issue 18 / volume 40

opinions // 17

War of the Words: Valentine's Day meant for couples

» Singles need to stop complaining

 

Cazzy Lewchuk
Staff Writer

 

a Christian Feast Day
celebrating Saint Valentine,
who was killed for his beliefs
during the anti-Christian
Roman Empire. It somehow
evolved into an occasion in
the Middle Ages where lovers
exchanged Valentine greetings
to show their affection. This
tradition continues today—and
that’s all it should be. It’s meant
as a holiday for couples to do
romantic things, and nothing
else.

Yet most of the statements
concerning Valentine’s Day on
my social networks or said by
my friends are not expressions
of love for their significant
others. It’s mostly whining
about being “forever alone”
and how they plan to spend the
day eating chocolate and/or
sobbing. Sometimes it takes the

joke—something like

“Valentine’s Day? You mean

Singles Awareness Day?”
Nobody likes hearing

: singles complain about being

: single. It happens all the time,
: not just on Valentine’s Day.

: Personally, I feel Valentine’s

: Day is the one time of the

; _ : year when singles specifically

Viremines Day was originally ? shouldn't complain, because

: the holiday is just not meant

: for them. Complaining about

: being single on Valentine’s Day

: is like complaining about not

: being Jewish on Hanukkah.

: The holiday is designed for a

: certain demographic. All the

: gifts sold and celebrations held

: are specifically meant for people
: who are dating.

Yes, being single can be

: frustrating, especially for those
: who've always been so, or those
: who've just gotten out of a

: relationship. Valentine’s Day

: can bea reminder that there

: are happy couples around you,

: and you are not part of one. At

: the same time, I know of no

: one who enjoys hearing singles
: complain about the fact. If you
: must, leave the complaining to
: the days before or after February :
: : 14. I see Valentine’s Day rants
form of a slightly uncomfortable : all over Facebook for weeks
: beforehand. Can we please at
: least let the lovers have the

: actual 14th to themselves?

I like seeing couples tell

: each other why they love each

: other. I like hearing cute stories.
: Maybe it’s a bit mushy, but it’s

: nice to see that there’sa little

: more love in the world.

At the heart of itself,

: Valentine’s Day is a Hallmark

: holiday. There are no religious or
: cultural grounds associated with
: it today. It exists to sell cards

: and chocolate to those in love,

: and for restaurants to advertise

: deals on meals for two. It’s just

: like St. Patrick’s Day, where not

: all participate. However, no one

: complains about not being Irish
: on St. Patty’s.

Being single can suck.

: I get it. Still, couples often

: face enough awkwardness

: and resentment from their

: jealous, partnerless friends.

: Complaining about not

: having anyone at a wedding

: or anniversary party would be

: considered selfish, tasteless, and
: insensitive to the newly wedded
: couple. Why can’t we share the

: same etiquette for a holiday

specifically designed for lovers?

: After all, everything will be back
: to normal on February 15. Then
: you can eat all the half-priced

: chocolate until your lonely

: heart’s content—just please,

: please don’t make another

Complaining about
being single on
Valentine's Day is
like complaining
about not being
Jewish on
Hanukkah.

   

 

 

 

By www.loloudly.com

War of the Words: Valentine's Day meant for everyone

» Not a single thing to complain about

 

& Natalie Serafini
e Assistant Editor
& Massistant

ey @theotherpress.ca

   
 

or those without a partner,

Valentine’s Day is one
of several days that marks

another point of singledom.

No kiss on New Year’s? No

lover on Valentine’s? No sig-
nificant other on your birth-
day? Although these markers
are plentiful, Valentine’s Day,
more so than the others, is
not meant for the single-set at
all; it’s for the happy couples
in their cocoon of love. Since

the singles have 364 other
days to whine, complain,

and be general pests about
their lack of a bedmate, can’t

they lay offraining on the

Valentine’s Day parade?
Well, this particular

day—V-day—is set up to

emphasize the importance
of having a significant other.

: Itisn’t dedicated to love in

: Yet, because Valentine’s Day

ner B—pink hearts and all.

: general, loves of all kinds, love :
: for family, friends, and cats;

: the narrative of Valentine’s

: Dayis (largely a heteronor-

: mative) one of boyfriend/

: girlfriend, husband/wife. A

: man walking by with flowers
is assumed to be bringing

: said bouquet toa girlfriend

: or wife. A woman frantically
: shopping for ingredients

: to cooka four-course meal

is likely going to that effort

: fora boyfriend or husband.

: Chocolates, cards, presents,

: and grand gestures onthe day :
: ofredand pinkare generally:
: centred around romantic love. :
: store and be bombarded with

: flowers, cards, chocolates, and
: pronouncements of love that

: aren't for you; to walk down

: the street trailing an affec-

Don’t get me wrong, a

romantic relationship can

: be wonderful, but it isn’t the

: only relationship in town that
: deservessome appreciation —}
: and chocolate-festooned cele- :
: bration. I don’t think anyone’s
: going to dispute that family

: and friends are as important

: asa boyfriend or girlfriend.

tells one tale of affection, it’s

consequently exclusive. Not in
: arelationship? No love for you.
: Ifsomeone asks what your

: plans for Valentine’s Day are,

: and you reply with watching

: a movie with friends, the

: reaction will likely be “Oh
poor you, you don’t havea

; person—maybe next year.”

On top of this, there are

obnoxiously omnipresent

: images of the love you're

: missing out on. It can be

: kind ofa downer to go to the

liquor store and see a couple

: purchasing a bottle of vino;

to pop down to the grocery

tionate, hand-holding couple;

to curl up with your computer
: and scroll through status

: after status announcing how

: much partner A loves part-

: being single. I’ve always felt

: it was better to be happily

: single than unhappily paired,
: and if youre unfulfilled on

: your own, the presence of a
partner isn’t going to change

: anything. But I also reserve

: the right to whine as much as
I damn well please, especially
: ona day that is constructed to
: make me feel inferior because
: of my relationship status.

let’s turn now to my right

: to complain on Valentine’s

: Day about being single, and
: about the exclusive nature

: of the day. Youre telling me
: this day is not for me, and

: that I don’t get to complain

: because I’m excluded from :
: your day? “Look, Ibakedsome :
: cookies. Oh you want one?

: You can’t have one. They’re

: only for a few select people.

: Oh now you're complaining?

I don't think people
should want to complain about :

Speaking of which,

: You don’t get to complain.
: The cookies were never

meant for you.” The fact that

: I’m excluded means that I’m
: justified in complaining.

Valentine’s Day should

be celebratory of all kinds of

: love. I don’t have a boyfriend,

: but my lifeis made richer asa
: result of the men who are like
: brothers, the women who are
like my sisters, and my actual
: blood relatives. Because the

: day isso centrally about one

: love only (romantic love), that
; means that I get to complain

: if1so choose—why should I

: be barred froma celebration

: because I’m not ina relation-

: ship? Alternatively, to be more
: proactive, I get to protest

: the day’s exclusive nature by

: making it inclusive, showing

: appreciation for all those]

care about. Either way, I’m

staking claim on Valentine’s
: Day as everyone’s day.