Valentine's Day

I have adjusted the colors of my blog just for this happy day!

Valentine's Day is one of my favorite holidays, simply for its colors. You have to admit that there are few things girlier or cheerier than pink and red, bespeckled with hearts and flowers. I know it is a silly, perhaps useless holiday, but I have no problem with his. I realize that no one celebrates the day on which birds supposedly choose their mates for the reasons it was created, but this antiquated Victorian holiday has its merits. Why not celebrate a day that could be, if Valentine's Day did not exist, a normal thursday? It can still be a normal Thursday if you choose, and I have no problem with that, but let's discuss Valentine's Day Haters.

Restaraunts cost more and are crowded.
It makes single people feel like crap.
The holiday is mercilessly marketed to hapless husbands.
Women are raised to expect something special on this day.

Those were the things I do not like about Valentine's Day. However, I have some very similar complaints about Christmas. Christmas has become a holiday that has nothing to do with the religious meaning of the day, and instead is a chance to prove that you are worthy of buying gifts for others. It is a chance to show off your knowledge of friends and family, shopping skills, and bank account balance. Valentine's Day almost falls into this trap, however, I do not know one single woman that expects the diamond tennis bracelet or obligatory box of chocolates. I don't even know very many women who observe this holiday at all. I think most men feel much less pressure on this holiday, ironically, than they do on Christmas.

Restaraunts are crowded and expensive, but here's the great thing: you don't have to go to one. Stay home, or go out another night. Valentine's Day isn't the only day you can ever go out to dinner.

Last but not least, let's talk about being single on this day. I always thought Valentine's Day was akin to friendship day. Aren't we raised to shower our friends in valentines and candy? I have never had a problem with it as a single or attached person, and you shouldn't, either. Most of the people I have known who "boycotted" Valentine's Day, wearing black and spouting out about the downfalls of love, were those who most desperately wanted to be in a relationship. I was even told once in High School that it was unfair for some to be happy or in love on Valentine's Day as it made others depressed. So happy people should pretend to be unhappy? Or could we all find something positive in this silly day and enjoy it?

Valentine's Day means different things to different people. For us, it is an excuse to spend a night together, talking. And like so many others, it will not be a very extraordinary or different night. But that's okay. For my parents, it means nothing, as they find it to be a "Hallmark Holiday." For some, it is a birthday, and Valentine's Day matters little.* For others, it is an opressive reminder that they are alone, and for others still, it's a day to wear pink or red and eat dark chocolate. Enjoy it in your own way.

*HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO KRYSTA RINKE!!