Valentine’s Day. A day of love and passion! Expectations of grand, romantic gestures set the bar high. But is it really all it’s hyped up to be?

     No. No, it is not.

     First of all, the outrageous gift prices. Valentine’s Day chocolate and flowers prices are marked up because stores know you have no other options. It’s a corporate scam, plain and simple. It’s so commercialized as well, to the point where it starts to just feel cheap and forced. You have to buy your partner chocolate and flowers just because corporate America says you have to?

     And even putting aside the commercialization, it just sets too many high expectations. Grand romantic gestures are forced for couples simply because it’s Valentine’s Day, but what about the rest of the year? It’s reputed to be the one day you make more of an effort for your partner, but shouldn’t that be every day? All it does is put unnecessary pressure on couples to have a perfect day, one day a year.

     And even if you claim that it’s just a day dedicated to giving your partner special attention, it excludes the people who are single. It’s a joke as old as time that being single on Valentine’s Day is the saddest thing you could go through. Sure, nowadays friends give each other Valentine’s chocolates and may celebrate together, but it’s still branded as a holiday for couples. It puts pressure on single people and couples alike, and can be a stressful holiday for anyone. 

     And the lines. My god, the lines. My friends and I were planning to go to the movie theater on Valentine’s Day, the day our planned movie was released, and all the theaters were filled up! Restaurants, movie theaters, and anything that requires waiting, you really can’t do on Valentine’s Day unless you plan weeks in advance.

     There’s abundant pressure on everyone everywhere to celebrate Valentine’s Day, but in the end, is it really worth it? All it seems to do is add unnecessary stress and make people feel unhappy, when celebrating a relationship is supposed to make you feel happy. So instead, I say skip the lines and go out with your friends and loved ones on February 15th: Cheap Chocolate Day!