The Pros and Cons of Valentine’s Day

Depending on who you ask, you may get eye rolls or squeals of joy when you broach the topic of Valentine’s Day. Besides being a polarizing topic, it is also the celebration of romance or love in general, and a day to celebrate your significant other or a special someone in your life. Valentine’s Day definitely has both benefits and drawbacks.

One of the main reasons to support Valentine’s Day is because it can serve as a nice reminder to express your love for people in your life. It acts as a pleasant break from the monotony of winter and stress of school, and gives people a special occasion to celebrate their relationship and truly appreciate the beauty of love.

Not only can you express your love for others, but you can also receive gifts from your significant other or close friends. It celebrates not only romantic relationships, but it also allows people to celebrate their close friends. This is shown by the emergence of variations of the holiday such as Galentine’s Day.

Valentine’s Day also allows local Montgomery County school clubs to host successful fundraisers. For example, at Richard Montgomery High School, Fine Lines, a literary arts magazine, hosted a Valentine’s Day Rose sale to raise funds for the upcoming magazine. As a result of the massive hype around Valentine’s Day, they have amassed over 1000 dollars for their cause from their Valentine’s Day Rose sale alone.

Another common gift associated with Valentine’s Day is chocolates, which are actually good for your health. Apparently, chocolates contain an abundance of heart-healthy nutrients, such as stearic acid, that help dilate blood vessels and make arteries more elastic.

On the same note, these chocolates and other Valentine’s Day associated candy is usually sold at a discounted price the day after, so you can snag a good deal on the candy you love, regardless of whether you are taken or not.

However, one of the drawbacks of Valentine’s Day is that it is it is heavily commercialized. According to the National Retail Federation, this year, Valentine’s Day spending is projected to hit a record-breaking $19.6 billion, with the average person spending a total of $161.96 for this holiday.

Most worrying, however, is that the holiday emphasizes the unhealthy societal standard that you need to be in a relationship in order to be happy. While scrolling through social media or even going about their day, it is easy for people who are single to feel lonely or unloved.

In addition, the prevalence of social pressure to have a “Valentine” or special someone for Valentine’s Day may cause people to jump into relationships they are not dedicated to or date for the pure sake of dating.

Like everything from pineapple pizza to the aesthetic qualities of crocs, the opinions on Valentine’s Day will always be divided. As a result, your opinion on Valentine’s Day is completely up to you. Whether you celebrate it or not, I hope you enjoyed your February 14th.

Article by MoCo Student writer Ashley Ye of Richard Montgomery High School.

Featured graphic by MoCo Student graphic artist Aliza Shalvi of Sherwood High School.