Every Feb. 14, the school hallways turn into a romantic-comedy nobody asked to be in. People walk around with giant teddy bears, flower bouquets, and chocolates, while everyone else pretends they don’t care.
Valentine’s Day is supposed to be about love, but for a lot of people, it feels more like a reminder of who’s single and who isn’t. The holiday can be stressful even for people who are in romantic relationships. Having to deal with the pressure of getting a gift and planning a date, on top of having enough money to do it, can make Valentine’s Day more stressful than fun.
The main reason Valentine’s Day isn’t fun for many people is that it focuses on couples, which can make single people feel left out. Whether it’s seeing couples everywhere, social media posts, or all the gifts, being single on Valentine’s Day can be frustrating for many people.
Brunswick student, Chellsie Shoemaker, a senior, shares how Valentine’s Day affects single people.
“Well personally, I have spent some very angry Valentine’s Days at home just crying and others just going on about my day,” Shoemaker said. “It just sucks sometimes to see a day being celebrated by happy couples when it feels unfair for many single people.”
While Valentine’s Day can be isolating for people who are single, it can also be stressful for people who are in relationships. The pressure to buy the “right” gift, plan a special activity, or meet societal expectations can turn the holiday into more of a source of anxiety than enjoyment. Studies have found that people who approach Valentine’s Day with realistic expectations rather than expecting a bunch of gifts are less likely to feel disappointed.
Some argue that Valentine’s Day is irrelevant altogether and does not deserve the amount of attention it gets. To them, the holiday feels forced and overly commercial, with expectations to buy gifts that don’t really make the holiday more meaningful.
Another student, Kyle McGann, a sophomore, shares why Valentine’s Day is not important.
McGann described Valentine’s Day as “dumb and a waste of money,” adding that it feels more like a marketing tactic than a genuine celebration of love. This perspective shows how Valentine’s Day feels less like a meaningful holiday and more like an unnecessary expense for some individuals.
Valentine’s Day looks great in movies, TV shows, and social media, but in reality, it’s purely a commercial holiday that makes single people feel excluded. Whether someone loves the holiday or avoids it completely, it’s clear that the holiday isn’t meaningful to everyone.
After all, why do we need a holiday about love when there is already love all around us every single day of the year?