Why I hate Valentine’s Day – Immy Holmes
Going out for a meal on Valentine’s day is a bit like working out in a public gym to the Rocky soundtrack.
The streets are covered at this time of year, with the evermore eye catching displays for Valentine’s Day. Lovers begin to panic about how on earth they are supposed to compress all their love, emotion and admiration for their partner into a singular, or selection of, gifts. Too soon for a ring? Don’t worry, I’m sure a life-sized teddy bear clutching a big red heart from Clinton’s will portray how deep your affection stems.
Cynical though it may seem, Valentine’s Day is not healthy, in my opinion. I completely agree with expressing appreciation for those you love, but shouldn’t this be done every day? Why would anyone want to, or be capable of, compressing all that they love about someone into a singular day? I couldn’t tell you.
Valentine’s Day has fast become a multimillion pound business; for example, there are 198 million roses purchased each year on average, which is colossal for those businesses which trade in this market. However, this commercialisation of real human emotion, to me, is missing the point; after all, Valentine’s day is about showing how much you love those around you, not showering them in gifts and following social trends. Furthermore, it is, like many other holidays, an incredibly difficult time of year for some and plastering your social media with excessive posts of ‘How lucky am I?’ is anything but sensitive.
In fact, what may surprise many of you is that Valentine’s day, actually, puts many people off their relationship. Some partners go too far with their gift, others not far enough, but primarily, for many, it opens their eyes to the reality of what their relationship really is, or has become. Lawyers specialising in Divorce actually see an influx in applications at this time of year, only making the holiday a harder pill to swallow for those newly single. I would argue, that this time of year is patronising and has become a platform for boasting about what you got from your significant other, rather than what you already had; someone who loves and cares for you deeply. Essentially, I believe it makes love materialistic, which is ironic considering it is expressed to be so much more by those who find it.
Of course, I do enjoy seeing others happy, and if this is what does it for you, I’m glad, but I doubt i’ll ever share the feeling.
Post Comment
You must be logged in to post a comment.