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Why I Hate Valentine’s Day

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at UGA chapter.

Couples have all year to express their feelings yet every February they have a day where they can publicize it even more. Valentine’s Day is a great day in theory, but it’s been ruined through high expectations and teaches women to be ungrateful for the small things. Here are some reasons why I’ve always hated this day (and no I’ve never had a boyfriend on Valentine’s Day).

 

1. It reminds me that I’m single

I am single because I have not found the right boy yet. Each year social media is bombarded with posts from couples and I’m glad they found love, I just don’t like being reminded so forcibly that I haven’t.

2. My birthday is overshadowed

My birthday is February 13th, which has its blessings and drawbacks. If I had a boyfriend, he could save money and get me one gift that suffices my birthday and Valentine’s Day. But since I am single, my birthday is often overlooked by my friends in relationships because the next day is more important to them.

3. Flowers

Stores are filled with them around this time and they are beautiful, but they are so expensive that I can’t buy them for myself. For this same reason, the guy is screwed because he is pressured to buy flowers, just for them to sit in a vase and die in about a week.

4. Why chocolate?

Chocolate in heart-shaped boxes has become the staple of Valentine’s Day. But why does it have to be chocolate? I would much rather receive something sweet or some french fries.

5. Stuffed animals

What happens to the stuffed animals partners are given? I still sleep with stuffed animals but I haven’t met anyone else who still does in college. So where have their past gifts gone? Also, what could a person possibly do with one of those human-sized stuffed animals?

6. Crowded restaurants

Good luck trying to find somewhere to eat on Valentine’s Day, because all of the couples are out on dates.

7. All my “taken” friends are busy 

I’m basically stuck spending time with myself because most of my friends are in relationships. 

8. Galentine’s Day is every day 

The idea of Galentine’s Day is sweet but I spend time with my friends every day. It’s just putting a label on things we normally do. The day is marketed towards couples spending money, so if I’m single I’d rather stay inside and not spend money on anyone.

9. So much money is wasted on gifts that don’t prove your love

If your partner doesn’t give you anything on Valentine’s Day, he’s considered uncaring. It puts so much pressure on couples to buy each other stupid gifts, and if these gifts are not given, then suddenly they don’t love one another.

10. It makes a partner ungrateful

I’ve known a girl who complained about the quality of her Valentine’s gift from her boyfriend. Because the day is so hyped up, and the extravagant gifts are broadcasted, many will be ungrateful for smaller gifts. The day shouldn’t even be about giving gifts, it should just be a day where you spend time with your loved one. But the market has profited off of this holiday by making it about spending money on your partner.

Maybe I do hate this day because I’ve always been single. But even if I was in a relationship, I know for a fact both of us would feel pressured to partake in the trivial things associated with Valentine’s Day. Being sweet, giving gifts, and going on a date are things that should happen throughout the entire span of a relationship, not just expected out of a couple on one day in February.  

Gabby Melfi is a Campus Correspondent for Her Campus at UGA. She has been a member of Her Campus since her first semester in college. She is an Advertising major and Sociology minor. Her quirks include, but are not limited to: height under five feet, avid DVD collector, fast-food lover, cuddles animals she's allergic to, and obsessive thrift shopping.