Broken Hearted
Christmas trees have been shoved into the 75 percent-off bin and the chocolate hearts, stuffed bears, candy and roses are all available in traditional pink and red. Valentine’s Day is here, a day set aside for the celebration of love. Yet what some people love most about the holiday is the chance to hate it.
“It’s Singles Awareness Day,” said Natalie Glover, a freshman majoring in sociology.
“It’s great for people in a relationship, but otherwise it points out even more than normal that you’re single. You’re always hoping that something exciting will happen, but it’s always a disappointment,” Glover said.
Malika Wimmer, a senior in English education, hates the commercialism of the holiday.
“I don’t think you need one day in a year to tell someone you love them. I think you should be telling them throughout the year,” Wimmer said.
Others feel Valentine’s Day is more of an obligation than an expression.
“If you are in a relationship, you can’t do something normal. It’s got to be special and if it’s not good enough, then you ruin their day. If you aren’t in a relationship, then you just feel stupid. Either way it’s a lose-lose. But those sweetheart candies are good,” said Matt Williams, a senior in public health.
Regardless of a reason to hate the pink and red season, some take hating Valentine’s Day to an art, celebrating in their own ways.
Marla King, a junior in history education, said last year she still had a Christmas tree up in February, so she and her roommates decided to decorate the tree for Valentines Day. Using pictures of ex-boyfriends labeled “loser” as ornaments, they finished off their Valentine’s Day tree with pictures of celebrities like Hugh Jackman and Jason Mraz.
Courtney Hill, a sophomore in English and art history, spent one Valentine’s Day terrified after an anti-love prank turned sour.
“Me and my three guy friends were bitter, so we wanted to make fun of people making out by the lake. We spotlighted a van and it chased us for about 45 minutes down rural roads and finally cornered us. We were so scared,” Hill said.
Jeremy Toone, a junior majoring in English, said his hate for Valentine’s Day makes him a generally bitter person on Feb. 14.
“Last year for Valentine’s Day, I pretended to be a girl’s boyfriend so she could avoid being set up,” said Toone, who had to carry on the façade long afterward because he knew people at the Valentine’s dance.
“But mostly I like to watch movies with things dying, or sometimes I try to make myself like it and I watch a chick flick and eat cookie-dough ice cream,” Toone said, referring to cookie-dough as a girl flavor.
Christian Brinton, a junior in international business, said he doesn’t really hate Valentine’s Day though some would say he has reason to. His first real girlfriend sent a message to him that she was breaking up with him at a Valentine’s party.
“I ran home and listened to sappy love songs on the radio and wallowed in pity,” Brinton said. However, since the heartbreak occurred in the fifth grade, he has since been able to move on-with the help of an annual Valentine’s visit to a psychologist, Brinton joked.
“She broke up with another kid at the sixth grade Valentine’s party,” Brinton said. “It must be her thing.”
Whether Valentine’s Day is a day of love, a sappy, commercialized holiday, or an excuse to eat a bowl of cookie-dough ice cream, the tradition of Feb. 14 comes down to perspective and conversation hearts. Choosing to hate or love Valentine’s Day makes it a celebration either way.
-cynthiadiane@cc.usu.edu