As it is now the month of February, we are already bombarded with heart shaped boxes and pink and red bags of candy as we go through the grocery store aisles. Of course, the month of February is most popular for the holiday of Valentine's Day. This holiday has become so over-hyped and so commercialized that I find it very difficult to actually enjoy.
Typically, on Valentine's Day, a girl will receive a box of chocolates, maybe a cute stuffed animal and some flowers. My question is; why do we need a day solely devoted to our boyfriend's giving us gifts? Why do we expect them to blow $50, $60 or maybe even upwards of $80 on gifts for a holiday that is about the love that we receive from them on a daily basis anyways? This not only puts pressure on the male, but on the relationship as well.
On social media, I constantly see tweets from popular accounts with pictures of Victoria's Secret underwear, huge bouquets of roses and extremely expensive gifts with the caption "my boyfriend better get this for me for Valentine's day" or "Valentine's Day goals," and that is honestly what is, perhaps, the thing that bothers me most about this holiday.
Our generation should not have Valentine's Day 'goals.' I'd be more than happy if I just got to spend time with my boyfriend on the 14th; I could care less about the gifts I receive from him. Younger people are growing up and starting to use social media way more than I ever did when I was in my teen years. As a result of their use of Twitter, Instagram and Facebook, they are starting to have the idea in their heads very early in their lives that Valentine's Day is made for receiving gifts and nothing else.
I must admit, when I was younger, I loved the concept of Valentine's Day. My parents would give me candy and a nice gift, and I would receive cards from my extended family with a few dollars. Let me be clear, though; I do not dislike the concept of Valentine's Day. I think it's wonderful that there is a day devoted to love. But I do think that the expectations we put on men on this holiday is unfair.
There are so many opportunities that we have throughout a given day to show our love to our significant others, to our friends and to our family members. We should spend each moment we have appreciating everyone in our lives. Before the rise of social media, Valentine's Day was a holiday spent showing our love for others without any suppositions. Hopefully we will find a way back to that time, but until then, I'll continue to make sure that those who matter most to me know how much I care for them and love them.
