or her way to make it an incredibly special day. Ladies expect chocolate and flowers, without question. Whether the significant other lives 3,000 miles away or in the next dorm over, it is assumed there will be a date night, or something special in the mailbox, especially since Valentine’s Day falls on a Friday this year.
Is this a problem? No, not exactly. But what everyone needs to remember is it’s not about the gifts and the extravagant dates on Valentine’s Day; it’s about whom you spend it with (phone calls and Skype dates also count). So before getting too carried away with heart shaped jewelry, chocolates and flowers, remember what Valentine’s Day is supposed to symbolize. It is supposed to be a day you tell someone how much you care about him or her.
Spend Valentine’s Day with people you care about. Sure, pop open a bottle of wine or champagne, but do it surrounded by people you love. Let’s face it, single ladies use any holiday as an excuse to bring out the wine and chocolate, but instead of being depressed over not having a significant other, express love for the friends you are with. And those of you with a significant other, be grateful and don’t get too wrapped up what he or she did or didn’t get you, just enjoy the day. Oh, and don’t forget to call your mom, dad, brother, sister, grandma, grandpa, dog, cat, fish, iguana, to tell them how much you love them! They all like to feel the love on Valentine’s Day, too.