Valentine's Day: A day of love or a nightmare?

There are all sorts of heart-shaped objects in every store front as people walk in. Pink and red decorate every surface possible while candy, flowers and teddy bears sit on the shelves waiting to be purchased. There are couples scattered about, making plans and picking out gifts to show their significant other they love them. After all, it is the day of love.

Valentine’s Day can be an opportunity to shower loved ones with gifts and affection, but for many students it is an unpopular day of the year.

Rachael Kauffman, a junior studying journalism and mass communication, does not like Valentine’s Day. She thinks love should be shown everyday and not just one out of the year.

“Who cares?” Kauffman said. “People fall in love every day, and then they fall out of love every day.”

Kauffman worked at a daycare in high school and says the only good thing about Valentine’s Day is seeing which valentines kids pick out to give each other.

“It’s like a friendship thing though,” Kauffman said. “‘This goes to my best friend, so she’s gonna get the one with puppies on it.’”

Kauffman does not love Valentine’s Day, but she does like when people get together with their friends and have Galentine’s Day. She says it is a good way to not be sad about not being in relationships.

Ben Uhl, a sophomore studying kinesiology and health, describes Valentine’s Day as a time for couples to get closer and singles to get farther.

“I don’t think it’s the worst thing in the world, but it’s definitely dividing singles and couples, and you can tell who they are,” Uhl said. “You really hear the people who are like, ‘You know what, get a room.’”

Chelsea Suarez, a sophomore studying psychology, thinks Valentine’s Day is a marketing scheme. She compares it to Cinco de Mayo, which she said is an excuse to get drunk and eat tacos. To Suarez, Valentine’s Day is an excuse to buy flowers and chocolate.

Suarez shared that she never felt wanted in relationships. Valentine’s Day made it worse because most people, including Suarez, want to feel special on this day.

“I told them I don’t like chocolate. They still got me chocolate,” Suarez said. “It shows they didn’t care.”

Kauffman said that she does not understand why girls get all of the gifts and boys never get anything. Though many Valentine’s Day items cater toward female stereotypes, there are many possible gifts that can brighten anyone’s day.

“If you give me regular chicken nuggets in a heart shaped box you might catch me catching some feelings,” Uhl said.

Madelyn Hanna, a junior studying advertising, jokes that her mom usually gets her a single rose and jellybeans so she posts on social media that her parents are her valentines.

This is her first Valentine’s Day where she is not single. However, she does not want to hype it up too much and usually hates seeing all of the couples on Valentine’s Day.

“It’s just annoying because it reminds you that, like, ‘Oh, you’re alone; you do not have somebody that loves you,’” Hanna said.

Hanna sees it as a made-up holiday made to show love by buying someone a gift. She told her boyfriend not to get her flowers due to the fact that prices are so high for the holiday. She said she would rather have a handwritten note or do something together.

Kauffman said she feels that people, often boys, get girls gifts in order to get their bodies. Suarez holds a similar opinion.

“It’s like, ‘I got you this, so I expect something in return,’” Suarez said.

Valentine’s Day is all about love and romance, and pulling out all the stops in order to have a romantic night is very common.

“I wouldn’t put it too far out there to say there could be a population spike nine months after,” Uhl said.

After holidays, there are often videos posted of people’s gifts they receive, similar to Christmas hauls. For people who do not get anything or get simpler things, it can put them in a bad mood.

“I’m just waiting for Tik Toks to start being like, ‘What I got for Valentine’s Day’ as girls with Chanel purses,” Kauffman said.

Suarez said she does not want anything from anyone, and that she can go get gifts herself. She wants society to normalize buying yourself flowers as a form of self love.

“I just want people to know their worth during this holiday,” Suarez said. “Do whatever the fuck you want to do.”