Valentine’s Day
The holiday of love? A day filled with so many mixed emotions, the superficial holiday that takes place on the 14th day of the second month of every year. Teddy bears, chocolates, flowers, and elaborate arrangements fill up the aisles and brains of every person in this world. Some might agree that Valentine’s Day is a superficial holiday of love and even a day that comes with psychological hazards – if that is the case, you take it very seriously.
Now, of course, Valentine’s Day is a superficial holiday because it is abused. Abused just like every other holiday, minimized to its most vacant function. Capitalizing on the shallowest aspects of such holidays radiates as people fixate on the less significant, eventually getting hurt. Well, chances are that those who claim they “don’t need a Valentine” to remain happy with themselves were the same people who believed they needed a Valentine to feel complete.
For those who need a backstory on such a holiday, here is a summary of it:
An alleged Roman priest, St Valentine, performed secret weddings against the wishes of the authorities. He was later discovered, and due to his actions, he was executed on February 14th, around the year 270 A.D.
Remember when you were in elementary and couldn’t wait to pass out your Valentine’s Day theme Barbie cards that were attached with candy to your classmates? Specifically saving the card that said “kiss me” for your crush. No worries in the world; it was just a day that was highly anticipated and fun. Obviously, this was before we got older and times became more complicated. Things began to take a turn when you hoped for your crush to pass out the same card, but instead, you received the one that said, “Let’s be friends.” The world felt like it was being destroyed at age ten, but who would know the years to come would only be more confusing. The idea of Valentine’s Day became complex and later became a day many dreaded.
Stores fill the isles with pink and red in January, tricking you into believing you need those items when, in reality, you would never look in that direction if it were blue. Sure, great marketing, but gifts do not establish the love you have for one another. Expensive or not, neither validate your relationships. The reality is that you are not anything more or less on Valentine’s Day than you are on any other day of the year. The idea of showing off who has the best gift or who was surprised with flowers engulfs the minds of many people every February 14th. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy indulging in eating finger foods while watching rom-coms but the vigorous demand to have someone’s love shown never becomes a priority. And shouldn’t be one for you either.
The month of love suddenly becomes filled with romanticizing your dream Valentine’s Day. A day where your spoiled and appreciation is shown. For some, that is their Valentine’s Day, while some wish it could be them. This one specific day holds so many mixed emotions that half hate the holiday with a passion, and the other half spread warm and loving energy.
February 14th has become associated with only romance, but never the loving family, friends, and close individuals share on this day. The heartwarming arrangements moms and dads give their children, the full baskets given by friends, or sentimental gifts from siblings. It is truly a beautiful thing when witnessing and experiencing the exchange of admiration between individuals. I believe that we become so hung up with our own little world that we honestly never enjoy the little moments that will stick with us forever.
Yes, I fantasize, I romanticize, and continuously am hit in the head by reality. But, on Valentine’s Day, I carry on about my day and eat heart-shaped chocolates while watching your typical rom-coms, thoroughly content because on this one day of the year, if only superficially, the world lives up to my expectations.
