What is the point of Valentine’s Day? It is a made-up “holiday” with no real purpose except to make single people feel even more lonely. There is zero reason that Valentine’s Day should exist. The Romans originally started Valentine’s Day in 49 CE, but it was not a romantic holiday. The purpose of Valentine’s was to celebrate the beginning of spring. However, in the 14th century, Valentine’s Day became a romantic holiday when the Pope established February 14th as St. Valentine’s Day. St. Valentine is the patron saint of lovers, people with epilepsy and beekeepers. The date February 14th was chosen because it was the date that Emperor Claudius II executed two catholic martyrs, so February 14 also honors these proud Catholics.
There are many cons for Valentine’s Day. The first is that single people feel neglected; this means that 45-50% of the American population feels like crap. “I do not like Valentine’s Day because it is annoying seeing happy couples,” said Senior Thomas Costanzo. This is another con to Valentine’s Day; public displays of affection are awkward enough as a bystander, but Valentine’s Day encourages PDA. “It’s always weird to me when I see two people out in public just going way over the top with the PDA,” said Senior Matthew Hall. Valentine’s Day is a knockoff holiday that 45-50% of Americans do not like because of their singleness.
However, there are pros to Valentine’s; one being that it is a “special” day to be with your significant other. If you are into dressing up, going to a nice dinner, buying gifts and flowers then Valentine’s is the perfect “holiday” for you. “I really like Valentine’s Day because my mom always buys me a gift and I get to open it in the morning, it kinda feels like a mini Christmas,” said Senior Thomson Brumfield. However, even for people who are in relationships, only 17% of people say they enjoy Valentine’s Day more than any other day. In my opinion, this is because it is a relatively made-up holiday. 53% of people say that Valentine’s Day is just another day on the calendar. “I am in the 17% that enjoy Valentine’s Day because my grandmother, Mai, always gets me flowers,” said Senior Olivia Diaz. Valentine’s Day is perfect for happy couples that like dressing up, going to dinner and buying gifts, but other than that Valentine’s is just another day.
Valentine’s Day should be changed into a celebration of friendships instead of relationships, this would allow everyone to celebrate. “I would love a day where I could celebrate my friendships with all my boys,” said freshman Charlie Hall. Valentine’s Day should be changed to platonic day, where friendships are celebrated.
