Pro

by Bennett Halek

Whether it be by angsty singles or those annoyed by pink, across the world one of the most hated holidays celebrated is Valentine’s Day. However, Valentine’s day is a holiday that deserves to be celebrated and appreciated by all and its case deserves to be argued.

Being with the ones you love

The overall main attraction of Valentine’s Day is the fact that for one day out of 365, on a random day in the middle of February we can forgot about all the problems in school and at work. We can celebrate and truly love the people around us. Whether that be your significant other, your friends, or your family, you can take a day to show them you love them whatever way you choose. Whether it be by buying flowers and candy and going out to a fancy restaurant or simply telling the special people in your life what they mean to you, Valentines day remains a constant way to share and express how you feel. If you hate on the holiday just because you’re single and feel alone, spend the day with friends and family and remember you are still loved.

Fun, even if single

Valentine’s Day is all about love and being with the ones you love. Unfortunately for many come Valentine’s Day, they are dateless. Thankfully for the subtle population they don’t have to wallow in pity alone surrounded by hundreds of cats, instead singles can meet together with friends and family and celebrate the ones who have always been by their sides. Going out to eat in groups or handing out Valentine’s cards filled with chocolate are extremely viable options. The fact that Valentine’s Day still holds potential for a great day and night is just another substantial reason that Valentine’s Day is a great holiday.

Spoil your significant other

However, if you are lucky enough to arrive on February 14th in a relationship you are given the opportunity to spoil your significant other to the extreme. This spoiling doesn’t have to come in the form of monetary value, but purchasing candy, flowers, bears, jewelry, or whatever else you wish to buy is always an option that will make your partner extremely happy.  Who doesn’t want their boyfriend or girlfriend to be happy? Another option is spoiling them with affection and simply spending some quality time with your significant other. Spending the day with your bf/gf and enjoying each other’s company is, for many couples, a wonderful Valentine’s Day gift.

Girls appreciate Valentine’s Day effort

Obviously, not everyone is very keen on the idea of Valentine’s Day and doesn’t enjoy the idea of the whole holiday. However at the end of the day if effort is put towards your date, they will likely appreciate it and you will grow closer. For boys and boyfriends, girls for the most part love romance; if you plan a perfect day for them and make them happy for that one day, then their Valentine’s Day will be perfect and you’ll get to be with the one you love all day.

Cheap candy the day after

After the mass chaos of boyfriends failing to remember or organize a gift flock to stores on February 13th and emptying the shelves hopelessly attempting to satisfy the expectations of a Valentine’s day gift, many would expect the purchasing period to end abruptly. However, perhaps the best perk of Valentine’s day is the fact that the morning after, since candy is placed at unbelievably low prices. Any supermarket store, from Walmart to Kroger, will have candy for sale at the cheapest of prices and it doesn’t get much better than candy that is close to free. Candy is perhaps one of the best parts of Valentine’s Day meaning that the cheap yet still high quality options available after are just another pro to the holiday.

Valentine’s day receives a lot of negative attention and is criticized as being a hallmark holiday but in reality the day holds a large amount of potential to love and be loved, no matter your relationship status.

Con

by Mike Gottschalk

While some express their affection and tenderness for one another on a day of romance, I sit at home and ask my mom if she loves me. So maybe I am jealous, but Valentine’s Day is full of negatives.

The cons of Valentine’s Day are aplenty. Maybe I’m just cynical because I’m single, but the emotional wonders of love, compassion, and appreciation for a person’s significant other are sickening.

Gift giving

Probably the most obvious of the issues with Valentine’s Day is that it costs an exuberant amount of money. There is almost no chance that you will get away with not giving a gift to your significant other. Common Valentine’s Day gifts include jewelry, expensive chocolates, and clothes, which are also probably pricey unless you decide to gift something from Walmart. Gift giving is also emotionally taxing given the weight that it carries. If your gift is terrible, your boyfriend/girlfriend is going to tell their friends, and they’re going to hate you. By the end of the day you could be single and broke just because you decided a gym membership and a scale would be a good gift.

Expectations

Being a gentlemen is usually a good thing, but Valentine’s Day is 24 hours of straight chivalry. From the moment the clock strikes 12 on February 14th a certain set of expectations are put in place. Gift giving, planning romantic dates, improvised spontaneity, the list goes on. It seems too difficult for a day that is supposed to simply be about love. A candlelit dinner at Burger King is not the ideal Valentine’s Day for most people.

Candy hearts suck

One of the most common candies for the holiday is the candy heart. For those who don’t know what a candy heart is, it is a piece of sweetened, heart-shaped chalk with cute sayings like “Luv U”, “B Mine”, and “I am watching you”, written on the candy. Many think they are adorable, but I see past the candy’s deception. I know that they are virtually inedible. I will not be tricked into thinking they’re cute.

Pink is an annoying color

The saying “real men wear pink” can apply in some situations, but Valentine’s Day is a surplus of pink. Every single thing in February seems to be pink. If it’s not pink, it’s magenta or rose or fuchsia or another headache inducing shade of pink. Why can’t the color of Valentine’s Day being something more tame, like brown or grey?

Being single isn’t the best

A great way to spend Valentine’s Day if you’re single is to spend it with other single people who also share your loneliness! For the many single people (myself included) who are alone on February 14th, romance is like going to the moon: it would be cool but unlikely. These happy loving couples flaunt their tenderness and devotion to one another around like they own the place. They don’t need their grandmas to tell them that they’re handsome; they have each other.

Luckily, I don’t need to have another person tell me they love me and give me gifts. My mom told me I was kind of cool one time a couple years ago, so I am pretty much set. Happy Valentine’s Day!