Love is in the air
Are you allergic?
JACKIE MARQUEZ / OPINION EDITOR / THE USD VISTA
This past Tuesday was Valentine’s Day. For some, that means a day of romance, hearts and chocolate. For others, it means eating a bowl of ramen alone in your dorm and doing homework.
If you’re single this year, the holiday can feel like a slap to the face. Because of this, Feb. 14 receives a lot of criticism: it’s too commercial, it’s unnecessary, it’s lonely. It’s easy to be cynical on Valentine’s Day, but a lot of the criticism toward the day is uncalled for. No matter how you’re celebrating the day of love, Valentine’s can be a special day, and it doesn’t deserve the negativity it often receives.
As someone who is currently single, I totally agree that it can feel lonely seeing grand displays of love on Valentine’s Day. But, there are more types of love than romance. V-day is a great time to show platonic love for your friends and family, too.
The rise of Galentine’s day reflects the cultural change that’s happening around Valentine’s Day. According to Cosmopolitan, “Galentine’s Day is the friendship version of Valentine’s day — a whole day dedicated to celebrating the platonic love between the women and non-binary people in your life.” The holiday is becoming less centered on romantic love and instead focuses on devoting attention to others that you care about.
I love this shift around the holiday. Your relationship might not last, but as the Spice Girls said “friendship never ends.” It’s your friends and family who are there for you both before, and after a relationship, and they deserve the same attention you would spoil a partner with.
If you’re feeling left out of Valentine’s Day this year, consider spending it with the people you care about. I personally will be watching rom-coms with my roommate and baking cookies for my friends.
You can also celebrate the holiday by showing love for yourself. Self-love is just as necessary as platonic and romantic love. After all, you’ve been there for yourself way longer than any significant other has or ever will be. My favorite way of showing love for myself is by partaking in self-care activities. Journaling, meditating, going for a walk and eating healthy are all great ways to be kind to yourself.
The most common complaint is that Valentine’s Day is too commercial. In 2022, Forbes estimated that $23.9 billion would be spent on the holiday. On an individual level, they estimated that lovebirds would spend an average of $175.41 on gifts. While this complaint about the day is certainly valid, Valentine’s Day is far less commercial than other major holidays like Christmas. In 2022, The National Retail Federation estimated that Americans spend around $960 billion on Christmas.
If you’re concerned about the capitalist nature of major holidays in general, there are ways to celebrate the day without contributing to the Valentine’s market. Instead of buying a pre-made card, you could make your own. A homemade card can be more heartfelt than a store-bought one anyways. Instead of buying a box of chocolates, you could bake a treat for your valentine. Instead of buying an expensive bouquet of roses, you could go pick a bouquet of wildflowers for free. Not only is it cheaper, it’s more environmentally friendly, and you can arrange it yourself. You don’t have to spend money to show love.
The final criticism is that Valentine’s Day isn’t a necessary holiday. The reasoning is that you should show love to the people you care about every day. While you should show your love and appreciation everyday, that shouldn’t stop you from celebrating the holiday. Valentine’s Day is a time to reflect on the people you love and why you love them. It’s just a fun excuse to do a little extra for the special people in your life.
At the end of the day, no holiday is truly necessary. They’re socially constructed; they’re just days that we’ve taken and made special. But, they do give us a reason to be kind and have fun with the people we love. So, let’s show some love on this lovely holiday.