My AP Psych teacher made it very clear that he thought Valentine’s Day was just a commercialized holiday, a fraud. I didn’t feel like arguing (sucking up or silence is more healthy for your grade than arguing is…haha honestly, I just didn’t feel like arguing), but I can always be opinionated on my blog at least :wink:

Is Valentine’s Day commercialized? Yes. There is no denying this. Businesses use this pink holiday to turn pockets inside out and wallets upside down.

But with that said, I pose three new questions. What’s wrong with Valentine’s Day being commercialized? Do we not celebrate other commercialized holidays as well? Does this mean V-Day is a bad holiday, with absolutely no good outcomes?

Almost every holiday is commercialized. We’ve got Christmas, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Saint Patrick’s Day, etc. What annoys me the most is how ALL of these holidays have become commercialized but the only time I hear people complaining the most is Valentine’s Day. Christmas trails after it, but I still say Valentine’s Day is the winner.

I know this is going to sound bad to those of you who are religious but: I could care less about saints and god(s). I’m agnostic and sometimes I am on the border, pretty close to atheism. So for people like me, we really feel no sense of loss. It’s not like we would have been devout if these holidays didn’t turn commercialized. So boohoo, you religious people can feel guilty about turning a religious holiday into a commercialized holiday, but in the meantime I can feel good about celebrating a day that is different from the other mundane days.

I know there is the argument of “giving in to society” regardless of religion. Yes, by celebrating V-Day I am guilty for conforming and giving in to society’s expectations. But really, I don’t feel bad about it. There are much worse issues besides celebrating a holiday. How about the notion that being fat is being ugly? How about stupid expectations like how women have to paint their faces and cut up their bodies with razors? What about the millions of people living the rule of “bigger is better” (aka both female and male genitalia)? If you want something to complain about, those are the things to complain about. I find holidays less harmless, if you ask me.

The goths and pessimists may be annoyed by the pink hearts, white teddy bears, metallic balloons, and red roses, but they make me happy. I *enjoy* this holiday for a couple of reasons.

I love seeing all the decorations and gifts. It could be the girly-girl side, but seeing all of that puts a peppy little bubbly feeling inside of me. I can walk into school and feel this amazing aura. Everyone is bustling about, cupcakes and cookies are being exchanged, balloons are bumping against each other in the air, people are showered with appreciated gifts, and many are wearing pink and red outfits. It makes me happy.

But beyond the extremely cute surface, there is good to this holiday. Face it. We need the reminder to express our love. I am positive that over the years people start to celebrate their relationships less. Many people fall out of the romantic circle. What’s wrong with a reminder?

I find this a wonderful day to give gifts. Come on, when else are you going to give those candy hearts or those darling handmade cards to your friends? It’d be nice to do it a random day, but with our increasingly busy lives, it gets difficult to stick to this rule. Unless someone starts a revolution where we all are required to mark a random day for gift giving, it’s not going to work very well. It’d be nice, but it’s not practical.

I know people may feel differently, but I enjoy celebrating this holiday with other people. I know there are the complainers who are whining about the crowded stores and overflowing restaurants. For me, though, I feel especially happy celebrating this special day with other people. I can hug my boyfriend and then glance over his shoulder—other couples and friends are doing the same. We’re all celebrating our affection…together. I love the sense of unity. I can be happy with my boyfriend and see that other people are experiencing the same fluffy feelings.

So call me crazy, but I have a soft spot for Valentine’s Day. So dammit, I’m going to celebrate my commercialized holiday while the rest of you add something else to your list of stuff to mumble and grumble about!