Valentine’s Day is an annual holiday celebrating romance, love, and friendship. It is typically defined by couples giving chocolate, flowers, jewelry, and other romantic things to each other to express their love. Even though the holiday is all about love, it causes many people to feel left out. Most people believe that the holiday is for romantic relationships only, which leaves out those who don’t have a “significant other”.
“If I don’t have someone to celebrate it with, it will be kind of lonely, and if I do have someone to celebrate it with, I’ll enjoy it a bit more,” freshman Shyanne Parker said.
Even though non-romantic relationships can be celebrated during Valentine’s Day, having the choice to romantically celebrate the holiday taken away due to being single isn’t the most exciting thing, especially when it comes to a holiday that is all about showing your love for your partner.
“I think it depends on who you are friends with at the time or if you’re in a relationship because the holiday can definitely be intimidating if you’re not with the right people,” junior Faith O’Connor said.
Many people believe that Valentine’s Day is overall an inconsistent holiday. Enjoyment levels and appreciation of the holiday seem to vary whether people are in a romantic relationship or surrounded by people who they love.
“I think it depends on the person to person you talk to,” sophomore Lilli Dice said. “Some people will say Valentine’s Day isn’t important because they don’t have anybody to celebrate with, and then others will say it is important, I would say it’s based on relationships.”
Looking at Valentine’s Day from a different perspective, it may seem that the holiday creates unrealistic expectations and focuses on unnecessary pressure for both those who are in a romantic relationship and those who aren’t. Those in a relationship feel obligated to have a “perfect” day together full of grand gestures to show their love for their partner.
Just because someone is in a relationship doesn’t mean that they will automatically enjoy the holiday.
“I would prefer to be in a relationship where we’re just kind of always friendly with each other and lovey, and pampering each other, just kind of like a constant thing,” senior Eli van der Leij said. “I don’t feel like you need a holiday specifically for that.”
Those who aren’t in a relationship may feel that they shouldn’t be alone on Valentine’s Day and that they need to find someone to spend the day with. In contrast, some people believe that Valentine’s Day doesn’t have to be the stereotypical holiday that everyone believes it to be. Instead, it can be a day full of self-love and appreciating the non-romantic connections in your life.
“Even though I don’t usually have a Valentine, I like getting candy from my friends just because it shows that your friends care about you and that there are other people you can celebrate Valentine’s Day with than just a significant other,” Dice said.
While relationships are fun and it can be exciting to have a significant other to celebrate Valentine’s Day with, it isn’t a necessary part of the holiday. Being single on Valentine’s Day should not stop anyone from enjoying and celebrating what the holiday truly stands for: love! Love doesn’t need to be romantic love. It can be platonic between best friends and family members.
“Personally, I’ve never celebrated with a ‘special someone’ and it’s great. I mean, it’s ‘Galentines ’!” freshman Camdyn Sabourin said.
