Another Valentine’s Day has come and gone, with the constant influx of pink and red, heart-shaped chocolates and the pressure to demonstrate affection. Beneath the aisles of convenience store teddy bears is an overvalued holiday, furthering immature consumerism.
The holiday started with one man, Saint Valentine who was a priest in Rome during the third century. The emperor at the time believed that single men made better soldiers than those with wives and families. Valentine saw this law as unfair, so he decided to marry lovers in secret.
When Valentine’s actions were discovered, the emperor ordered him to be put to death around 270 A.D.. Over time, Valentine has become a symbol of love and romance. The Catholic Church recognized him and established Valentine’s Day as an official holiday.
While the intentions of Saint Valentine are admirable, the modern-day version of this day needs to be revised and more manageable.
Today, the holiday is a commercial extravaganza, driven by profit margins instead of true love. Big businesses often promote the holiday in any way they can. Mostly by convincing people that they need to get their significant other a gift, otherwise they will feel the pressure of potentially being labeled as an uncaring partner.
This creates unrealistic expectations of relationships and romance, which come in the form of elaborate gestures and pricey gifts. The failure to fulfill these standards leaves room for disappointment. Additionally, couples that wish to reciprocate these social norms can lose the aura of genuine affection and love.
Furthermore, the holiday amplifies the feeling of loneliness and social exclusion for those without a partner. Over 57% of Americans are single on Valentine’s Day from Forbes, making almost half the nation forced to wallow in everyone else’s feelings of joy and euphoria.
The horrid consumer habits of Valentine´s Day cause overconsumption and a negative environmental impact. The never-ending plethora of advertisements for overpriced flowers, jewelry and chocolate encourages people to purchase the goodies. Then once the holiday has passed, all of the extra inventory goes straight to the dumps.
While the values of Valentine’s Day are charming, reality often falls short of the ideals. The celebration proliferates harmful stereotypes, reinforces immature materialistic habits, negatively impacts the environment and damages people’s emotional health.
