You'd Think That People Would've Had Enough of Silly Love Songs...

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It's that time of year, the most dreaded time, the time of "love". That's right--Valentine's Day is near. Some call it "Single's Awareness Day", because if you're single on Valentine's Day it can seem as if there's a camera and microphone in your face all day, showcasing the fact they you're alone. In my book, Valentine's Day is written down as 'The Worst Holiday Ever'. Let's be honest, Valentine's Day is like Christmas: 100% commercial. From December 26th to February 14th, stores are filled with giant pink teddy bears, heart-shaped boxes of chocolates, the ever popular bouquet of cheap, drug store roses, and rows and rows of Valentine cards for that special someone. And yes, it's always nice to receive gifts, but there comes a point in time when it becomes too cliché to even appreciate. So you say, why, exactly, does Valentine's Day suck so much? Besides the consumerism, here are a few reasons to be anti-Valentine's:


If you're single...
Besides stating the obvious, being alone on Valentine's Day is no fun. You are forced to watch happy couples in their seemingly perfect lust for each other all day long. You receive your bouquet of flowers as a pity gift from mom, which then makes you resent allowing mom in on your current relationship status in the first place. Let's be honest, a dinner-movie date is much better than a night on the town with your girl friends, celebrating your "independence". It also seems like all of your friends who are in a relationship are dangling that "love" right in front of you: calling you to tell you that he proposed, or what an awesome time they had at the basketball game, or whatever. As you sit at home eating ice cream out of a bucket and watching How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days for the 17th time, you try to convince yourself that you are a strong, independent women, when you'd really rather be out having a good time with your love.


If you're in a relationship...
On the surface, it seems like Valentine's Day would be the perfect holiday for a couple. But what if he forgets to get you a present? Men often can't handle the "pressure" of Valentine's Day, and they think it's unnecessary to get their girl a gift. That's where they go wrong. Men, if you are reading this, make sure you get your girl a gift on Valentine's Day. In fact, make sure it's a damn good gift, too. 


No matter who you are...
People see Valentine's Day as a day to express their love for one another. A day to devote to their loved one, a day to gush about romance and hearts and love without getting made fun of by their buddies. A day to spend money on their significant other, in the hopes that every negative thing in their relationship will magically disappear due to the essence of love. Sorry to burst your bubble, my friends, but this is not the case. Sure, go ahead and buy your boyfriend or girlfriend, husband or wife, friend or companion chocolates and teddy bears and roses to express your love. But why is there only one day a year dedicated to love? If you love somebody, you should show it 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Love shouldn't be about buying things, it should be about the little things you do or say to a person to make them feel special. It should be celebrating every time that person makes you laugh or smile, every time that person makes you feel like one in a million. It should be in celebration of spending time with that person, and going through things both good and bad, whether you've been together for 5 days or 50 years. And if you don't have anyone to spend Valentine's Day with this year, celebrate the fact that you don't need anyone else to complete you. Or celebrate the time spent with the people who weren't right for you, all in preparation for finding "the one". 


So whether you're single or in a long-term, serious relationship, celebrate Valentine's Day this year. Celebrate it all year long. Because it should not be about one day buying things and lusting for someone else. Valentine's Day should be about all that you have, all that you're grateful for, all the time.