Valentine’s day is typically focused on celebrating love, couples, and anything romantic. This day is one of the holidays where the origin is not widely known or connected to the modern interpretation. Of course, there is the history of the men named Valentine who were sacrificed on the 14th in the 3rd century CE, but people generally just focus on the heart decorations. The issue with Valentine’s Day is that the modern portrayal stems from Capitalism, and the need to exploit people’s emotions for money. On average, Americans spend $142 a year, and 27.4 billion dollars nationally, on a holiday with very little significance to the general public. These figures may lead you to question, “why?” But the answer is surprisingly simple.
Over the years, Valentine’s Day has developed into an event in which people in romantic relationships are expected to put on an extravagant date and give gifts, ranging from chocolates to diamond rings. Because of this, most people end up feeling guilty if they don’t break bank for the holiday. In this way, capitalism has learned to exploit people's emotions with societal standards.
It also uses people’s emotions in other ways. There has become an expectation to get Valentine’s Day gifts for others, even if you’re single, to express your love for friends, pets, family, and anyone else you might have in your life. Unlike the romantic gifts, gifts for non-romantic loved ones are often inexpensive and many times bought in bulk, but it still is spending money on a holiday that has very little purpose. This is not to say that Valentine’s Day in itself is inherently bad, just that there is nothing stopping people from expressing their love on any day of the year, but that capitalist guilt makes it hard for people to not buy Valentine’s Day gifts for the significant people in their lives.
Written by Lilia
Artwork by Mrishana
