Happy Valentine’s Day! Unpopular opinion: I actually love Valentine’s Day. While I’m in a relationship, this fact hasn’t changed my original feelings for the holiday. I love chocolate, the color pink, and heart-themed decor, so Valentine’s Day was always fun for me, even pre-relationship. While I adore this holiday, I have a few bones to pick with how our society chooses to celebrate it. Here are my unpopular Valentine’s Day opinions.
Staying In > Going Out
Valentine’s Day is arguably one of the worst days in the year to try and go out. Restaurants are booked to capacity, making the whole “romantic dinner” experience a lot less, well, romantic. Crowds make me super anxious, but regardless of whether or not you feel the same way, you can’t deny that being in a room with a bunch of loud strangers takes away from the intimate aspect of a dinner date. Additionally, what if it’s not just strangers at your V-Day dinner? What if you run into your ex? Ew!
Not to mention how many restaurants try to “do” romance by dimming the lights to the point where you can barely even see your partner’s face, blasting Michael Bublé while you try and focus on the conversation you’re having, and packing the dense space with the overwhelming aroma of roses. Speaking of roses…
Roses Are So Out
Don’t get me wrong, I love roses and think they are classically beautiful; I just prefer another flower to keep around the house, like tulips or peonies. I guess I shouldn’t say roses are out, but getting to actually know your partner’s favorite flower is definitely in. I think roses are often used as a cop-out during the holidays as a quick and easy gift.
Taking it a step further and creating a bouquet with your partner’s favorite flowers shows so much more love and care. This doesn’t have to be expensive either; lots of supermarkets and drugstores sell cute bouquets at reasonable prices. But don’t let the creativity stop there and buy a couple of bouquets to dissect and rearrange to make the perfect (and well-thought-out) gift for your loved one.
Valentine’s Day is About Love, Not Just Romance
Though they are similar, romance and love are different. Romance refers to the love specifically in a, for lack of a better phrase, romantic relationship. For example, boyfriends, girlfriends, partners, husbands, and wives would all fall into this idea of romance.
Love, on the other hand, is much larger. Love is a key component to any positive relationship; from friends to family, we are surrounded by those we love and those who love us every day. Furthermore, I think Valentine’s Day should celebrate all love, not just the romantic kind. It should be a holiday to show appreciation to every single person you love that day and every day.
Don’t get me wrong, I still love Valentine’s Day, but I just celebrate my day a little differently than the typical way our culture advertises. This year, I will be ordering take-out sushi with my boyfriend to eat while we watch a (definitely not romantic) comedy. Afterwards, I’ll text my family and friends to let them know how much I love them.
