By Rina Weaver
Between the stress of finding an impeccable gift for your boo, the anxiety of finding a Valentine if you’re single, and the pressure to spread love to people you don’t even like, there are plenty of ways Valentine’s Day is tremendously toxic. The actual meaning of love is materialized and demeaned by this holiday. Furthermore, it makes single people feel incredibly lonely. I’m not speaking from personal experience or anything.
There are lots of high expectations around Valentine’s Day for couples, from the perfect gifts and the most luxurious dinner to the notion of everlasting love and romance. On just one day of the year, that’s a lot of pressure for two people. People shouldn’t need a holiday to express their love. You’re doing something wrong if you only do something to make your significant other happy once a year every February. Healthy relationships need far more effort than a bouquet of flowers and a box of chocolates once a year. Moreover, as images of happy couples flood your social media feeds on Valentine’s Day, it’s easy to start doubting your own relationship. You might begin to question how your relationship measures up against such supposedly flawless ones. This mindset can be both harmful and misleading. Everything you do on this day should come from the heart, although that isn’t always the case. We all become competitors on the inside, and those who receive presents at work or make public proposals are considered winners. It makes those who are in a relationship miserable when they’re expected to be the happy ones.
It’s also extremely anti-single for no explicable reason. Being single has definite advantages, but the rest of the world seems to forget this during this time of year. Anyone who is not in a relationship must pick between being depressed about their single state or receiving criticism for being self-assured when alone. Why can’t we rejoice in love without criticizing others’ solitude? There’s hardly nothing us single people desire more during this time of year than a big bag of our favorite candy, but costs are soaring in every store you go to! On the plus side, by the time the 15th arrives, there will be plenty of nice discounts. There are far too many obnoxious, overly adoring couples. If you think PDA on the regular is bad, just wait ‘til you witness Valentine’s Day in a high school. Suzie is frenching Ryan as you turn the corner. You get stuck behind the couple who is holding hands and taking up the entire hallway when you turn another corner.
People should take time out of their everyday lives to express gratitude for their loved ones. It doesn’t take a lot of money or a holiday to show someone you care. Instead, just celebrate Monday with some anti-love music (playlist below), and bring your besties together to support the resistance by helping to deconstruct our toxic culture. Considering Valentine’s Day is admittedly rather toxic.