Valentine's Day Isn't a Capitalist Dream, It's a Day to Show You Care!

Valentine's Day has long been considered a day of romance, flowers chocolate, and a day of hell for all you cynical people out there! However, as a young woman in the 21st century, I consider myself a romantic. In recent years, I've learned to let go of the expectations and cynicism associated with V-Day, and I feel liberated from it!

The problem with those who hate Valentine's Day, in my opinion, comes down to two things: 1, they're single and 2, they put too much pressure on it. Now I'm not going to say that social media hasn't influenced this toxic mindset, because it has.

Whispers of 'if he wanted to, he would' circle my For You page, and frankly, I'm just over it. The overly lavish videos showing off extravagant rose bouquets and expensive presents put a huge damper on what the day is really about which is love and appreciation. 

And for those heavily influenced by social media, Valentine's becomes a nightmare. You feel obligated to buy into the consumerism of overpriced gifts, jewellery or big bouquets when in reality, that's not always feasible. 

As we are in the middle of a cost of living crisis in the UK, the price of the weekly shop and added extras has significantly increased in the last year. Therefore, I don't think it is necessary or realistic to buy expensive gifts for your partner or your girls this year. My first rule of Valentine's Day is to establish expectations.

In doing this, you can communicate with your friends or your partner to see how they feel about the day. Do they celebrate it? Do they want you to do or buy something for it? If so, how much do they think is appropriate to spend? If you mutually agree to make it a thing, then set a budget for a gift or a night out. This way, you can compromise and meet in the middle with your loved ones to maintain equal effort.

We all have different love languages, and although gift-giving may be yours, your loved ones may have different ones. Consider their love language, and plan accordingly. Communicate with them about what you value most: gifts, words of affirmation, quality time or acts of service.

If theirs are words of affirmation, for example, focus on writing or making a heartfelt card. Keep it sweet and raw, lay your feelings out on the table to them. Think about all your cherished memories and the things you love about them, maybe even include a joke or two! 

For those who love quality time, plan a night out for a nice dinner or even cook a romantic meal for your partner. If you're both working, schedule a night in the week when you can both coordinate your schedules to cook a nice meal together!

Now, the problem for those who are single is the dreaded pressure of Valentine's, and I empathise. As someone single for most of her early twenties, I felt completely left out of the celebrations on this day every year, and I found myself profusely rolling my eyes at any advert related to the dreaded day of love.

It wasn't until the age of 22 and a half when I got into a relationship that I realised how wonderful it can be. Don't get me wrong, not everybody is romantic, and that's okay. But everybody should at least be able to show their partner they care on February 14th, if it's important to them! For single people, this love and care can be transferred to friends and family. Although it is now only three days away, a simple 'Love you' or 'Happy Valentine's' text can go a long way to show your loved ones you're thinking about them and that you care. 

All my girlies out there, you can even arrange a Galentines, if you didn't spend this week sipping on luuurve-themed cocktails! Consider getting your closest single girls around for some drinks on Wednesday or a nice dinner after work. Do your makeup pretty and wear something red for the occasion, if you want. After all, if you don't have someone to love romantically, who's better to do it for than yourself?

Maybe you live alone and are spending it alone and don't care so much about the day, and that's okay, too. Everyone likes to spend their time differently. After work on Wednesday, have a self-care night and do all of the things you love. Put on a nice film in the evening and your favourite show, and cook that delicious meal you've been wanting or order a takeaway as a treat. Focus on loving yourself and taking care of your well-being, because Feb 14th is a day to show you care about your friends, your family, your partner, and yourself, not all of that capitalist bullshit!