February is in full swing, and that means Valentines Day is nearing. The shops are filled with an array of red roses in varying sizes, red ribbon wrapped chocolates are displayed in shop windows, and the card section is a pink and red sea of hearts and love poems.
February the fourteenth has become a commercialised holiday where love is sold to the masses. And, I’ve honestly never understood the hype. Don’t get me wrong: I love love. It warms my heart when I see an old couple holding hands as they walk through the park or a young couple on their first date and you can see how nervous they both are. I truly love love. But, that’s what love is about, to me. It’s not about just one day that couples, for no obvious reason, explicitly celebrate their relationship. I think Valentine’s Day for couples can be wonderful if they don’t fall into the overspending, anxiety-driven chaos that the commercial side of it encourages. But, of course, it can leave single people feeling rather alone.
Valentine’s Day brings about a societal pressure on those of us who are single to feel sad and lonely for not being in a relationship. And yet the other 364 days of the year, being single is just fine. I’ve read one too many articles telling me, a single girl, what to do on Valentine’s Day…and I’m tired of it. So, instead of telling you how to be single on Valentine’s Day, I’m going to tell you why it’s not okay to be single on Valentine’s Day, but why it’s great!
Your bank balance won’t suffer
Unfortunately for people in relationships, it’s expected that you spend a lot of money of luxurious gifts that prove how much you love the person you’re buying them for. And of course, who doesn’t want to spoil their significant other? But, let’s be real, Valentine’s Day makes present buying seem like an Olympic sport. And if you’re not aiming for gold, you might as well give up! So, as a singleton, revel in the fact that you don’t have to stress about going into your overdraft, just to buy your significant other an overpriced gift.
Nothing is better than Valentine’s Day chocolate on the 15th.
The big day has passed. All the lovers have exchanged gifts, some have gone to dinner, some have stayed home and cuddled on the sofa. But, you can almost know for certain, they’ve all bought Valentine’s Day chocolate. And there’s one special thing about Valentine’s Day chocolate – on the 15th, it’s half price! So, if you’re single and the 15th rolls around and you fancy some, make sure to grab one (or two), of those discounted, heart-shaped boxes of dreams.
Are they ‘The One’?
Big romantic gestures. Proposals. More PDA than usual. Valentine’s Day is a reminder to those in relationships that they are with someone who they could be with for the rest of their lives. And that could be the best thing in the world, if you’re ready for it. But, if you’re in a relationship and you’re not quite sure where it’s headed, the pressure of thinking ‘Are they The One?’ is amplified on February 14th. If you’re single, the only pressure you feel in terms of another person is your reliance on the pizza guy to deliver in time for your favourite series. That’s the kind of pressure I can deal with.
Cher knows best
Nobody said it better than Cher, “A man is not a necessity. A man is a luxury.”
Love and relationships are beautiful things. But, being single does not diminish the person you are. You are no less of a person just because you aren’t in a relationship. And on Valentine’s Day (in particular), I think that’s something that every person who is single needs to remember.
