12 Reasons Valentine’s Day Is BS

Valentine’s Day is here again, and it sucks. While those of us who hate the pointless holiday are written off as bitter, we’re actually right. Valentine’s Day is the worst, whether you’re single or in an relationship. Here’s why:

1. Restaurants are full and you’re probably going to get bad service. Dinner is a pretty common date idea for Valentine’s Day, but that also makes it infinitely harder and less pleasant. Reservations go quickly, so there’s a huge wait if you weren’t on the ball with making plans. Also, servers are swamped and chances are they’ll mess up more than usual thanks to this. 
2. There are high expectations, which makes things extra stressful. From day one, we’re given a script on how the holiday is to be celebrated. Greeting cards, flowers, and diamond rings all do a booming business, and we run around like chickens with our heads cut off trying to make it the best day ever. It’s obnoxious.
3. Every movie on television is a rom-com that supports those ridiculous expectations.  So maybe you’re single and you want to just stay in, eat some chocolate you got for yourself, and escape all of the happy couples. Sadly, the television will be full of them. Stay safe by choosing something on Netflix instead.
4. It becomes a weird competition. Everything you do on this day is supposed to come from the heart, but that’s hardly how it goes down. We all inwardly become competitors, and those who get gifts sent to work or have public proposals are seen as winning. It makes those who are in a relationship miserable when they’re expected to be the happy ones.
5. The price of “love” is pretty expensive. Many people drop a lot of money on Valentine’s Day gifts to show their partners they love them. The average person will spend $146.84 this Valentine’s Day, according to WalletHub. This holiday might not be for singles, but it’s not for the broke, either.
6. A bad Valentine’s Day could lead to a breakup. As if the pressure wasn’t already on! Many people take the holiday so seriously that it’s make or break for their relationship. A survey from WalletHub found that more than 50 percent of women would dump their lover over a terrible Valentine’s Day present.
7. Self-love is never promoted like it should be. It’s incredibly important to love and take care of yourself. If you don’t, you can’t be a happy person or have healthy relationships. So why isn’t the holiday all about love not promoting this? If couples are made to feel pressure to love each other, then singles should get a healthy dose of encouragement to do something they love just for themselves. They shouldn’t be made to feel inadequate.
8. Those who are depressed get super low on the holiday. We all pretty much know that singles tend to be hard on themselves on this day, but it’s especially bad for those who are depressed. For example, Jacksonville Suicide Hotline reportedly gets 140 suicide calls per month, but on Valentine’s Day in 2014, they got 144 that day! That’s definitely a terrible trend.
9. Most people expect sex. There’s nothing wrong with having sex or wanting it, but there’s a problem when you do it because you feel pressured or expected to. Due to the forced romance on the holiday, however, sex has become so expected that it’s also National Condom Day. Condom sales are boosted 25 percent higher on this day, according to Consumer Health Digest. At least people are being safe!
10. The day is avoided like the plague for first dates. The pressure is so high that even if you’re into someone, you’d most likely choose any other day for a first date. It’s kind of understandable because the holiday is about love, and if you’re not in love, you don’t want to give the wrong message.
11. Those who are single on the holiday end up turning on it. It seems like society likes to focus on sad single women when it comes to the holiday. But single men also feel left out, too! Research from Georgetown University found those who can’t celebrate the holiday often don’t want any romance at all to happen on that day.
12. Other people’s public proposals can make your holiday awkward. Valentine’s Day is one of the most popular days of the year for someone to pop the big question. Many people also tend to do it publicly, which can be sweet but also awkward for other couples. It’s like marriage is somehow hanging over their heads and they might be wondering where their own relationship is leading. For others, maybe marriage was already a discussion and it hasn’t happened yet. Now, once again, the competition is rearing its ugly head.