Will You Be My Valentine?

February 14^th is the one day out of the year when women in relationships are supposed to be guaranteed attention and gifts. It is one day during the year (aside, maybe, from anniversaries) when the boyfriend or husband is supposed to spoil his significant other with flowers and cards and candy, and pretend to be the best, most caring guy in the world. Valentine’s day is the holiday for love.

Gag me, please.

It is ridiculous to have one day during the year where people are supposed to be forced to show their love for one another. Pressure is put on everyone in a relationship to get the perfect gift for their significant other. It’s no longer acceptable to be cliché either; cards, candy, and flowers do not cut it anymore.

Girls want jewelry, and dinner, and a night out on the town for a date. They want sexy underwear, and perfume, and maybe some chocolate-covered strawberries. While expecting all of these things from guys, girls aren’t sure if they are even supposed to get their boyfriends or husbands anything more than a card. And, if they are supposed to get gifts for them, what do guys want for Valentine’s Day that they wouldn’t want any other day of the year?

Is it just me, or shouldn’t everyday be a potential day to show someone you love them? Why do we need a backup day, so that we can justify to ourselves that “even though I haven’t been told I’m loved from my significant other this whole year, there’s always Valentine’s Day.” Why must we show each other we care with gifts that are red, pink, white, and lacey, and cram them all into one day of celebration?

Valentine’s Day is just one more day that our consumer-driven society can market. It’s one more day that makes people in a relationship happy, and makes singles feel even more lonely than they already feel.

I don’t think Valentine’s Day should be recognized the way it is today. For the lovers in relationships, show your love everyday, and do something extra special on your anniversary. This way singles won’t have to have their loneliness rubbed in their faces every time February comes around.