Why Valentine’s Day Is Not Just a Holiday For Couples

Ever since February rolled around, every social media platform I am on (especially Facebook) has been filled with negativity and complaints about the upcoming holiday- Valentine’s Day. My newsfeed has been flooded with statuses about how much February 14th sucks and how the holiday just serves to remind people of how single they are. 

So first things first, no holiday should be given the power to make you feel “alone forever”! Your identity and worth is not measured by your relationship status. Secondly, I think it is important that we take a step back from all the cheese that can come with this “day of romance” and focus on what the holiday is actually all about- love. And need I remind you, there are forms of love other than the romantic love that comes with a relationship. Love is something you share with your parents, siblings, extended family, and close friends! Valentine's Day is a day for ALL of your relationships, not just any romantic ones.The purpose of Valentine’s Day is to show the important people in your life just how much they mean to you, and that is something that everyone can be a part of. 

In recent years, Valentine’s Day has been swallowed up by all the of the media and commercialization- advertising all the gifts you should buy, places you should go, and money you should spend on this day to make it special- adding pressure to couples to not disappoint and expectations they feel they need to meet. This reality has made it so even many people in a relationship have come to hate the holiday too. But despite what the Jewelry store commercial on TV is telling you, there are a lot of ways you can make this day fun and special without emptying your wallet OR disappointing your significant other. Save cramming a reservation in at a fancy restaurant and make a nice dinner for two at home, for example. To avoid any disappointments, just communicate with your significant other about how much celebrating you’re wanting or expecting. If you’re a couple who likes to go all out and indulge in the cheesier aspects of the holiday- go for it! If you prefer a simple acknowledgement and maybe a card, that’s fine too. Just make sure you’re vocal about it, remember your partner isn’t a mind reader!

And for our singles out there, stop being so pessimistic! Being a complainer on Valentine’s Day is almost as bad as being a flaunter. If you are between relationships or just looking for the right person, your time will come. Valentine’s Day happens every year, so if you aren’t getting roses this year, there is always next year, or the year after that. Not being in a committed relationship of some sort on this one particular day shouldn’t make you feel torturously alone in the world. Contrary to popular belief, Valentine’s Day wasn’t made to hate on the singles! Historically, it has actually been FOR singles, to participate in various traditions to increase their chances of finding love in the near future. So get a bottle of wine, order a pizza, rent some cool movies and call up all your friends. Personally, those are some of the best Valentine’s Days I’ve had. 

By Aidan Metzger

 ONCEKids Publishing is run by literacy advocate and Mompreneur Eileen Wacker.  Click here to find her acclaimed books

10 Facts About Valentine's Day You Probably Didn't Know

Valentine’s Day is celebrated across the United States, as well as other parts of the world, to show love and affection for those you care about most, whether it is friends, family, or a significant other. Love it or hate it, everyone has heard of the day dedicated to love and romance. And whether they participate or actively rebel against it, most people have heard of the common traditions- giving chocolates and flowers, buying romantic cards, going out to dinner and so on. However, many of us (myself included) don’t actually know where those “cheesy” traditions came from, or much else about Valentine’s Day besides what they briefly teach you in elementary school about St. Valentine. Long before 1537 when King Henry VII declared February the 14th the official holiday of St. Valentine, people had ways of celebrating love and romance on this day, some of which date all the way back to the ancient Romans. 

1. Every February 14th, the ancient Romans celebrated the Feast of Lupercalia to honor Juno. In addition to being the queen of the Roman gods and goddesses, Juno was also the goddess of women and marriage. 

2. During medieval times, single girls ate strange foods on February 14th in hopes of making them dream of their future husband.

3. During the Middle Ages, before the arrival of February 14th, young women and men drew names from a bowl to determine who would be their Valentine. The name would then be pinned on to their sleeve for all to see, thus creating the expression “to wear your heart on your sleeve.”

4. In the 1800s, many Physicians would advise their heartbroken patients to eat chocolates to ease their sadness for their love lost. 

5. The red rose was the favored flower of the Roman goddess of love, Venus. 

6. 189 million rose are sold in the United States on Valentine’s Day.

7. 15% of women in the U.S. send themselves flowers on Valentine’s Day.

8. A love knot is a symbol of undying love, due to its twisting loops that have no beginning or end. In the past they were either created from ribbon or drawn on paper as a way of proven one’s eternal love for another person.

9. Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare’s lovers, lived in the Italian city of Verona and every Valentine’s Day, the city receives over 1,000 letters addressed to Juliet. 

10. Traditionally, teachers receive more Valentine’s Day cards than anyone else, followed by children, mothers, wives, then significant others.

ONCEKids Publishing is run by literacy advocate and Mompreneur Eileen Wacker.  Click here to find her acclaimed books