Love Love

Love is the net where hearts are caught like fish. ~Muhammad Ali

Why do some people hate on Valentine's Day so much?

There's a fine line between a desire not to be single and an open bitterness about being single. And it makes me wonder if maybe these people aren't self-sabotaging themselves with that attitude.

I don't understand the Valentine's backlash, actually. People call it "Singles Awareness Day" with such rancor sometimes. Why?? I realize that yes, it is a couple-y kind of holiday, but who said you couldn't celebrate love in all its shapes on Valentine's Day? Who says it has to be on Valentine's Day, for that matter? Why shouldn't we celebrate love every day?

I feel the same way about Christmas (or the "holiday season," to be all-inclusive), too: why do we reserve gift-giving for a certain time of year or someone's birthday? Why is it weird to give people gifts for no occasion, just because we feel like it? I'm one of those people who'll see a great gift for someone in August and hoard it for four months until it is acceptable to give as a Christmas present.

I digress.

My point is this: We should appreciate Valentine's Day for what it is, at its core - a day to be extra-loving to the ones we love, whether they are friends, family, or significant others. I've been single my whole life, and Valentine's Day is one of my favorite holidays. I think it stems from the days of elementary school, where everyone would make a little construction paper card-holder and hand out valentines to everyone else (mine were usually the Barbie-themed ones, if you were curious), even the icky boy who pulled on your pigtails. (Yeah, your mom said it was only because he liked you, but it really hurt!) Even if it was teacher-mandated card-giving, it was nice - nice to know people were thinking of you, and nice to make other people happy, too. Despite the cessation of mass valentine-exchange as we got older, I find it heart-warming now just thinking of little kids like my brother taking part in these silly little traditions like we did. These kids know what's up: too young for romantic love and maybe even platonic love, they embrace Valentine's Day as a day for puppy love, friendship, candy. And why not? I mean, Necco Sweethearts (especially the orange ones) are pretty much the best non-chocolate candy ever - after banana Runts, of course.

Listen, any holiday, regardless of commercialization, that promotes chocolate and/or sweet goodness is a holiday I can get behind.