Valentineโs Day is almost here and for many, that means spending the day with a special someone they love. However, for some people, it means just another day of being reminded they are not in a relationship.
My first memory of celebrating Valentineโs Day, was in elementary school. My mom dressed me up in pink and red and packed an extra cookie in my lunchbox with a little note that had heart-shaped stickers on it. In class, we were provided with arts and crafts to make Valentineโs cards. We were told about the story of Cupid and taught to always be kind and love one another.
Ever since then, Iโve looked forward to this special day to reflect on all the extraordinary people I have in my life.
Rated as the No. 1 most hated holiday on thetoptens.com, some have very negative connotations when it comes to Valentineโs Day.
โAs I get older I realize itโs a glorified Hallmark holiday; when I grew up, it didnโt appeal to me as much,โ said Brooke Wagner, a former student at Moorpark College.
Looking at Valentineโs Day as a โHallmarkโ holiday means it is made up for big companies such as Hallmark to get people to spend unnecessary money.
But is the holiday really only for spending money and people who are in relationships?
โWe get caught up in our own lives, and I think it is really important to take a day to just celebrate your love,โ said Shibumi Gupta, a junior at California State University, Northridge.
Of course, there are some people who dislike the holiday solely because of the love factor. Wagner said that some people donโt want to see others in love if they are not in love themselves because they may feel excluded from this day.
This can be understandable since most of us have experienced heartbreak at least once, but I like to think that thereโs always room for hopefulness. Itโs never too late to find love.
Gupta said she has always celebrated Valentineโs Day even though she hasnโt been in relationships for the majority of her life.
โItโs supposed to be a happy holiday, people are so negative about it, I donโt really understand why,โ Gupta said.
I think both people who are in relationships and people who are single feel a lot of pressure from social media and are under the impression they must spoil their significant other by showering them with gifts, or drown in their own sorrows while engorging an entire box of chocolates.
There are so many ways to make Valentineโs Day positive, such as going out on a school night with your best friends, watching romantic comedies that are your secret guilty pleasure or writing a sweet letter to your mother.
โIf you associate it with being in love, maybe change your opinion on that. Maybe not a romantic love, but the love you have for your pet, your friends or your family,โ Gupta said.
Since Valentineโs Day has become a nearly impossible festivity to avoid, the best thing anyone can do is make the most of it. Give thanks to the people who surround you a little extra on this day and always be hopeful for what is next to come in life. Without love for one another, what would this planet be like?
As author W.S. Gilbert said, โItโs love that makes the world go round.โ
Brooke Oyler
Reporter