The Hallmark Holiday

February: think about that month for a bit, let it settle in. It’s the worst month in existence! Coming in the new year with a “new year new me” mentality, then being bombarded with the worst holiday known to man…Valentine's Day.

American capitalism profits off small-minded Americans making them think this day is more special than any other day to be the best person to your significant other. Now that I sound like a pessimist, I will express the logical part of hating Valentine’s Day.

Valentine’s Day didn’t even originate from being a cute day about romance. It started with a man's decapitation. Many believe that Saint Valentine was a Roman priest that performed secret wedding ceremonies that were against the law. That law prohibited young men from getting married because unmarried men made “better soldiers”. So I guess in a sense Saint Valentine was a hopeless romantic and got killed because of it but that doesn’t excuse how Valentine’s Day is a stupid holiday.

Valentine’s Day used to be sweet and lovely when we were children; it was like a pre-Halloween without walking around in the cold dressed up like zombies. Getting candy from friends and innocent crushes was the dream. But now it’s like an unbeatable contest that everyone is losing at. And maybe it’s always been that way: we were just too young to realize it!

Valentine’s is a make or break for most couples. The commercial holiday already has its downsides with the cheap chocolate and flowers combo, but what makes it truly unbearable is social media and the pressure from others to be the best. The craving to post your relationship for everyone to see is one thing, but the thousands of Snapchat and Instagram stories showing off “how much your partner means to you” is another add to the materialistic world we live in. Valentine’s Day makes everything so surface level. If someone didn’t get the most expensive thing then their relationship isn’t valuable enough. And if you don’t post your relationship then people will think you’ve broken up or you guys don’t really care about one another. Valentine’s Day is a double edged sword.

V-Day isn’t good for couples or the environment. On average every Valentine’s Day “more than 250 million roses are produced for Valentine’s, emitting approximately 360,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.” (vox.com) Also “in the weeks leading up to Valentine’s Day, gold jewelry sales generate 34 million tons of waste.” (buzzfeed) Buying expensive gifts isn’t going to help your boring relationships, it’s only going to destroy the planet more.

The anti-singles holiday makes everyone feel worse about themselves. Not only does the gift giving holiday and new year kiss make singles feel even more out of the loop with the rest of their coupled up friends, they also have to endure this fake holiday. Singles already feel worthless but a holiday strictly about love is their own personal hell.

Valentine’s Day sucks for everyone; couples, singles, the planet, even the guy it was named after. So stop celebrating this fake holiday and leave it to the cheesy Hallmark movies.