Yes
By Nami G. ’28

Valentine’s Day is completely overrated. The holiday, in theory, is sweet: after all, celebrating your relationship with a significant other is meant to be fun and meaningful. However, Valentine’s is not as pleasant as it may seem in rom-coms. In fact, Valentine’s Day is a glorified holiday that promotes overconsumption and leads to damaged relationships.

The real meaning behind Valentine’s Day has been tarnished by capitalism. Couples are expected to spend money — namely on chocolates, jewelry, and flowers for their significant other. In fact, as explained by the National Retail Federation, people spent an average of around 185 dollars on their partner last Valentine’s Day. And don’t get me wrong — it is nice to invest in something special for your partner. But Valentine’s Day has turned gifting from what could be thoughtful and special to, well, just basic. Though chocolates and flowers may be a kind gesture for a rudimentary couple, as the relationship develops, so does the need for gifting something more special and personal to the relationship. This consumption also takes a toll on the environment. In the UK, an extra nine million kilograms of CO2 are emitted on Valentine’s Day, primarily from flowers, which are often imported from other countries. Social media only adds fuel to the fire by pushing couples to overspend on gifts. For instance, one video on ________ depicts someone  lamenting “if he wanted to, he would” before dumping their partner’s 300-dollar Valentine’s Day haul in front of the camera. This mentality puts pressure on couples to buy gifts for each other and partners may feel financially strained when buying gifts. 

Not only has overconsumption reached teens and adults, but it’s prevalent in younger children, too. In elementary schools across the US (including mine) it is customary for students to purchase pre-made cards for their friends. Coming from a person who used to tape disgusting pink lollipops onto a card with a cartoon character for all their classmates, the holiday was far from personal or meaningful. I can guarantee I don’t have a single card I received during Valentine’s Day as an elementary schooler, and I certainly never finished all of the artificial candies I was given.

Additionally, Valentine’s Day can lead to the exact thing that it was meant to combat — breakups and heartbreak. With the pressures of social media, couples are expected to celebrate Valentine’s with gifts and dinners, even if their relationship isn’t ready for the occasion. Since Valentine’s happens only once a year and is socially significant, people often feel pressured not to break up with their partner in the month of February. Many wait until after Valentine’s Day, which can lead to an unhealthy, overextended relationship. Around 7% of couples break up on Valentine’s Day, likely because of the pressure the holiday may put on couples to ensure this day is perfect when it can really leave people feeling dissatisfied. Additionally, Valentine’s Day can pressure single people into finding a partner. The pressures are especially evident through social media. When people post their partners, it’s easy to feel like you should be in a relationship or your relationship should look different.

Though Valentine’s Day was meant to be a celebration of love, humans have turned it into a day of breakups, situationships, and overconsumption. Overall, Valentine’s Day can leave people with negative feelings, which is the exact opposite of the rosy image society likes to paint about the holiday.

No
By Natalie G. ’28

Roses are red,
Violets are blue,
Valentine’s isn’t overrated,
Nor is it inflated.

Valentine’s day is far from overrated — it’s an important holiday that allows people to express their love and reflect on their relationships. Although historically, Valentine’s Day is more widely celebrated by couples who are “madly in love,” this special day has expanded to become an all-inclusive holiday that encompasses all types of love — not just romantic love. 

Having a dedicated holiday for love helps people stop and take time to appreciate their social networks. Other than learning to value the positive and supportive people around you, going out of your way to slow down and nurture a relationship also leaves a lasting impact on the other party. As Maya Angelou said, “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” Feeling loved and appreciated positively affects mental health, boosting self-esteem and happiness. 

I must admit that since the entire theme of Valentine’s Day revolves around celebrating and reflecting on relationships, it’s a bit of an emotional rollercoaster. People in healthy relationships with a solid foundation and a strong connection can deepen their bond on Valentine’s Day by creating fond memories or having a heartfelt conversation. Whether it’s communicating difficulties, navigating through previous misunderstandings, opening up about experiences, or committing to certain goals, it’s the perfect day to strengthen a relationship.  

Meanwhile, people who are engaged in shaky or toxic relationships have time to reflect on what went wrong or what’s happening now, giving them a chance to mend their connection or break things off for each other’s mental health. And yes, breakups in any kind of relationship often lead to screaming, crying, perfect storms… but it’s still not necessarily a bad thing. After some growing and healing, you have a blank space for other people to come in and support you in a way that your previous partner could not. As you heal, you come to see the world in a different way, widening your scope, changing yourself for the better, and learning to prioritize self-love — another important type of love — in the process. In the end, all that heartbreak sets you up for meeting the one — the one you will sing Taylor Swift lyrics like “all of the girls you loved before made you the one I’ve fallen for” to. 

One big misconception about Valentine’s Day is that it’s a day for gift-giving. Not necessarily. It’s more of a day for showing gratitude to your loved ones. People’s love languages are different, but the five main categories are words of affirmation, physical touch, quality time, acts of service, and gift-giving. Notice that gift-giving is a way that people express their love, so if someone wants to spend money on a nice dinner date, a ticket for a movie, a bouquet of flowers, or a box of chocolates, who’s to say they shouldn’t because it’s too “basic” or too “desperate”? 

As bittersweet as it sounds, Valentine’s Day allows you the choice to relinquish and retain, making it an important holiday to have on our yearly calendars.