Valentine’s Day can be an exciting and romantic day for many loving couples. But not only is it completely dreaded by those who are single, it’s also a pretty overwhelming and unnecessary holiday.
What’s the REAL point of it? To show someone you care about them? To show up your friends with everything you got or cry about what you didn’t get?
While there are definitely some fun reasons to join in on the holiday fun, here’s a great list of reasons to skip it this year!
1. Money
To cut to the chase, this is one less expense for you and your partner. Instead of buying gifts and paying for a fancy dinner in a crowded restaurant, you can stay in and enjoy each other’s company. I’m ALL for saving myself some Benjamins.
2. Competition
For whatever reason, Valentine’s Day seems to turn into a “keeping up with the Joneses” type situation. Even if people are not directly saying it, there’s always that pressure there and emotions when you see what someone else got3. Crowds
Trying to go out to dinner or a movie on Valentine’s Day is like shopping on Black Friday. It’s straight up insane. Is it really worth battling the crowds just to eat dinner with someone you care about? Personally, crowds make me cranky and I’d rather not be annoyed with my partner for the evening because I’ve been waiting two hours for a table.
4. Heart-shaped things are tacky
I don’t really know how else to say this, but how weird are heart-shaped things? Every time I see heart-shaped jewelry, cards or a box of chocolates it takes me straight back to middle school and those cheesy feelings of your first crush. I don’t know how to not see it as childish.
5. Gift buying is hard
There is nothing that stresses me more than trying to figure out just what the hell I should buy my significant other. Christmas is stressful enough; do you really need another thing to agonize over just around the corner? Also, what the hell do you do with those stuffed animals after the holiday? Do you start a collection? Spread them out across your bed?
6. It’s cold outside
It is so hard for me just to get motivated to get out of bed and go to work in the morning. How am I supposed to dress fancy and force myself into bitter weather again? Staying cozied up inside sounds WAY better!
7. Valentine’s cards are the worst
As much as I love being cheesy, there’s nothing that drives me crazier than a generic hallmark card with an overly romantic and awkward profession of love. My God who writes those things?! It physically makes my skin crawl. It’s just too much!
8. Not everyone is in a relationship
There is nothing that will make you feel more alone when you’re single than Valentine’s Day. It is so disappointing to see everyone else getting love while you’re sitting at home reading your Team Snapchat Valentine’s message. The struggle is real!
9. There are 364 other days to be romantic
There is an entire year of random days a person could choose to be your special day and spoil you. Personally, I’d rather be celebrated on a day that no one else is. It feels so much more exciting to get flowers on a random Tuesday than to get something just because everyone else did. It feels like there’s more value to it.
10. You’re not in love
This one is kind of awkward but extremely important. Maybe you just met someone and the relationship is still very new. How do you buy a gift that says, “I like you and want to keep dating, but I don’t love you yet?” Can I get some help in aisle four?! The pressure to get your partner something is unreal, and it can really be agonizing. You want to make them happy, but not overdo it and make them read too much into. It becomes super confusing for both men and women.
11. It's annoying
Some people may genuinely enjoy the gesture, but for people like me, it is just another economic holiday to bring up sales after Christmas. People have stopped shopping and sales go way down. What better way to drive sales back up than a reason to buy cards, flowers, jewelry and chocolate? When you think about it, it's not romantic at all. It practically forces your hand into buying things you would never actually purchase. When are you going to buy a teddy bear holding a heart? EXACTLY!!!
There are plenty of reasons to celebrate every other day of the year. Celebrate being single. Celebrate being in a happy relationship. Just don’t do it February 14th!
