writer: Aryan Bommena
designer: Wyatt Downey
One of the most controversial holidays of the year, Valentine’s Day, has seemingly always divided people. The New York Daily Tribune wrote all the way back in 1847, “There was a time when Valentine’s Day meant something. We hate this modern degeneracy, this miscellaneous and business fashion.” While single people tend to lament their distaste for the holiday every year, there are legitimate reasons behind these claims.
Every year on Feb. 14 the Romans celebrated the Feast of Lupercalia, believed to be the precursor to what we know now as Valentine’s Day. Roman men would sacrifice a goat and a dog and then proceed to use the hides of these animals to whip young Roman women—believing this would make them fertile. The name likely came sometime later, from one of two Saint Valentines both having been martyred on Feb. 14, according to NPR.
Fortunately, our modern idea of Valentine’s Day is a lot less violent than that of the ancient Romans, but the holiday still has its own host of problems.
In more recent times, Valentine’s Day has become increasingly commercialized. Spending a small fortune to buy jewelry, flowers, chocolates, and dinners at expensive restaurants has become the norm. According to the National Retail Federation, in 2022 American’s spent nearly $24 billion for the holiday. The minute the holiday season is over, malls and department stores shift their focus to the holiday.
Purchasing gifts to show affection frankly defeats the whole purpose of Valentine’s Day. It’s a holiday that should be used to spend time with one’s significant other, rather than another superficial way for corporations to profit off citizens once a year. The current state of Valentine’s Day focuses far too much on the material aspect and dilutes the meaning of love. Not to mention, the consumerist culture around the holiday promotes being wasteful and has detrimental environmental impacts
S.A.D or Singles Awareness Day is an unofficial holiday celebrated on Feb. 15. Although S.A.D exists largely as a joke, Valentine’s Day can still have a profound effect on single people. Societal pressure to be in a relationship reaches all-time highs during the second week of February.
Many single people who are not in a relationship for various reasons can feel left out and may even be ridiculed by some for spending the holiday alone. Not to mention the issue of having to deal with overzealous couples and crowded restaurants that you likely won’t even be able to find a table at.
The holiday is a favorite among elementary schoolers—creating and decorating your box, giving valentines to the entire class, and having a party rather than class. As the years go by, the holiday’s presence in school decreases. At the high school, Valentine’s Day is up to the teacher’s discretion and is only celebrated in a handful of classes. Treating the holiday the way we did in elementary can be beneficial, focusing on our relationships with our peers and avoiding the problems associated with Valentine’s Day.
Celebrating Galentine’s Day is a simple alternative to the original holiday. Spend the day in the company of friends, eating food or playing games. Celebrate your relationship with your significant other on a day that is more personal to you, such as your anniversary.
The wasteful nature of the holiday, along with its commercialization and ostracization of solitary people, has led to more increasingly more problems around Valentine’s Day. Instead of continuing this vicious cycle, try something new. Cook dinner at home and put on a movie or even show your love on one of the other 364 days of the year.
