By Mathias Altman-Kurosaki
Love is in the air this time of year, and Valentine’s Day is the day when we tell our significant others how much we love them. Many couples often celebrate by going out to fancy dinners or giving each other extravagant gifts.
But not everyone loves this holiday, including myself. While this is a great time for couples, single people are often left with nothing to do.
The biggest issue with Valentine’s Day is that it is a day set aside for people to tell their significant others how much they love them. Most couples express their love to each other every day. The fact that we have to set aside a date for people to say this to each other is sad. If you aren’t telling your loved ones how much you love them on a daily basis, then you aren’t being appreciative enough of the people who love you. People would be much more appreciative of each other if there wasn’t just a day in the middle of February when you are supposed to be extra appreciative of your loved ones.
The history of Valentine’s Day provides very little meaning to why it is even a holiday. According to New Advent, the holiday is named after Saint Valentine, who was executed for being a Christian in the Roman Empire around the Fourth Century. Valentine apparently cured the jailer’s daughter of her blindness before he was executed and wrote her the first ever Valentine card once she was able to read, which set forth the idea of having a holiday in his honor.
A lot of people try to go out to dinner to celebrate the holiday, causing restaurants to overbook with reservations. This can cause a lot of people’s plans to go awry— it’s hard to celebrate when you can’t even find a place to go for an outing.
Additionally, Valentine’s Day is right after college students go back to school after winter break. Unless it falls on a weekend, students are busy with work and don’t have time to celebrate. If Valentine’s Day was scheduled in the middle of the spring, it would be more favorable amongst college students. It’s hard to enjoy holidays when you have to stay inside because of the cold.
Another problem with the holiday is how expensive it becomes. A common tradition of Valentine’s Day is buying candy, especially chocolate, and flowers for significant others. While this tradition is fun and a great display of love, it costs a lot of money. According to the National Retail Federation, people spent an average of $196 on Valentine’s Day this year.
It’s time to move on from Valentine’s Day. The holiday has become over-glorified and doesn’t carry any meaning. It’s a super expensive day that involves doing something that people should be doing on a regular basis. If Valentine’s Day was eliminated from the calendar, the world would be a happier and more loving place.
