February 14th. What a day, right? Wrong.
Valentine's Day is completely and utterly overrated.
We glorify a day that was originally a day filled with abuse and torture. We, as a population, have turned this dark day into a holiday highlighting love.
We have also funneled love into one day on a 12-month calendar and placed expectations on people to show off their love life on all social media platforms.
It's ridiculous.
I'm not cynical about the holiday and have no negative connotation linked to Valentine's Day – I just find it mindless. Why do we need a day dedicated solely to love?
If you love someone (or even simply like them), you should celebrate that every day, not just on February 14.
By funneling love into one day, and one day only on the calendar, we're creating this unrealistic expectation that this one day needs to be more fantastic and romantic than any other day, and that isn't true.
You should show your partner or crush or family that you love them equally each and every day.
Valentine's Day, a day originally celebrated in honor of the two martyrs, St. Valentine and St. Valentine (yes, there were two), has turned into something holiday companies, like Hallmark, can make a profit off of.
According to Kristi Ernsting, Hallmark's public relations spokesperson, the company sells an average of 131 million Valentine's Day cards each year.
Hallmark is making millions of dollars off of a day that was literally originated to whip women, kill animals and honor martyrs.
On average, Americans spend $146.84 each just on Valentine's Day and the number continues to climb with each passing year. And for what? Flowers? A dinner? A present for your partner? All of these things can be given as a gift on any day of the year.
Why just February 14th?
Stop spending all this money on a fake holiday and prove to your partner, friend or family that you love and appreciate them on any given day.
If it has been a hard day for your husband, and you know that, get him a nice dinner on that random Tuesday, not February 14.
If your sister's boyfriend canceled their plans, and she's upset about it, get her concert tickets then, not on February 14.
If your mom loves roses, and you know that, give her a bouquet in June, not February 14.
Channeling and displaying our love for everyone in our lives into one day shouldn't be a customary thing. It's become forced and exclusive.
Let's face it: it's completely overrated.
Leave your cheesy Valentine's Day plans in the old year. We're over it.
