Every holiday gets hate in some way no matter what. Holidays can bring up complicated feelings and nostalgia that cause people to dislike them. This is certainly true for Valentines Day, the holiday which allows for people to have a special day of love and appreciation for their loved ones. While this is not reserved for significant others, there is significant pressure to only celebrate valentine’s day with a romantic partner, usually in the form of expensive gifts. This needs to stop, however. Valentine’s day isn’t about money, or social media, but it’s about love. Real genuine love for one another. And that’s something that can’t be bought
Valentine’s Day has origins in ancient Roman and Christian customs. It’s celebrated on February 14th to honor a martyr named Valentine. Saint Valentine was known for challenging the roman church on their decree against marriage. He would marry couples in secrecy and did so for many years. His devotion to honoring marriage and when the rest of the world did not is what caused the holiday to be named in his favor.
Many of the expressions of love we see on Valentine’s day are only done in order to gain social media clout. Social media as a whole has been a severe hit to many younger couples in relationships due to people misconstruing likes with love. If someone pressures their partner into buying them a gift for any reason other than that it would make them happy, then they might need to reassess their intentions. Not all acts of love should be public. One can show someone how much they love them in many ways that aren’t for public approval. When people think that valentine’s day is about flaunting their gifts from their partner on social media, or equating love with the amount of money spent on gifts, they miss the point.
Not only is valentine’s day a good excuse to buy chocolate, but it also acts as a wonderful opportunity to slow down from all of life’s craziness and focus on those we care about most. There are five different love languages and each one of us has a preference. (Words of affirmation, Quality time, Physical touch, Acts of service, Receiving gifts). If one is choosing how to celebrate their loved ones, be it a partner or a friend, they should do so in a way which applies to them directly. For example, if their partner likes words of affirmation they could write them a sweet letter, or tell them how much you love them in person or a text. If your person enjoys acts of service, you could pump their gas for them. It is so important to take care of our loved ones– even if it is in small ways.
More than encouraging thoughtful gestures, Valentine’s day is simply a fun tradition. From exchanging cards and gifts to celebrating with friends, Valentine’s Day gives us things to look forward to when it can often seem as if there are no holidays for months. One example of people using the day as a way to celebrate non-romantic love is represented by the term, “Galentine’s”. Many people take the holiday typically intended for romantic partners and instead celebrate with their friends. All in all, Valentine’s day has something for everyone.
From cards to cookies to instagram posts many people find joy within the holiday. And while Valentine’s Day has a wonderful history that we can all appreciate, it’s also worth noting that we should be taking care of our friends, parents, and partners everyday, not just on one holiday. That being said we can all learn something from it and it certainly is just another reason to be thankful for all we have, big or small.