Anyone who knows me will be well aware that one thing I detest is Valentines Day. I am astounded at the amount of pressure people put on themselves to plan things for their significant other , I’m even more astounded at the pressure people put on themselves to find a valentine, literally swiping left[or is it right?…I dunno] on every person they see on the dating site in the hopes of a valentines catch! its like trying to get a New Years Eve date only on steroids!, or what about parents who break their backs trying to get their kids red and white outfits to wear to the Valentines picnic at school complete with a Valentines gift for the teacher and a chocolate for every person in the class…MADNESS! And if your plans don’t work out or you happen to be alone is there any other day that so brazenly points out your failures to find love or get a plan together for that someone special or any other day that so smugly reminds you that you have lost a love or takes pieces of your self esteem? I don’t think so. Valentines day can get into the bin!
I’m not bitter [which is what you’re all thinking -admit it] and I certainly don’t begrudge those who do recognize and celebrate this day-I will double tap your valentines day posts all day long pals-, I just think the energy spent and pressure put on us by ourselves and by society as a whole is ridiculous! There are people who spend 364 waiting for Valentines day…if you are waiting for that one day in the year when your significant other makes you feel special, bestie let me tell you right now that is a red flag and you need to get out!
I’m convinced my loathing for this nonsense started in primary school, when in the days leading up to Valentines day our school had various valentines day post boxes set up and you could pop your note or a small gift for your “crush”-LOL- into the boxes and then on valentines morning the content of the boxes were delivered to each class in a scene not unlike the one in the movie Mean Girls only… WE WERE TWELVE YEARS OLD FOR GODS SAKE! so to the 12 year old who doesn’t get anything year after year...good luck to your self esteem I guess!
Then you get to high school and for reasons beyond my understanding my school sold roses and chocolates in the weeks leading up to valentines day which was then delivered to classrooms on valentines morning- the only fun thing about this was that the rose delivery sure did confirm who was kissing who behind the bike sheds-also I guess everyone saved their Christmas money for February because the sheer size of teddy bears and balloon arrangements they brought for their partners would put a hallmark store to shame. So if you’re the Gretchen Weiner of the class-and there were many of us- you’re stuck surrounded by “smug marrieds” and you spend the day, week, month wondering what you’re lacking, why you’re not worthy of a Valentine. It baffles me that the adults in charge of a building full of impressionable teenagers allowed this Valentines fiasco to take place.
Look its a fine day if that’s your vibe, I just personally think its a day that is incredibly overrated and deeply commercialized. A friend asked me recently if I would ever feel differently about valentines day “ when someone gives me a reason to , perhaps I will” I answered, right now I celebrate that fact that every February 14th my mother gives me a new pair of slippers and honestly is there anything better to celebrate than a new pair of slippers?
So until that person with that very good and solid reason arrives I’ll just be here in my new comfy slippers , watching Jane Austen and toasting my fellow “We don’t like valentines day” comrades!
Happy TUESDAY Besties!
Very well expressed. Thanks to my advanced age, Valentines was not big, but there was a bit of a vibe going on. And the trauma of not featuring was real...