Feb. 14, also known as Valentine’s Day, is arguably the most disliked and controversial holiday. While couples are going on romantic dates and being hand-fed chocolate, single people are forced to see an overly expressed amount of love and affection everywhere they go.
The second New Year’s ends, stores put out the red and pink decorations, enticing their customers to decorate for the holiday.
Some may argue Valentine’s Day shouldn’t even be a holiday because it has turned into a day to show off how much you can spend on your significant other. And those who don’t have that special someone on Feb. 14 are forced to be at home, sad and lonely.
Well, I’m here to argue that there is a much more positive, beautiful side to Valentine’s Day.
Valentine’s Day does not have to be the stereotypical, materialistic holiday that everyone believes it to be.
Instead it can be a day of self love and appreciating the non-romantic connections that you have.
As cheesy as it sounds, I grew up loving the holiday because I just loved seeing love. The endless aisles of sparkly red and pink cards, big teddy bears, fancy chocolates and beautiful arrangements of flowers made me excited to enjoy the season of love. I even loved picking out which cards and candies to pass out to my classmates for our in-school Valentine’s party.
I think the media has tried to convince the masses that the only people who can enjoy and celebrate Valentine’s Day have to be those who are in a romantic relationship, but that’s not true.
Growing up my parents emphasized that it was a holiday where you could express and appreciate the many types of love you have. Whether it’s from your friends, family, pets or even yourself, Valentine’s Day is a day to recognize that love exists in many forms.
While relationships are fun and it can be great to have a partner to celebrate Valentine’s Day with, it is not a necessary part of the holiday. Most people in college are still growing and learning to love themselves, let alone a whole other human being. So, don’t feel discouraged if you’re spending the day alone.
Instead use the day for personal growth and love.
Over the years, the self-love movement has become a testament that celebrating love does not have to be romantic, showing our generation that our self-worth and love does not need to come from others but from finding contentment in ourselves.
Instead, choose to spend the day finding things that make you happy and take it as a day to appreciate yourself. Or if you don’t want to spend the day alone, enjoy the day with people you love and care about, even if it isn’t a romantic connection. Tell your friends how much you love them and thank them for being in your life.
No matter how you spend Feb. 14, don’t let the big bouquet of roses and happy couples stop you from enjoying the holiday. This year take the time to learn how to love yourself and how to love those around you.
As a generation, we are already changing so many stereotypes and expectations of what love has to look like. While big companies, movies and TV shows are feeding us one narrative, learn how to celebrate love the way you want.
Sierra Stallworth is a junior studying journalism.
