Valentine’s Day continues to be a holiday that fills stores with vibrant colors and people’s hearts with love. Feb. 14 is a yearly reminder to spread kindness and appreciate loved ones. However, this bliss perspective is not everyone’s view.

One in four Americans dismiss this holiday as ‘full of love’ for various reasons including increased pressure on spending money and on relationships; this holiday is not meant to be filled with stress and can be approached in a more light-hearted way in order to prevent anxiety. Relationships are all about approaching difficult situations and tackling them together—if Valentine’s Day causes financial stress, this opens up conversations to communicate. 

Additionally, Valentine’s Day isn’t about spending money to buy gifts; instead it is meant to appreciate loved ones. This can be done in various free ways, such as words of affirmation, quality time, acts of service and cards/homemade gifts.

Homemade gifts allow a person to get creative and learn more about their love language as well as their partners. Cards as well are simple gestures that go a long way and reassure loved ones. Both of these gifts can be put together with things around the house yet still maintain the thoughtfulness behind it. 

Healthy relationships vary between person to person and depend on one’s communication style as well as personal preferences. The majority of bumps in any relationship can be resolved through talking to each other which ultimately strengthens the bond, in addition to solving the problem at hand. Expressing your feelings regarding difficult topics with a partner can allow one to learn more about themselves and their relationship. 

 Harvard Medical School dives into how spreading love increases dopamine and energy. Valentine’s day focuses on the importance of caring for one another and reminds people how giving love impacts how you feel positively. 

Showing appreciation and love should, of course, be done throughout the year, but Valentine’s Day reinforces this and reminds people to put effort into their relationships. Individuals at times are too wrapped up in their own stress which causes them to forget the importance of valuing loved ones. Valentine’s Day provides a chance to honor your significant other and other loved ones which is beneficial for all.

Love is in the air, and also must be in your wallet. Valentine’s Day is expensive, puts unnecessary pressure on relationships and takes away from the fact that we should show love and appreciation every day, not just on Feb. 14. 

For those who choose to celebrate Valentine’s Day, it can often be incredibly expensive. The act of gifting your partner chocolates, flowers and going out to eat are all things society expects people to do on this day. In a survey taken by the National Retail Federation, individuals said they felt expected to spend an average of $161.96 on Valentine’s Day in 2019. If one is already under financial pressure, the expectations of spending on Valentine’s Day are just an added burden. Choosing to not buy a partner anything on this so-called “day of love” is simply not viewed as a viable option.

Valentine’s Day also puts unnecessary pressure on a new or unstable relationship. If in a romantic relationship, Valentine’s Day may lead to feeling obligated to make a serious investment or declaration of caring to your partner before you are ready. If not in a relationship, it can be a pain or even embarrassing at times to need to explain your choice to be alone. Data collected by CNN concludes how relationship status on a Facebook profile varies the most on Feb. 14, illustrating increased tension in relationships during this time. This indicates that this day of love seems to be anything but relaxing, and potentially strains relationships.

Additionally, why should a person only show their love and appreciation for others once a year? Love and appreciation in a relationship should not be condensed to an annual holiday. We should be celebrating each other and showing gratitude all year round. Only showing your love for someone by getting them gifts and chocolates once a year degrades and objectifies the meaning of love. 

In the end, Valentine’s day is just a holiday—no one should feel pressured or obligated to celebrate it no matter what their relationship status is. While giving someone gifts and chocolate is a great way of showing love, it certainly isn’t the only way.