The reasons to love the holiday
Valentine’s Day gets way too much hate. Surrounding the day, I see pretty frequent posts about the many reasons that people hate the holiday. And while I get some of the hate, I still love Valentine’s Day.
February 14th seems like one of the most hated days of the year. People hate the idea of finding the perfect gift, getting a highly coveted dinner reservation or turning what could be a normal day into some huge deal. And I really do get some of the hate. I worked at a restaurant in high school and Valentine’s Day always felt like one of the busiest days of the year, and being in that restaurant was kind of stressful. Gift-giving can also be hard, and as a society, we have turned what was once likely a sweet excuse to express love into a capitalist holiday. But, despite all of that, I still really love the holiday.
I’ve never had a boyfriend to celebrate with, which is probably what takes away all of the stress of the day. Instead, I get to look forward to spending the day with my closest friends doing something cute and stereotypically girly.
Like last year, I got together with a group of my friends and we all exchanged gifts and played games. There was wine and candy, and I got so much closer to that group of girls. Even though like half of them had boyfriends, they still found time and made an effort to celebrate with friends, which is something else that’s so special.
And I’m so excited for this year. All of my roommates and I are going to dress up and wear pinks and reds and dresses and skirts. We’re going to cook dinner together (hopefully some form of heart-shaped pasta) and attempt to make a heart-shaped cake. After that, we’re going to go out and find something to do. Again, there will be wine, treats and so much fun.
Valentine’s Day doesn’t just have to be a day to celebrate a significant other. It is also such a good day to celebrate friends, family and everyone that you love. Valentine’s Day is an excuse to express love to everyone in your life, and that’s something to look forward to.
I keep seeing so much hate for the day because it’s either too stressful or a reminder of the singleness of some people. But instead of being a day to dread because of stress or a lack of plans, it can be a day to look forward to. A day to wear a dress, pink or something fun. It can be a day to celebrate the people you love, or even a day to celebrate yourself. Valentine’s Day isn’t about having a partner, it’s about love. In the end, it will always be as good and special as the people you choose to spend it with.