Valentine's Day seems to be one of those holidays that people either really love or truly hate, and despite popular opinion, how someone feels about Valentine's Day is often unrelated to their current relationship status. I'm single for the first Valentine's Day since 2011, but this fact has yet to make me dread the holiday, because my best Valentine's Days have always been when I was single. If you're dreading February 14th super hard, or you're just questioning why Valentine's Day is even a thing, then please allow me to tell you why Valentine's Day is worth celebrating.
I understand that Valentine's Day can be stressful and disappointing. If you're in a relationship, and your partner is someone who doesn't care about Valentine's Day, then they're probably going to let you down. Conversely, if you have someone to buy a romantic gift for, that can be stressful and time consuming as hell. Restaurants and movie theaters are always stupid crowded on V-Day, and trying to dress sexy when it's freezing outside is certainly a challenge. On top of all of that, if we let it get to us, the romantic, and highly materialistic, nature of Valentine's Day can make us poor, single people feel like we're not doing life right.
That said, as a poor, single person myself, I still feel like Valentine's Day is worth celebrating. So if you're just about ready to give up on V-Day, hear me out.
1. Valentine's Day Has A Fascinating History
In my opinion, one of the best reasons to acknowledge Valentine's Day is because St. Valentine's Day actually has some pretty fascinating roots in both Christian and ancient Roman tradition. You might already know about the history of Valentine's Day, but in case you don't, let me tell you why it makes Valentine's Day worth celebrating.
There are several legends about St. Valentine, but the most popular one claims that St. Valentine performed secret, forbidden marriages for young lovers in ancient Rome. Evidently, Emperor Claudius II thought single, childless men made better soldiers, so he made it illegal for young men to marry. St. Valentine ignored this decree, and as the legend goes, was eventually put to death for it.
Others speculate that St. Valentine's Day is simply the Christianization of the pagan celebration of Lupercalia, which was essentially a festival dedicated to the fertility of both Roman women and Roman crops; combined with a matchmaking element.
So, no matter how pointless you may think Valentine's Day is now, remembering how it got started should give you a reason to celebrate it. I mean, St. Valentine was kind of a badass, and Lupercalia was pretty much all about sex.
2. It's An Excuse To Dress Up & Go Out With Friends
Valentine's Day doesn't have to be celebrated with a romantic partner. Even if you're single AF, like myself, the opportunity to adopt Leslie Knope's "Galentine's Day" tradition as your own is just one of the many reasons you should celebrate V-Day. The best Valentine's Days of my life were spent with my female friends. In my experience, dressing up, eating delicious food, drinking delicious wine, and having hilarious conversations with my lady friends always trumps spending February 14th with a love interest.
3. ... Or To Stay In & Relax
Despite what romantic comedies will tell you, there's nothing wrong with a single female spending Valentine's Day with some delicious food, wine, weed, Game of Thrones, and a quality pair of sweatpants. If your friends are planning to spend Valentine's Day with their partners, and you don't feel like venturing out during what is generally one of the coldest, most crowded days of the year, then stay home. There's no shame in having an awesome, super chill night surrounded by all of your favorite indulgences. Personally, this is my current V-Day plan of action, and I'm beyond stoked about it.
4. It's An Excuse To Buy Yourself A Present
Obviously, I'm not suggesting you go out and blow your budget on something you don't need just because it's Valentine's Day. But, single or not, Valentine's Day is a perfect excuse to treat yourself. You deserve a present on Valentine's Day, and it doesn't need to come from someone else for it to be awesome. In fact, you'll probably like it better, because you'll be getting exactly what you want instead of some cheesy stuffed bear that serves literally no purpose.
5. If You're In A Relationship, It's A Chance To Treat Your Partner
If you have a wonderful partner, then you already know that you should try to show your appreciation for them daily. But life gets busy, and it's easy to take a good partner for granted. So, if you're fortunate enough to be in a fun, healthy relationship with a giving partner whom you deeply love, then you have a perfect reason to celebrate Valentine's Day. You don't even have to take them out or buy them a gift if the two of you aren't into that sort of thing, but having them in your life should at least give you a reason to feel happy on Valentine's Day.
6. Love Is Always Worth Celebrating
As commercialized and materialistic as Valentine's Day has become over the years, at it's core, it's really all about celebrating love. Whether you're currently in love, you've never been in love, or being in love has always ended painfully for you, the fact is, there's really nothing more universally human than love. Love inspires some of the best books, films, songs, and paintings. Love creates families. Love defies logic. Sometimes, love really f*cking sucks. But love is kind of inevitable, and I think we can all agree that it's worth celebrating.
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