No, You Technically Don't Need A Holiday Like Valentine's Day To Say 'I Love You', But Why Ruin The Fun?
Don't hate on love.
Every year I hear people say that they hate Valentine’s Day, that it isn’t a real holiday or that it’s "sad" that people need a day to confess their love. Well I’ll be the first to say I disagree.
People don't need a day to confess their love, but sometimes we “need” a day to set aside time to show love. Let me explain.
Love is shown in various ways. Loving someone could be cooking them dinner even after you’ve had a long day at work, comforting them in tough times, or taking care of them when they are sick. Love is compromising even when you don’t feel like it. These are the everyday things that people do, so much so that they stop becoming viewed as signs of love.
Sometimes people need what some would call the “superficial” signs of love.
This can come in the form of a well thought out social media post or the giving of chocolate and other gifts that don’t last long. While this can happen on any day of the year, between work, bills and other priorities in life, couples can find it hard to take the time to openly show appreciation for one another and keep the romance alive.
Valentine’s day gives them the opportunity to prioritize love in a special way by choosing to spend time with each other and be reminded of their love.
Therefore, I absolutely adore Valentine’s day and everything it stands for. Even during the years when I was single, I always enjoyed seeing couples pronounce their love for one another. From the gifting of teddy bears and flowers to the kissing and hugging exchanged between lovers, the public display of affection just warmed my heart. I especially enjoy seeing older couples walking and holding hands as they head towards their cars from dinner. Valentine’s day makes me remember that people all around the world have found someone they can call their own and that they couldn’t be happier about it.
Valentine’s day is special, important and needed. It is a day filled with fun and nobody should try and ruin it. Here's why.
1. You get to give and receive cute gifts (who could hate that?!)
Seeing the joy on someone’s face as they open a gift is such a heart-warming sight. People tend to be happy to receive physical representations of the love and appreciation someone has for them. The best part is that these physical gifts can include things like teddy bears, something that might seem silly or useless to couples who are a bit older if received on any other day. On Valentine’s day, anything goes.
2. You have an excuse to do something romantic.
Valentine’s day is a perfect day to plan a special outing. Whether it be having a nice candlelit dinner at a favorite restaurant or have a much-needed spa day, couples get to spend time talking, relaxing and catching up with one another. With everything else that might be going on in their world, couples may not always have time to coordinate schedules and plan times to hang out. Valentine’s day is one date night they can almost always expect to have without going through too much trouble.
3. Couples get dressed up and dressed down.
Couples have an excuse to get dressed up as they make plans to head out and celebrate Valentine’s Day. They may have forgotten what it is like to see each other in attire that isn’t for work or bed. It is a day where they can admire each other’s style and exchange sexy compliments. If they get lucky this could spark some forgotten attraction to one another and the night ending with undressing, too.
4. You have an excuse to be unhealthy.
Everyone knows that Valentine’s Day is one day that you can expect to eat junk food. Candy is one of the most popular gifts that people receive, and it is hard to resist eating such a treat when it's literally everywhere. Between that and going out to eat, one can be sure to be in food heaven for a day. So, if a person has been on a diet and/or faithfully working out, Valentine’s Day is a guaranteed cheat day they can look forward to.
5. Couples can rekindle that "honeymoon phase."
When relationships first start couples are more likely to go out and spend money. This is usually in an attempt to impress one another. However, as time goes by it is easy to forget what it felt like when they first laid eyes on each other. Valentine’s day gives couples a chance to rekindle their love. They remember why they fell in love in the first place. It is a day filled with much needed magic and romance to remind lovers why they are together and how much their relationship means to them.
Alexis George is a writer who covers love, relationship advice, astrology and personality topics.