Of all of the holidays in our culture, Valentine’s Day is likely the only holiday that has as many foes as fans. There are so many opinions regarding Valentine’s Day that I could probably write a book just on different people’s perspectives on this holiday. Valentine’s Day can be traced back to the fifth century, and my guess is that those who were around for its origin could never anticipate what would transpire in the coming centuries. Valentine’s Day starts when we are young, and is filled with with cards with treats from classmates and suddenly escalates into a day filled with great expectations from start to finish.
For those who share it with a significant other, the day can be exciting and filled with surprises -- how many Valentine’s Day proposals have you heard about? Then there are those who choose to celebrate the day as a single person, whether you eat dinner alone or go out with friends. Whichever side you are on, you are guaranteed to run into these types of people throughout Valentine’s Day.
The person who has a boyfriend or girlfriend, “so this holiday is my favorite.” These are the people you see at upscale restaurants, running in and out of jewelry stores and carrying bouquets of flowers throughout the day. They are clearly in relationships, and from my experience, don’t go to much trouble to hide this. There is often a sappy Instagram post filled with photos of the gifts they are giving and receiving -- I’m sensing a #blessed in some of these -- or a sly check-in on Facebook at a nice restaurant (and don't forget to tag your significant other!) Often filled with PDA on this one hallowed day, those in relationships are usually big proponents of Valentine’s Day and happily anticipate this day for much of the new year to celebrate their love -- and maybe get some cool gifts.
The person who is “single and proud.” Anyone on social media is no stranger to this person; they are often the people who are not afraid to tweet about how they don’t need another person to make them happy. Maybe they will treat themselves to something nice; just because they are not in a relationship doesn’t mean they have to go through this holiday without something special for themselves! This may be someone who is spotted out with friends, probably wearing pink or red in an effort to be festive, still enjoying the day and having a good time.
The person who “hates Valentine’s Day.” This is another group of people who are not shy about showing their feelings on social media, and are a little bit bitter they don’t have a special someone to share this day with. However, the difference between this person and the "single and proud" person would be that they are usually very solid in their hatred of Valentine’s Day. Likely wearing black, this year they will likely be found seeing Fifty Shades of Grey -- which conveniently premieres on Feb. 14 -- and eating overpriced chocolate instead of being out having fun.
The person who “can be found at the bar.” What time do happy hour specials start? This person particularly loathes all things pink and Valentine’s Day related. They can be seen drinking some sort of alcohol straight from the bottle, preferably with a straw. The fact that Valentine’s Day falls on a Saturday will not do this person any favors; they will begin celebrating Valentine’s Day Friday after work and will continue to do so throughout Saturday. As long as this person takes Sunday to rest, this holiday will go by as quickly as it comes, and all will go back to normal the next week.
No matter which of these categories you fall into, Valentine’s Day can be a fun holiday with good intentions. If you are not one who chooses to celebrate Valentine’s Day, hibernate through this festive, love-filled weekend and wait for the real fun to begin on February 15, when all the candy is marked down at a drugstore near you.
