Valentine's Day seems to stir up a unique kind of vitriol in people, regardless of background, age, or relationship status. Between anti-Valentine's parties and cynical greeting cards, it definitely feels cooler to spit on the holiday, rather than embrace it. Of course, there are plenty of valid reasons to dread February 14th. If you're coupled, you feel the pressure to make a grand gesture, and if you're (unhappily) single, you feel the disgust of being surrounded by over-the-top romantic gestures.
But, what about the people who are unabashedly pro-Valentine's Day? Is the world safe for them anymore? Can they buy their oversized teddy bears in peace? Maybe one day, but for now, it's safe to say that anti-Valentiners are the vocal majority.
As for our take on the holiday? There's nothing wrong with indulging in a little Hallmark-fueled, candy-filled romance — but there's nothing wrong with being a conscientious objector, either. When V-Day rolls around, we suggest that you do you.
To get a sense of where our readers stand on the matter, we asked them to tell us how they really feel about Valentine's Day. Click through for 12 people's uncensored thoughts on the holiday — and let us know how you feel about V-Day, too.
"I don't hate Valentine's Day, but I don't see it as very important either. It's an excuse to get a nice dinner with my S.O. if I have one, but I don't expect flowers, chocolate, or jewelry just because I'm 'supposed' to. Also, my birthday is two days before, so by the time we get to Valentine's Day, I'm assuming my partner will have just given me some token of affection anyway. Yes, V-Day is an opportunity for people to sell you things, but what holiday isn't? No one's forcing you to buy in."
"I lost my virginity on Valentine's Day when I was 16. The venue was wildly inappropriate and super risky, but it's such a fond memory, and I'm with the same guy eight years later. Every year, we're like, 'Remember that time!'"
"You know what? I've been single every single goddamned Valentine's Day of my life, and I still love the holiday. The idea that a bunch of singing gorillas in polka-dot boxer shorts at CVS can make me feel bad for being single is laughable. It's a cheesy, dumb holiday — I refuse to feel bad because no one is sending me flowers. But I do think it's fun to give and get silly little gifts to the people I do have in my life — my family and friends. Any excuse to tell them I love them is okay with me."
"I'd love to love it, but Valentine's Day feels like such a huge marketing ploy. Last year, my boyfriend and I were in different states on V-Day, and the year before, we completely forgot about it, then we were perplexed by the crowds when we went out to dinner at a steakhouse that night."
"You know how Valentine's Day in grade school is super platonic? How everyone has to give everyone a Valentine, no matter what, so no one's feelings get hurt? In fifth grade, I got a Valentine from a girl in class that read 'Hey Valentine!' Only it didn't, because she had scribbled out the word 'Valentine' so it just read 'Hey!' Even at the time, as a preteen, I thought, 'Don't worry, I would never have misconstrued this Scooby-Doo valentine as a confession of love. Spelling it out for me is entirely unnecessary.' It was then that I realized that Valentine's Day is kind of ridiculous. My girlfriend and I have our anniversary just a few days before it, so Valentine’s Day has never been a thing."
"Fuck that noise. Pardon my French."
"I love Valentine's Day, and I've never celebrated it with a boyfriend — actually, I've dumped two boyfriends on Valentine's day, so maybe I do celebrate. It's a day when we're allowed to express our love, which isn't to say that we shouldn't express our love everyday. I just think some people need permission to give love, and that should be okay. I love that there are 24 hours every year dedicated purely to love. I use Valentine's Day as an opportunity to make tacky cards for my best friends, my sisters, my parents, my coworkers, etc. I make lists of their greatest attributes, fondly recall obscure memories in long, rambling postcards, or sometimes, I'll just stick to love ballads. In general, holidays shouldn't be about what we don't have. It's easy to gripe about the love we've lost, looking around at happy couples drinking wine. But what if we celebrated all the love we had? Wouldn't that be fun? Wouldn't that be lovely?"
"Maybe I'm just jaded from working in an overpriced restaurant, but I think Valentine's Day is fucking stupid. Why do you need a Hallmark holiday to do something nice for your significant other? I think it can be cute if you're just starting out, but after you've been together a year, I think the correct protocol should be staying in and watching a movie."
"I've never been into Valentine's day, even when I was in a relationship."
"I effing love Valentine's Day. I think it's one of the happiest days of the year. Even if you're single and swear that it's a made up holiday, it's made up to celebrate love, which is like, the best thing in the world. You don't have to be in love, but there must be someone you love, like a parent, sister, or friend. So why not have a day to remind you of how special those people are? Plus, red wine and chocolate? Duh."
"It's always just another day for me. After all, love is something that other people share — but never with you."
"No, no, no. I’m not lonely. I have me."
—Chris Traeger of Parks and Recreation
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