Valentine’s Day is right around the corner, and honestly what’s not to love about America’s sweetheart holiday? Let’s try what is there to love about it? It’s an overly commercialized, romanticized, and meaningless holiday that puts excessive pressure on couples to conform to society’s definition of love.
Excessive pressure: This overly romanticized holiday places way too much pressure on couples. Society stereotypes Valentine’s Day as the “most romantic day of the year;” therefore, most people are expected to do something objectively glamourous for their significant others. Find the perfect gift. Plan a romantic dinner date. Write out 100 reasons why you’re in love. Sounds stressful right?
Not to mention, everyone and their brother will be attempting to do the exact same things on the exact same day. Itemless shelves and booked restaurant reservations will only cause more stress. And, what happens if those plans don’t meet the expectations of society (to be discussed later)? Massive disappointment and anger, which will only create more stress.
Just alleviate the pressure of a nationwide romance holiday by choosing your own special day with your significant other. Speaking of pressure, what the heck are us girls supposed to get our guy lovers for Valentine’s Day? A nice diamond necklace? A beautiful bouquet of flowers? A stuffed teddy bear? Yeah, I don’t think so.
Creates fake expectations of love: Valentine’s Day is just another example of how the media and large greeting card companies manipulate society, and projecting an idealistic image of how love should be. Roses and chocolate do not define perfect love nor should they.
Instead, love should be subjective, and its definition will vary from couple to couple. For instance, my parents never (and I mean never) do anything for each other on Valentine’s Day – to them, it’s just another day on the calendar.
However, it doesn’t mean they don’t love each other. My mom would much rather receive love and affection through compliments and completed household chores (that she doesn’t have to ask my dad to do) than through meaningless gestures and soon-to-be dead flowers. You and your significant other’s love language should be unique to the two of you – not defined by what society claims is normal.
Loss of Meaning/Generic celebration: Let’s face it. Valentine’s Day has lost its meaning over the years due the overcommercialization of the holiday. According to WalletHub, sales projections for the year are estimated at $23.9 billion, breaking it down to roughly $175 per person. They say you can’t buy someone’s love, yet why is Valentine’s Day the third most expensive holiday in the United States if that statement is true?
The real winners on Feb. 14 are the greeting card companies and retail stores, not your special boo who you gave her 100th necklace to – just saying. Circling back to my first argument, Valentine’s Day creates pressure for couples who are expected to showcase their love for one another on this generic day. The holiday becomes a lot less meaningful when people feel forced to celebrate it in order to “keep up with the Jones’” of American mainstream culture.
Skip the fake gestures and figure out something meaningful to you and your lover. Oh, not to mention Valentine’s Day is the second most popular date for couples’ engagements. How sweet…and generic to become a fiancé on the same day as everyone else. C’mon! There’s 365 days in a year, and you can’t get proposed to on any other day?
Kerri Hoover
Kerri Hoover is in her third year working on the Eagle Eye staff and currently serves as the President and Editor-in-Chief. As a Lock Haven University senior, she majors in Communication with a triple-concentration focus in Advertising & Public Relations, Electronic Media, and Journalism. With her versatile skill set, Kerri hopes to pursue a career working as a social media content creator, journalist, or video editor. On the rare occasion Kerri isn’t working in the newsroom, she can be found hanging out with her friends, working at the PUB, or creating content for the LHU Media and Journalism Department.