You may or may not have noticed, but the title of this post is not ‘Happy Valentine’s Day’. You see, I’m not a huge fan of Valentine’s Day. It is so over commercialized and cookie-cutter. And I’m acutely aware that not all of us have a significant other to share this day with (myself included). Don’t get me wrong, I love the idea of a day where you go out of your way to appreciate those whom you love, I just don’t like what Valentine’s Day has turned into. I don’t see why we can’t appreciate all those we love instead of just our significant other and I think that this holiday has become unoriginal and impersonal. When there is so much pressure to spend a lot of money on dinner and gifts (and those gifts are expected to be one of only a handful of things, such as flowers, jewelry, and chocolate), I think we are apt to forget the real meaning of the holiday. And those gifts become more a reflection of our society than our personal likes and interests. Flowers delivered on a random day are much more meaningful than ones received on the same day everyone else gets some. What happened to getting heartfelt gifts?
I also don’t see why this can’t also be a day to appreciate our family and friends. Why is it so focused on doing something with your significant other? And I don’t mean that we should buy expensive gifts for everyone. Maybe one small gift, and some time spent together. A nice, home-cooked meal.
However, I don’t want to ruin your holiday or anything. So, if you like Valentine’s Day, Happy Valentine’s Day, and if you don’t, have a wonderful evening!