Valentine’s Day should not be celebrated

Valentine’s Day… A holiday means to celebrate and praise love with gifts and affection. WRONG! Valentine’s Day, known by many as the Day of Love, is one big gimmick that is intended to be a marketing tool for businesses. These businesses are here to take away all your money during the month of February. Even though individuals can take the argument that Valentine’s Day does not have to be about the physical showering of teddy bears, chocolate, and roses, the holiday puts way too much pressure on relationships. Valentine’s Day should not be a holiday that should be commemorated; love can be shown in other more genuine forms every day, instead of solely on the 14th of February.
We often see advertisements of the holiday projected on our TVs, billboards, posters, and flyers. There is a similar theme that they all share: each expresses love in the form of materialistic things. Valentine’s can make you question the true pure definition of love. Sure, a person can express their love in the form of gift-giving, but that shouldn’t be the revolving focus of a healthy relationship. Love doesn’t require a big expensive night out or an extravagant pearl necklace as gifts. Valentine’s Day puts pressure onto couples to buy an intricate five dollar Hallmark card to show their appreciation for their significant other or a bouquet of roses to appear “gentlemanly” or “ladylike”. The holiday can make the “love of your life” feel obligated to buy a nice gift because of the title of the day attached to the 14th of February. If one person forgets or voluntarily decides to not get the other a gift, it may be at the expense of the other person getting mad or upset. Over not getting a gift on Valentine’s day… how ridiculously shallow!
Love is so much more than a bouquet of fresh red roses or a heart shaped box of assorted chocolates. Why is there a need for a holiday to be designated to “truly” show your love for your significant other. Even though there’s nothing that says that Valentine’s Day cannot celebrate friendships or single individuals, it still makes those without a Valentine’s feel bad or alone. So this Valentines Day, remember that the holiday is just a cheesy day in February that does not genuinely display love.