Spreading love, laughs, and hashtags: Why Valentine’s Day matters
Oh to swim in the season’s sappiness
Art by Sarah Nelson.
The season of love is fast approaching with the wind slowly losing its chill, the sun peaking through yet again, and the waft of fresh roses in the air.
Valentine’s Day, celebrated on Feb. 14, is the one day of the year when nearly everyone is in Cupid’s chokehold (sadly some are suffocating).
While love is everywhere and should be, it’s human nature to have special dates to celebrate. It’s just like birthdays, a special day to celebrate your existence, even though you’ve been existing and growing older all year.
Valentine’s Day is a day that humankind has allotted to celebrating and expressing love. This is thanks to the Roman Saint Valentine, the OG supporter of true love who, as per legend, used to illegally marry young soldiers to help prevent them from going to war, defying the emperor’s orders. Sadly, he was executed on Feb. 14, and to honour his sacrifice, we shower our loved ones with heart-shaped chocolates each year.
This romance-centred day gives a boost not just to relationships but to various other industries, and, believe it or not, the social mindset. Valentine’s Day serves as an annual reminder to cherish and nurture relationships, sometimes acting as a saving grace.
This can be scientifically backed, too. Something as simple as a hug is proven to release happy hormones like oxytocin, dopamine, and serotonin. This means that acts of love improve a person’s mental health, so what’s the harm in releasing a little extra happiness on a given day.
Many industries, be it chocolate manufacturers, balloon factories, or florists, get a much-needed start-of-the-year economic boost. Even humble restaurants get a glow up as couples everywhere book tables to stare lovingly into each other’s eyes while sharing overpriced pasta.
Influencers shoot out content faster than Cupid’s arrows on this day, hoping some video finds an algorithm match and goes viral, bringing the love of new followers and talent into light.
Many people express their love through sappy gestures on Valentine’s Day, some at home, some in public, and many on social media.
These days, Valentine’s Day has given rise to many side events, too, like “Galentine’s Day,” which is all about celebrating girlhood, women’s friendships, and a day of relief from men for the girlies. “Palentine’s Day,” celebrating platonic love, helps friends grow closer and strengthen relationships. Such events also are a relief for those who are single on Valentine’s Day and who may feel condemned to a self-loathing, inferiority complex.
Speaking of singles, Valentine’s Day has, in recent years, also brought self-love into the limelight. It is often said, you cannot love people unless you love yourself. So even those who don’t celebrate with others have a chance to take a breath and take care of themselves. Besides, who doesn’t like to have a warm bath with a glitter-exploding bath bomb?
Overall, Valentine’s Day may be a silly holiday on the surface, but one needs a little glitter in a dull life. Even singles, like me, do secretly enjoy the aesthetics of this heart-shaped holiday.
