In the 3rd century A.D., Emperor Claudius II executed two men - both named Valentine - on February 14 of different years. They were honored by the Catholic Church with the celebration of St. Valentine’s Day. We have progressively turned this day of honor into a disgusting display of affection. For what reason? The answer is quite simple - selfishness. People in relationships make sure to use Valentine’s Day as a reminder for the rest of us that we are, in fact, single and lonely. Social media makes it nearly impossible to avoid the heartbreaking fact that single people are basically worthless on this random day in February. You may be able to avoid the PDA and overbearing love in person but it is not as easy when every rose, chocolate or stuffed animal is being posted on all media platforms. But if you do happen to be one of the “lucky” ones who has a valentine, the pressure is on. The exchanging of gifts, affection, attention, and services should be expected from your partners much more frequently than once a year. Valentine’s Day puts way too much stress on couples to make their significant other feel special when they should be prioritizing that all of the time. Unfortunately, we as a society have been complying with these unwritten Valentine’s Day rules for far too long. It is going to take a lot of adjusting to accept that February 14th is just another day and we all need to move on.
By: Ashlyn Gerken