Valentine’s Day is a day full of love, yet people tend to despise it due to the exclusionary feeling it gives off. There’s always a conflict between people who are in a relationship loving the holiday and people who are not in a relationship hating the holiday. To explore this debate, we reversed the typical position. One of us (who is in a relationship) will explain why the holiday is overrated, and the other (who is currently single) will explain why it deserves all the hype. 

Let’s start with the cons of the fickle holiday known as St. Valentine’s Day. More often than not, the holiday excludes single people and makes them envious of people in relationships. This often leaves them feeling lonelier than any other time of the year. Besides, you can’t fill the void of loneliness with chocolates because they’re too expensive or sold out, or just too cheesily boxed. Valentine’s Day is just a Hallmark holiday celebrated only to boost the big companies that monopolize candy, cards, and toys. There is no way you could even go out and treat yourself because every restaurant is booked weeks in advance. Even if you go out by yourself, your self-esteem takes a hit when you get judged and looked at as if you have to be sad just because you’re alone. Valentine’s Day is an all-around miserable holiday only celebrated to give stores a profit.

One the other hand, some believe Valentine’s Day is a wonderful time of the year for all. Yes, it is mainly geared toward couples, but anyone can have fun on this special day. For those of us with a huge sweet tooth, all candies and chocolates usually go on sale on February 15th. This means we can have all the chocolate and candy we want for a lower price, which sounds like a win-win to me. Another perk is that there are movies in all genres for the lovey-doviest time of the year. There are slasher movies (like My Bloody Valentine), seasonally appropriate rom-coms (like 27 Dresses), and even classic movies (like 10 Things I Hate About You). Another thing to turn you on to Valentine’s Day is that if you are in a relationship, you get to be as cliche as you want and no one can judge: it’s your day after all. Another fun aspect is all of the creative memes that come out of the controversial holiday. 

Whether you are single or taken on Valentine’s Day there is something out there for everyone. Whether you spend the 14th with someone else, or just hang by yourself or with friends, Valentine’s Day has something for everyone.