1. It’s a made-up holiday
Modern trappings of February 14th have absolutely nothing to do with an actual St Valentine. 90 seconds of internet research, which included a brief skim of Wikipedia and is therefore completely incontestable, revealed that of the possible St Valentine’s the day might relate to none of these seem to have anything to do with romantic love. There were three possible St Valentines and two of them were beheaded so if the Day was meant to commemorate one of the possible saints then a more fitting tribute to/emulation of these potential saints would be for followers to decapitate themselves.
2. It’s a money-making scheme
Once you realise that St Valentine’s Day is only a mass commercialisation of a misinterpreted Saint then you might want to rethink buying into this and giving your money to Clinton Cards. The CEO probably isn’t going to use all their Valentine’s Day profits to romantically shower the object of their affection in lovingly thought out gifts. They will probably pick a card and gifts from their company selection (which they will get at hefty discount) and they will laugh at us suckers making them rich from a holiday that doesn’t really exist.
3. It’s an attack on the singles
So even if Valentine’s Day is a made-up holiday designed to make card and cute-kitsch producers a lot of money but you think this all just seems like a bit of harmless fluff there are more obvious reasons to hate the holiday. Valentine’s Day makes single people feel inadequate by sending out the message that you ain’t nobody til somebody loves you. Which is bollocks.
4. It builds up false expectations
Even if you are single, hate Valentine’s Day and anticipate no Valentines you will nonetheless spend the entire day at the office eagerly looking up every time the door opens willing it to be a delivery of flowers for you. And when you get home you will eagerly rifle through the mail hoping that hidden amongst the bills and junk there will be a card from a secret admirer in there. Not receiving these things you weren’t really expecting will make you want to find someone called Valentine and behead them.
5. It sets up couples for failure
Valentine’s day makes happy couples feel inadequate and suggests that their love is insignificant unless proved on this one specific day of the year. It sets couples up for failure. However many red roses, foil heart-shaped balloons or boxes of chocolate you buy or are bought for you, you will both be forced to question whether the amount you love and are loved by your significant other has been accurately reflected in the value of the gifts given.
6. It falsely prolongs doomed relationships
Valentine’s day makes unhappy couples think that so long as they show each other affection and a suitable tally of tacky bears holding I love you hearts once a year this is enough to compensate for the other 364 days of the year (365 in a leap year) where they make each other miserable. In this instance the cursed day is simply prolonging the agony of unsuitably matched persons.
7. It’s kind of creepy
If someone you don’t know sends you a card covered in blood red hearts and writes something along the lines of ‘I’ve been secretly admiring you from afar for many months’, that’s actually really creepy. Who the chuff is sending you that? Are they ‘secretly admiring’ you right now? Isn’t that harassment or stalking or both?
8. V-Day/Schmee-Day
Valentine’s Day gets abbreviated to V-Day. This sounds like a sexually transmitted disease as in, whilst gossiping around the office water cooler, ‘Did you hear about X, she’s come down with a nasty case of V-Day’. This sounds even worse if said in bad French accent.
9. It will ruin your dinner out
If you go out for dinner on Valentine’s Day you will be forced to pay more for a limited set menu whilst being bombarded with trite songs about love by bands you hate. This will be universally applied to everyone whether they are in love or not.
10. You can’t win
Even if your partner is a staunch hater of Valentine’s Day and makes this widely known, by, for example, sharing this on their blog for the world to see, they will still be filled with irrational rage if they are not showered with the cards, tacky gifts and chocolates they don’t really want.
If you aren’t convinced by my ten reasons or worse were convinced to boycott the day only to find your significant others looking daggers at your for apparent lack of romance and you need some last minute/improvised gifts then check out Opinionated Man’s great ideas ‘For Men Only – Valentine’s Day Gift Ideas’.
Reblogged this on Welcome to my wonderland.
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Thanks very much for the reblog!
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Couldn’t agree more, it’s kind of annoying and creepy at the same time. However if my loved one (or indeed anyone else) wants to buy me chocolate on the 14 February, who am I to stop them?!
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Yes I suppose if we must suffer the holiday might as well suffer it with some chocolate!
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I get a giant bag of hershey’s for this. One for each day of the year to give to her as a reminder of my love. 🙂
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If you bought a bag to remind her of the year of love you have already given her you could also save her the trouble of eating them and give her a bag full of empty wrappers as a reminder of the love you’ve already shared
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Hahaha nice!
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Excellent! I’ve never liked Valentine’s day… I’d rather be given a random box of chocolates for no reason than because my boyfriend feels he “has to” because Valentine’s Day. Having said that, if he wants to take me for a meal I won’t turn down the chance to not cook 😉
This Valentine’s Day we’ll be celebrating my looking at flats in Basel.
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Yeah exactly, he compulsory aspect sort of ruind the gesture somewhat. Well if you are flathunting in Basel maybe you will get a chance to discover another new restaurant and neither of you will have to cook
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Maybe I’m a soppy brain washed fool but I quite like it. Now I agree that it’s a money making scheme but if you make a card or do something for free together it’s just a good excuse for a day out… Or help the local economy by going to a local independent resturants!
I also disagree with it being depressing when single. Used to enjoy it as a singleton, going to dinner with girlfriends and laughing at all the awkward couples (I realise I’m a terrible person).
I do however agree with the shortening to v-day, I’ve never heard that before. It’s discusting!
Lib x
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Yuck to you and your romantic ways! Although the independent restaurant option is a decent plan to avoid the forced menus and awful music options the chain restaurants will go for.
I think my best Valentine’s Day was when a group of us then single gals in our early 20s had girls night in, proper sleep-over with champagne a nice chap from work had bought us, chocolates we’d bought ourselves and staying up late enough to watch the signing people come on to MTV. I learnt how to say ‘I predict a riot’ and ‘underground’ in sign language from that evening.
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Totally agree! I used to love Valentine’s Day and now I could care less. To quote my husband, “I’m romantic the other 364 days a year, when I’m not being forced”. Too much emphasis and expectations are placed on this single day. And for what? I don’t care about a box of chocolate or a stuffed bear. Be romantic and thoughtful the rest of the year, “just because”. We still say Happy Valentine’s Day and may do a nice dinner together, after the gym, but that’s it. And we’re good with that.
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I’m with you and your husband, Valentine’s Day can seem so forced that, whilst I get it’s a nice excuse for some to do something a bit special, it’s sad if you need it to show each other you care
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Exactly!
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