Valentine's Day

Some people hate this holiday, and that bothers me. Not because I'm a huge proponent of "finding the one you love" and dating and all that, or think that your life is meaningless without a significant other. Being single is just as fulfilling as being in a relationship. (Actually, according to a professional I know, being single is probably healthier for women because they have a tendency to validate themselves through their relationships and that's the opposite of what you want to do.) Yes, having a love is really awesome because you get to share the great parts of your life with them and get laid regularly and all those good things, but not everybody needs to be in a relationship to have a happy, fulfilling life. (Also, not all relationships are good for you. In fact, in a majority of mine I probably would have been better off alone, or hanging out with poisonous snakes. I'm sure everyone will go through one of those at some point or has and understands what I'm getting at.)

Back to that Valentine's day thing, I started rambling. I know the arguments against it; it's a holiday for couples only, it's a holiday commemorating someone getting beheaded, it's a giant conspiracy by the corporations to make money off of the sheeple. Ok then.

Yes, beheadings are gross and only romantic if you think Romeo & Juliet is the greatest romance ever written. (It's a tragedy, guys. I don't find anything romantic about a guy killing himself because he thinks I'm dead, after knowing me for only three days. If I ever do something that crazy, slap me. Hard.) But, the reason for the beheading could be considered somewhat romantic. C'mon, rebelling against the system for love? Young love, even. Not bad. Anyways, Easter is about how Jesus rose from the dead and we hide eggs filled with candy for kids and tell them the Easter Bunny came last night and left those. That makes even less sense, guys, and I don't hear people complaining about that as much. (I do hear complaints.) It can be a really cute holiday, and it's an excuse to receive candy. (Or give candy if you're like me and enjoy doing that.) Don't look a gift chocolate in the box.

Valentine's day isn't for couples only. Seriously. My mom always gave me chocolate and a little gift like a pair of socks with hearts on them for that day. So I guess I grew up with a more positive view of it. For me, Valentine's Day is a great day to be with someone and do romantic things, but also a day to give your friends candy and funny cards. How is that not fun? Truly, the most fun I have had on Valentine's day had nothing to do with a boyfriend. They didn't give terribly romantic gifts. (Quick note to guys; stuffed animals are cute and all, but shouldn't be your fall-back for gifts. I've received at least a dozen of them from boyfriends, and I only liked two, because of the way they were given to me. One, a guy took me to build-a-bear and we made a leopard together, and the other I got after complaining to C. that I was cold sleeping at home and he told me my Christmas present would help keep me warm. In summary; I know I don't speak for every girl, but don't give them stuffed animals. Socks with hearts on them are preferable.) Last year, I put a couple pieces of candy into a bunch of mini takeout boxes with hearts on them, put a little note that said "Happy Valentine's Day," and gave them to all the girls in my hall. It was fun and didn't involve couples at all.

I think people complain it's corny? I don't know. But, whatever. Plenty of things are corny if you think about it, but that's ok. Doesn't mean it isn't worth doing. Or celebrating, in this case. I'm not saying every guy should buy flowers and chocolate for his ladylove and take her out to a romaaaantic candlelit dinner. If that works for you, fine, do it. However, it's nice to do something with a significant other. Yes, it will take a lot more than just giving me flowers on February 14th to make me feel truly loved, but it really is a nice thought. (And, screw it, I want to be treated like a girly girl for a day. I can't think of a reason to wear skirts that often in winter, and I'll take any excuse to dress up.)

I hear so many people saying "Every day should Valentine's Day." Yes, this shouldn't be the only day you show someone affection. That's a horrible way to go about relationships. But hey, doing the romantic thing can be hard for some people (believe me, I know), so it's nice to have a little instruction. And, yes, I like the idea of a day filled with red and hearts and flowers and chocolate. So sue me. The kind of "romance" Valentine's Day inspires is impractical to pursue every day anyways. If someone gave me chocolate, roses, and a card every day I'd get very, very sick of it.

So many people call this "Worldwide Shopping Day" with giant snorts of disgust. You're silly. Yes, the heart-shaped boxes of candy are really expensive and all the good cards cost $3.75. MAKE YOUR OWN CARD, DUH. It's a lot cheaper, and way more thoughtful. There are even free printouts on the internet. So you have no excuse if you're bad at making cards. Hell, write a love letter. Doubleplus romance points. I suck at cards, like, really bad. I manage somehow. Get regular chocolate, and origami a box together. Handmade stuff like that is adorable. Or if you suck at origami, Joann's and Michael's sells little wooden and cardboard boxes you can decorate. Even if you're awful at art you can just draw a heart and write "I love you" on it. Or "I loke you" if you're not quite at the L-word stage yet. Hand-made things are adorable.

I get the impression (feeling?) that people who condemn Valentine's Day are just uncomfortable celebrating it. I know people who view themselves as hopelessly single (well with that attitude you kinda are...) and plan on wallowing in self-pity that day. That's your choice, sure, and I'll admit I do enjoy watching a sappy movie and eating junk food every once in a while, but that seems so... unhealthy to me. Valentine's Day, to me, isn't just about Love-love. It's about the people you love, whether it's your family, friends, or the person you sit next to in that really boring class who somehow manages to make it bearable.

And, well, it's a good excuse to have sex.