Why Some People Hate Valentine’s Day
It is the only holiday of the year associated with romantic love. A holiday that encourages happiness, warmth, and appreciation. An occasion in which lovers express their love for each other by presenting flowers, offering confectionery, and sending greeting cards (known as “valentines”) as a symbol of their affection. So, what is it about love and togetherness that brings about feelings of anxiety, stress and anger? Why do people hate Valentine’s Day?
It appears that not only do single people loathe this holiday, but apparently some lovers hate it, too. I used to think that the biggest reason people dislike February 14th so much was due to the fact that a holiday initially established to bring couples closer together has been transformed into a commercial spectacle peddled to us by florists, jewelry stores, greeting card companies and makers of stuffed animals. But, as I’ve got older, I realized there’s a lot more to why so many feel such disdain for this day. It’s one thing to feel indifferent — it’s another thing to hate it. There’s certainly more to all of this than just the ostentatious displays of pubic affection, Instagram pictures and other annoying social media status updates. To feel such resentment over a single day would only make one wonder why anyone would get so emotional over something they claim isn’t a big deal and means nothing to them.
We celebrate Woman Crush Wednesdays and Man Crush Mondays each week like they’re official holidays. Everyone has a bae in their heads even when one doesn’t exist in their reality. Love envy is real. Everyone wants to get shot in the butt by dear old cupid’s arrow. The problem for many is that we secretly wish it didn’t come with stipulations. Competition, fear and pressure are the biggest stipulation of them all. People hate the idea that they’re not enough. A lot of us have developed an unhealthy obsession with the idea that somebody, somewhere is choosing someone. It sucks for some to have a yearly reminder of how unattached many of us are. That there’s a lingering imbalance or attribute we crave from our partners but lack. It’s a fundamental part of human nature that stems from the tendency to compare ourselves to others.
Cut the people who celebrate February 14th some slack. If people want to celebrate all of the manifestations of love on a single day then let them.
The current state of our world is showing us that hate, even the selective kind, gets us nowhere. Sometimes we take our partners for granted. Sometimes we’re not as nice to each other as we could be. Sometimes we just need a reason to be nice to each other. If Valentine’s Day is the appointed day to do so, then let people do them. I’ll admit that it’s pretty funny to listen to people express their outrage about a holiday symbolized by cute little cupids and fluffy things. But, such a holiday should never bring out the worst in people to a point where you are unleashing pent up aggression and going on protests and tirades about why Valentine’s Day sucks. It also contradicts the message we preach on a daily basis about how love is important and that love wins and should be shared.
Of course you don’t need one day out of the whole year to show someone how special they are to you. But, this day could also be utilized to do something other than complain.
